And so it begins ...

The planning ... the friends and family ... the guilt. :)

We are having an engagement party Friday night. If you haven't received our announcement, then I don't have your correct e-mail so be sure to go here (hopefully it works) and add yourself to the list (the "invite more guests" option).

We have been so blessed by the responses of our family and friends. My family welcomed Dave with open arms and only a few veiled references to Dad's gun collection. I've been able to gush with a few of Dave's family members as well. My friends picked us up at the airport and we opened a bottle of champaign at their house, and then they took us out to dinner last Friday! Both our churches had big hugs and hearty congratulations for us, praising God for this answer to prayer. And I have been so blessed by the heart-warming e-mails and offers of help from everyone. Thank you.

We've spent the last week trying to get a hold of everyone, playing a lot of phone tag, and eventually resorting to the classy eVite. However, I have to share a few of the more creative "wag of the finger"s that we've received due to our inability to make a connection.

Donna (who I tried to call and sent an eVite to the wrong e-mail):

"So you get engaged and Trent and I have to hear about it through the grapevine?????"

AnnaCaroline's (Dave's little sister) response to the eVite:

"I can't say how excited Len and I are about your engagement. We couldn't be happier. Well, maybe if Dave would return my calls so I could hear all the details...just kidding."

But the winner has to be Chris (one of Dave's best friends) who left the following voicemail:

"dead babies,
rotting branches,
launching feces,
people not answering their phones,
crayons melted on the dashboard,
snapped legs,
bad [garbled] at sporting events,
favorite puppies no longer with us,
treadmills smashed by fat people who think they’re going to get in shape,
trucks who can’t drive over 65 mph,
hopeless movies,
computer systems that are always crashing."