Tuesday with the Tussings
The families came together for an “engagement celebration” dinner, more or less. My two sisters and my brother-in-law were not able to attend, as they had prior commitments. But they stopped by just as the evening’s events were wrapping up.
While our parents have met, this was the first time that our families really gathered for the first time. However, it’s funny because my sister Christy and Steve’s older brother, Dave, are the same age and were friends at George Fox long before Steve and I even met. In fact, Christy (always the matchmaker!) was the one who first told me, “Katie, Dave’s little brother is coming to Fox next year!”
Well, Christy has always been eager to suggest potential boyfriends for as long as I can remember, so I was quick to shrug off her Yenta-like insinuation towards Dave’s younger brother… And look at us now! Three years later we’ve met, we’ve fallen in love and now we’re getting married! Now Christy and Dave, in a sense, are going to be related… “Friends for life” I suppose!
Anyways… I got on a rabbit trail. Bottom line: The dinner went well! The dads talked and barbecued meat, the moms talked and fussed over the fixings, and Dave and his girlfriend Carice had a good time as well! Religion was conveniently avoided, but perhaps it’s just as well. Perhaps the icons hanging in each room appeared particularly severe—warding off any jabs or remarks (i.e. “So… TODAY you can have meat???”) with their penetrating eyes.
It’s funny though, I forget that icons aren’t normal to other people. I know that before I was Orthodox, I probably would have thought “Man, these people are fanatics.” But now I’m happy to have icons as our “decor of choice.” Perhaps new guests should be introduced to all of the icons in addition to family members: “This is my Mom and Dad, my brother Matt. And this is St. Xenia, my patron saint, and this is the Archangel Michael and this is the Mother of God—have you met her? She’s out of this world!”
Jumping to China
Last night Steve and I babysat my godmother’s two little boys (ages 3 ½ and 2, I think). We had fun—Steve does so well with the boys and they’re really starting to like him a lot. A little while ago Alexander (the oldest) used to jump off furniture and say, “I’m going to JUMP to China!”
Wouldn’t that be cool, to jump to China? Earlier today Steve and I were talking about some of the unavoidable tough things in life, and I said “I’m just going to jump to China.” Seems like the simple solution to avoiding life’s struggles… if only it were that easy. For instance, I wouldn’t mind jumping to China and staying there for 10+ months until it’s time to come back and get married…
But the months that stand between now and our wedding day will, no doubt, serve their purpose. Perhaps I need all of the prep-time I can get--both spritiually and logistically.
3 comments:
although I can't really say how much growing you can do during a 10 month engagement, I CAN say that the engagement time is very cloudy, yet clarifying; fun, yet difficult; and mostly crazy and full of realizations and slaps in the face. I don't mean that Steve will physically slap you in the face :D I mean that sometimes you're going to stop dead in your tracks realize how much you're growing up and how much things are changing and are going to change- drastically. It's a positive thing though, for sure.
wait, did I get married or something? ;)
~Amy
(are we having coffee tomorrow?)
one more thing... the "Jump to China remark, reminded me of speed camp freshman year...when Rogla was doing the standing long jump, and I had recently learned that she was born in Spain:
"Come on Jenn, jump!"
"Yeah, JUMP TO SPAIN!!!"
I must say that the dinner with the family went wonderful and everyone had a good time. I must say that I'm warming up to baby's more each time I baby sit. I don't think I will ever be as ravanous as the Russo clan is over them, but I enjoy them much more than I did in high school.
Engagement is diffently hard. It's more of a commitment, but in all reality it's not really that different from regular dating. I pray that the Lord will use this time and protect us during this time.
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