Sprouting today...!

For those of you following the blog, you probably have noticed the backdrop of a bean sprout. Well, today is the day that Thomas and I will consummate our marriage. Just as a bean is a dicot, sending up its two cotyledon leaves up toward the sunlight as one plant; so too are Thomas and I two people joined as one on this day, keeping our eyes on the Son's Light, that is God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Waiting for the perfect man...

As noted in a previous post (July 1, 2011), throughout college, my friends joked about Thomas and I getting married. Some of them were rather forward and asked me what I was waiting for...well...I'm no longer waiting for the perfect man because I've found the perfect man for me. With that said, I'm not insinuating that he himself is perfect nor am I perfect, but I'm claiming that we are two imperfect beings whom with the help of our Heavenly Father, our marriage will be made perfect through our dependence on Him, enduring the ups and downs of life.
Here are some of their messages:

Alright...so tomorrow my father will be giving me away to the man of my dreams. Thank you everyone for your love, prayers, and guidance. Thomas and I are eager to be united together in Christ. Please continue to pray for us as we embrace the many tribulations and jubilations of life.

"Can I milk your goats?!"

Many people have been asking how Thomas and I met. Well, it was roughly 12 years ago when I asked Thomas (aka - Chicken Man) to show my younger siblings and I how to show poultry (birds) at the Montcalm County Fair. I was 11 years old, and Thomas was 15 years old. We, of course, saw each other around fair, but now we had exchanged words. So, that is how we met, but as far as how we became friends, the credit goes to Thomas. He had an interest in my dairy goats. A couple years later (I'm now 13), he came up to me and inquired, "can I milk your goats?" That might seem strange, but there were always people asking me if they could milk my goats. So, per usual, I informed Thomas when I was scheduled to milk. That following evening, I was eating pizza with family from out of town, and a 4-H leader informed me that there was a guy asleep at my milkstand. OOPS! I knew that I was pushing back my milking time, but family trumped milking (to some extent, at least). What I forgot was that Thomas intended to meet me that night when I was milking; so I inadvertently stood him up. About a week after fair, Thomas looked up my parents' number in a phone book (yeah...those things are practically obsolete...lol), gave me a call, and invited me to go swimming with him at his grandparents'. We would be chaperoned, of course, by his mother, seeing as I was 13 and Thomas was 17. At this time, he was still using me for his infatuation with my dairy goats, which his parents would not allow him to raise.
As time wore on, Thomas continued to pursue me more and my goats less. He asked if he could come over during the summer on his way to work (it was a little out of his way) to help me milk my goats in the morning. This time, he was less interested in the goats and more interested in me, meaning he was using my goats to spend time with me. Due in large part to our age difference, I insisted that we just remain friends, and that we did. We became really good summertime friends, and eventually, we expanded our friendship to span the school year. During the last year Thomas was eligible for showmanship as a 4-Her, he requested permission to show one of my goats at the county fair, and he came over every day (except Sunday) to take care of the goat he chose. Thankfully, I managed to squeeze out a place higher than him in the senior goat showmanship class, eventually winning Grand Champion Showman.

Through the ups and downs of our friendship (admittedly mostly ups), Thomas pursued a formal "dating" relationship, which was described in the "On this day in history..." post (5/25/11). Now, as per God's guiding hand, Thomas and I are preparing to embark on a lifelong marital relationship.

Senior showmanship: I got 1st place, and Thomas got 2nd place. It certainly would have been weird if Thomas, whom I taught, beat me in showmanship with one of my goats.

Here again, you can see me on the right (with Melly, my Lamancha) and Thomas one goat back (with Sarina, one of my Alpines).

Don't forget that the Montcalm County 4-H Fair is taking place this week (July 3-9) at the NEW fairgrounds. Today, ironically enough, is both the goat show at the Montcalm County 4-H Fair and my birthday. That's right - I'm now a whopping 23 years old. So, I will be 23, getting married on July 23! To make things even better, I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be born on June 23...I was late...and Sweetie, my first goat, had a collar with the tag 23!

In the spirit of fair week, here's the 4-H Pledge:

4-H Pledge

I pledge:

My HEAD to clearer thinking,

My HEART to greater loyalty,

My HANDS to better living,

For my Club, my Community, my Country & my World.

For the Bradley Bridal Shower, my mother adopted a version of the 4-H Pledge for me as I enter matrimony with Thomas. Here it is:

Shirley's Wedding Pledge

Shirley will pledge:

Her HEAD to clearer thinking (about Thomas),

Her HEART to greater loyalty (to Thomas & the Lord of all),

Her HANDS to larger service with Thomas for others,

Her HEALTH to better living for each other

For their Lord, their family, and their Community & World.

What's your "John Hancock?"

Happy Birthday America!
Today is the day the United States of America commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Surprisingly, the Continental Congress actually voted for a declaration of independence on July 2, which is why John Adams forecasted July 2 as a day that would be forever celebrated. The actual Declaration of Independence was not drafted and edited until two days later, which is why we celebrate Independence Day as July 4. With that said, the signing of the document is believed to have taken place a month later, beginning August 2 with John Hancock. This is just one of many myths pertinent to the birth of the United States. You can read more here.
Due to John Hancock's distinguishing and big swooping signature, the term "John Hancock" took on the its current reference to a signature.

