Happily Ever After...

Where did that phrase come from?  

"Happily ever after..."

When I hear that phrase it makes me think of fairy tales I have read growing up.  Princesses falling in love with their prince charming and being taken to their castle to live without a care in the world.  (that doesn't sound all that great, let's be honest!)

As I was thinking about that earlier and the expectations we place on this "Happily ever after" I was struck with how different it is made to seem as opposed to the actual beautiful real-ness of finding the lover of your soul.  

I am so incredibly blessed and beyond thrilled to be marrying my "rib-donator" Cole, in 42 days!  (AHH!!)  But something I have loved about our relationship is the complete real-ness we have.  We had what we call a "deepening of roots" verses the "fall flat on your face in love."  If you want to read our story, check out our wedding website.

I have had heart-break in my past with broken relationships but the heart-break has strengthened me, molded me and refined me. 

The Lord has such different plans for each of us - and seeing His guiDANCE (dancing with Him!) through every path He has led me through is incredible.  Looking back at my life and seeing where I am today with Cole, is miraculous.  

I remember the first time my heart was broken, I thought that I would never be "worthy" of love again.  I thought I had messed up all my chances of "happily ever after."  

Haven't we all though?  Don't we all need grace no matter what area of life we have have been hurt in?  Maybe I was prideful and the Lord was showing me, I truly NEED Him every minute.  Maybe He was showing and revealing things about His nature to me that I would never have learned any other way.  

Whatever His reasons were for me in my life, I know that today I trust Him and am growing stronger in Him daily.  And I know that without a doubt, Cole is the one who the Lord has placed into my life to be my best friend, my rock and for us to learn to become "ONE" with each other and with Him.  

The whole "becoming one" concept is so huge.  It's hard for me to fully wrap my mind around.  We were made to complete each other and bring balance in the other persons' life.  To love, cherish and encourage.  To love each other in our best and worst.  To share everything.  That is truly a "happily ever after" worth fighting for.  

The beautiful moments of smiles through tears when you realize something you have been disagreeing on is not what really matters but finding the root of the disagreement and understanding the other person's heart in a new way than you had before.  To have someone ask you a question and you answer it exactly the same way at exactly the same time.  To learn your family's way of doing something is totally different than his family's way of doing it and neither one is wrong or bad, just... totally different!  :-) To look at each other from across the room when someone says one word and it means something totally different that just the two of you understand.  To read a book over the phone together when you can't be close together.  To learn sometimes it's not so much what you say, but how you say it that matters.  To laugh uncontrollably.  To miss someone so much after a day apart that you ache deep inside and become sort of a grump to others around you.  (Sorry to my family!)  To not only grow in love with each other but with each other's families and learning what is important to each other's families and what makes them "beat."  To learn to lay down yourself to grow "us."  To stand up for each other.  To be a team.  To pray together when you don't "feel" like it but should more than ever.   To listen to and know each other's hearts when the words don't quite match.  To fight for "together-ness" and "us" at all costs.  To serve others around us.  To learn not to be obnoxious with how in love we are yet not being ashamed!  

This kind of real - "happily ever after" is better than anything I could have imagined.  Ever.  

and guys.... Cole has built this amazing barn (with his dad and brothers and design help from his mom!) on his family's property and made this beautiful loft apartment on the second floor.  It's so beautiful and it's the work of his hands.  He made it for us.  Hours of time and labor.  I love it.  And it's like a snow globe up there in the winter when the snow is falling.  The barn is my "castle" that my prince is taking me home to.  I feel like a queen.  

And may we ever continue on this real journey of becoming truly one.  Serving our Heavenly Father, serving each other, serving our families, serving others and laughing and dancing a lot!  What a truly beautiful "happily ever after" with my Cole.  

I love you, Cole Galust Groot!

Your Girl