SO...BIG NEWS....I'M ENGAGED. NOW, I'VE ALREADY RECEIVED SOME INTERESTING VOICEMAILS STATING SOMETHING AROUND THE FOLLOWING.... "SO TIM, I BARELY KNEW YOU HAD A GIRLFRIEND AND NOW YOU'RE SENDING ME A TEXT MESSAGE SAYING YOUR ENGAGED!!!"... TO YOU (JEREMY) I SAY HA. I REALIZE THAT A TON OF YOU THAT MAY BE READING THIS MIGHT BE SHOCKED AND SURPRISED, BUT I HOPE THAT YOUR SHOCK AND SURPRISE IS MERELY ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT AND EXCITEDNESS! SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WE HAVEN'T CHATTED WITH IN A WHILE I'LL FILL YOU IN....

IN DECEMBER I WENT WITH MY BROTHER TO GATLINBURG TN. HE WAS LEADING WORSHIP AT WINTER EXTREME CAMP THAT STARTED THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. ON THE 27TH, I RAN INTO THIS COOL VIBY CHICK THAT CAUGHT MY EYE. THE NEXT DAY (THE LAST DAY OF THAT PARTICULAR EVENT) WE HAD A SINGLE CONVERSATION THAT CONSISTED MAINLY OF "HEY SO I WANNA GO OVER SEAS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AND STUFF....OH REALLY, ME TOO" (IT WAS A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH, BUT YOU GET THE GIST). SO AFTER THAT CAMP I COULDN'T SHAKE THIS CONVERSATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THIS GIRL FROM MY MIND. I REMEMBERED THE NAME OF THE OUTDOOR WILDERNESS CAMP SHE WORKED FOR AND WENT TO THEIR SIGHT TO TRACK HER DOWN. I COULDN'T REMEMBER HER NAME (SORRY) BUT I FOUND HER PICTURE AND LUCKILY THERE WAS AN EMAIL ADDRESS. SO I EMAILED, SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "HEY, I'M NOT A STALKER, BUT I DIG YA"....HA.

WELL SO WE STARTED EMAILING EVERY DAY STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY AND EVENTUALLY UPGRADED TO PHONE CONVERSATIONS AND TEXT MESSAGES (LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS ARE A DRAG SOMETIMES!!!!). THEN OVER SPRING BREAK SHE HAD A LAYOVER IN DALLAS SO WE WENT ON TWO DATES (ONE EACH LAYOVER) AND STARTED TO TALK MORE ABOUT RELATIONSHIP AND STUFF. IT WAS EASTER WEEKEND WHEN I DECIDED TO GO UP AND VISIT HER, HER FRIENDS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HER MADISYN (JOANNA'S ELEVEN YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER). IT WAS HERE THAT WE DECIDED THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS EITHER SINK OR SWIM AND WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BE BALLS TO THE WALL IN IT. EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING AS SOON AS I FOUND OUT ABOUT MADISYN, I KNEW THAT I COULDN'T MERELY "TRY THIS RELATIONSHIP ON" TO SEE IF IT FIT, BUT FROM THE BEGINNING IT REQUIRED SOME SORT OF SPECIAL COMMITMENT THAT RESTED OUTSIDE OF MYSELF AND MY OWN LOGIC, AND SOLEY ON THE FAITH AND BELIEF THAT GOD WAS LEADING US IN OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS EACH OTHER.

THE NEXT TRIP WAS OVER MOTHER'S DAY, WHICH WAS SPECIAL TO SPEND IT WITH THEM. AND THEN AGAIN IN MAY. IT WAS SOON REALIZED THAT LOVE WAS IN THE AIR AND WE BEGAN PRAYING AND THINKING THROUGH HOW WE COULD BRING OUR LIVES TOGETHER. IT WAS SOON DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BEST TO PHYSICALLY BRING OUR LIVES TOGETHER (SINCE THIS WHOLE TIME THEY LIVED IN NC, ME IN TX). SO WE DECIDED THAT THE TWO OF THEM WOULD MOVE TO TX AND WE SETTLED ON THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER SO MADISYN COULD START THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF.

SO HERE WE ARE TO THIS WEEKEND. BACK IN MAY WE STARTED PLANNING A BEACH VACATION WITH THE THREE OF US AND SOME OF JOANNA'S CLOSE FRIENDS. SO THE PLAN WAS PERFECT. FRIDAY MORNING I TOOK MADISYN OUT ON A DATE (WE ALWAYS HAVE A DATE WHEN I COME TO TOWN) AND WE WENT AND SAW RATATOUIE. FUNNY BY THE WAY, AND RODE A FERRIS WHEEL AND HAD SUBWAY. ON THE WAY HOME I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND TOLD HER I HAD A VERY SERIOUS QUESTION FOR HER. I PULLED OUT THIS ANTIQUE LOCKET I HAD BOUGHT FOR HER WITH A PICTURE OF THE THREE OF US. I GAVE HER THE LOCKET AND ASKED HER IF I COULD BE A PART OF HER FAMILY. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME FOR HER TO FEEL LIKE A PART OF WHAT JOANNA AND I HAVE, NOT MERELY ACCESSORY TO IT. SO SHE CRIED AND SAID YES AND I ONLY HAD ONE MORE PERSON TO ASK (EVEN THOUGH I ALREADY KNEW THE ANSWER!).

SO THAT NIGHT (LAST NIGHT) JO AND I WENT TO THIS FREAKING AMAZING SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND SHARED SOME BLACKENED GROUPER (AMAZING...AS IF YOU CARE). THEN WE HEADED DOWN TO THE BEACH WITH A BLANKET AND A BOTTLE OF WINE AND SAT AND TALKED AND STARRED AT THE STARS FOR AN HOUR OR SO. THEN I TOLD HER I WANTED TO SHOW HER SOMETHING HAD BOUGHT FOR MADISYN. SO I SHOWED HER THE LOCKET AND TOLD HER THAT I HAD ASKED HER IF I COULD BE A PART OF THE FAMILY. (TEARS START FLOWING AT THIS TIME). THEN I SAID, AND I HAVE TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION.... CAN I BE A PART OF YOUR FAMILY, WILL YOU MARRY ME.... *HUGS, KISSES, TEARS....AND A YES FOLLOWED.

AND SO HERE I AM TELLING ALL OF YOU OUR STORY, OR RATHER THE BEGINNING OF OUR STORY!

SO THAT SHOULD ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE! AND.... I'LL BE POSTING A HILARIOUS VIDEO OF THE WEEKEND LATER ON NEXT WEEK!!!