John Hancock's signature is the very top, middle signature.

My John Hancock has evolved overtime. If you have seen it, you know that it is rather elaborate, and it may or may not contain enough of the letters in my name to be discernible to an outsider. Now, it will be undergoing a more drastic change; I will have a new last name. Hmm...I will have to come up with a creative way to incorporate "Dean" into my style of signing my name. I guess only time will tell what I come up with...

Obtaining my "M-R-S" degree

There is a common saying in the American culture referencing a girl going off to college, where one normally obtains a bachelor's degree (B.A., B.S., B.S.N, B.M., etc.), and returns with an "M-R-S" degree. So, this girl finds a bachelor and becomes a "Mrs." With that said, how many people actually know what the "Mrs." is an abbreviation for? Recently, Dictionary.com had an article discussing the history of title abbreviations, which technically are considered contractions.
Here's a breakdown:

• Mr. = mister
• master
• one having control/authority
• Master
• archaic term, formerly used to address boys
• Mrs. = missus
• mistress
• female teacher, governess
• denotes a married woman
• Miss
• mistress
• used for a girl under 18 years old (typically)
• Ms.
• used to denote a woman without denoting her marital status
• typically used for a woman over 18 years old, yet unmarried

The history of these titles for men and women arguably provides some of the fuel for the women's suffrage movement and other feminist movements, claiming that women have been oppressed. I, however, infer the contrary. The titles for a man and the titles for a woman give respect to the role each played in the household. The husband was the head, and the woman was the teacher of the children. Men referred to a woman saying "miss" or "mistress," which esteemed her role and expressed courtesy. Even the current use of "ma'am" or "madam" are terms of royalty.

Before going to Alaska to visit Thomas (December 27, 2007), many of my friends thought it would be fun to joke about me getting married in Alaska. So...messages like this were frequently left on my whiteboards.

With the arrival of July, I am reminded of the title of this blog, "Becoming Mrs. Thomas Dean Jr." Thomas is currently in Michigan, and he is completing the final round of tasks before I am no longer becoming but am Mrs. Thomas Dean Jr.

(For those who have received invitations to witness the joining of Thomas and I in holy matrimony, please remember to send in your RSVP.)

The Light at the end of the tunnel...

When people go through tough times, generally a friend reminds them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thomas and I chose to embark on a long engagement; instead of sprinting to the marriage altar, we signed ourselves up for a mini ultra-marathon - an 18 month, 1 week engagement.

...we just ran a 5K in Grand Haven. It was their "Kick Off to Summer Fun Run," 5/29/10.

Yup...long races can be tiring (I admit a 5K is WAY shorter than a marathon, but still, I'm a sprinter; ~40 yards is my ideal race.), but they are totally worth it.

This was the first race Thomas and I ran together, the "South Haven Blueberry Festival" 5K, 8/8/09.
At the end of this engagement race, Thomas and I are glad we embraced the journey and are ready to be united.

Our light at the end of the tunnel is the Light. It is a light that shines brighter and truer because it is the light of Jesus Christ. God has been our focus since the very beginning of our relationship, and even though there have been times where we have been sidetracked, like Peter, when we keep our eyes set on Jesus, we are able to stay afloat and walk faithfully to the marriage altar.

Officially, we are one month out from the wedding, meaning that the wedding is becoming more and more real and the end of the tunnel is practically here. HOORAY!

The 50s

I'm certain some of you remember the 1950s, but I myself was certainly not around to enjoy them. One of the remnants of this time period is a fascinating show, "I love Lucy." It is beyond a doubt, my favorite show.
Shifting gears slightly, today marks the half-century mark in days remaining until Thomas and I tie the knot. Not only is the prospect of getting married becoming more and more exciting, but also, the idea of being done with wedding details and planning and enjoying a wedding-planning-less honeymoon is becoming more and more attractive. It's not that wedding planning is inherently bad; rather, after being at this task for some time, I am ready for it to be completed so that I can enjoy the Big Day (and I think Thomas shares this sentiment).

All the while, quite a few tasks have been achieved by myself and others.

Dress

My dress and I underwent our final fitting, after-which, it will be sent via airmail to MI. Lets just say that I hope my dress and hair don't turn out like this for Thomas and my Bid Day. This fitting should yield a dress a step up (or two) from Lucy's dress.

Flowers

The bouquets are finalized (and all of the extra frilly stuff). I know some people are rather particular about fake vs. real flowers, especially considering wax flowers melt in the sun.

Invitations

All of the invitations have been mailed for Thomas and my wedding ceremony and reception (party). Hmm...I wonder if there will be any surprise appearances from Superman or other flying superheros...

Music

The music selections for the ceremony have been made, and my musicians are in the process of sorting out the scores and learning their respective part. Hopefully they manage to determine who is playing what without resorting to shaving cream.

The reception details (food, music, etc) will be finalized in the near future.