Engaged Encounter and Lauren

Well... we can officially get married now! And thank goodness... if we had spent 48 hours by each others side (and 25 other couples sides) and got nothing for it, I would be an unhappy gal!

The reason we can officially get married now is because we spent a weekend at the Catholic Engaged Encounter in Wichita. We had to do it before we were allowed to get married in the church. So, we went, with some pushing and prodding out the door by Matt's mom, to the retreat.

Basically, the weekend entails this: meet in a big conference room with other couples. There are three speakers - a younger married couple, an older married couple, and a priest. They would switch off discussing different topics (starting a family, forgiveness, being married vs. your wedding day, etc.) and after they were done, Matt (or I) would go to the room he was staying in (with a random stranger he had never met) and answer questions about the topic at hand. I would stay in the conference room and write my answers and after 10 minutes, I would meet him in his room and we would read each others answers and discuss.

Though many of our talks were good, those that know Matt and I know that we are not the most serious people. After one session, I had written a page and a half on the topic and I'd go back to Matt's room, and he had wrote jokes down! Also during one session, we decided to nap rather than write answers.

We did get alot out of it and truthfully, I think we feel even closer after we left Sunday (we almost skipped out of the Spiritual Life Center, holding hands, we were so happy to be leaving!). We talked about a lot of important things and I left feeling so lucky to have someone that is so in sync with me. I truly feel like we are ready for the next big step and absolutely can't wait until the big day!

Sunday afternoon I drove home to see the little sister. She had gotten back from Manhattan on Saturday and on day one of being home for the summer, was already bored and not happy to be back!

I have told her over and over that she will be super busy helping me with wedding stuff (invites, programs, etc.) that she'll really enjoy those times when she has nothing to do! She'll look back in 10 years and be sad that she can't have that time back! I know I do! I'm jealous as all get out that she has the whole summer to relax!

And last but not least.... I'm picking up my wedding gown today! YAHOO!