The Guy We Thought We All Wanted

     We all thought we wanted the mysterious, romantic guy that you see in movies. We thought we wanted the guy who had feelings as deep as the ocean, and knew exactly what to say.
      It's natural to want to be part of that enticing image painted in romance novels and movies. However, reality is often not as beautiful as the dream, and that guy isn't really the best guy. The excitement of the drama wears away quickly when stress and instability starts to swallow you. We all want the epic love, but the best lovers are also the best friends.      The men you stay with are the ones who have dependable, honest, comical and caring natures. They are the ones who put God and and then you first and bring simple laughter to your life rather than more stress. They are laid back and positive. They don’t try to consume you. They are the goofballs. They are the guys who have the big hearts and who sometimes say the wrong things, but always come through for you.

He’s your best friend, and he’s better than the movies. He’s just a guy, and he’s great at it. He won your heart with the simple actions that make him perfect for you, and he’s great for all of these reasons, that I'm going to list below. My husband has been all of these, and I'd like to share just how wonderful he is in so many ways! :)
1. When it comes to gift-buying, you've probably had to laugh a few times and think of the phrase, "It's the thought that counts."

2. Sometimes, you find yourself in complete awe of the silly words that come from his mouth.3. He gets a lot of enjoyment out of the simple things in life.
4. Basically, getting his favorite kind of Chocolate or watching his sports team win will make him absolutely elated, and it’s awesome.
5. He comes through for you and you know you can depend on him.
6. He never picks a fight or creates problems where they don’t exist.
7. He can make you laugh in literally any situation, even when you didn't intend to laugh.
8. He doesn't hold grudges or draw out disagreements.
9. He doesn't always understand your "girl" problems, but the poor guy does try.
10. He’s honest with you. 
11. He doesn't mind making a fool of himself if it means getting a smile out of you.
12. He doesn't try to take you from your friends and family. He wants you to  love everyone you love and be happy and never tries to hold you back from relationships with others
.13. He handles difficult situations with brilliant patience. He calmly takes hardships as they come and evaluates situations for what they are.
14. He has gotten progressively better at relating to you.
15. He doesn't have any problems spending time with the people to whom you introduce to him. He doesn't cause conflicts with the people you love. He just goes with it and gets along with everyone. 
16. He keeps his word.
17. He never tries to make decisions for you. He respects your ability to make them yourself.
18. You have some pretty funny stories about some of his attempts at romance. Still, you know you wouldn't trade any of those moments for the world because the genuine nature in which they transpired made them so special to you.
19. He doesn't call you names put you down, or degrade you.
\20. You have the best time with him doing the simplest of things. Board games, movie marathons, pillow fights, long walks, jam-session car rides, take-out, dancing, funny videos and living-room tickling matches are impeccable experiences to the two of you. You don’t need anything but each other to have a blast.
21. He’s your best friend. You know he would always choose you and always have your back. You know he’ll always bring sunshine to the plainest parts of life.

You know he respects your independence and wants what’s best for you. You know he won’t bring you complications or dramatic affairs. He just brings you hugs that swallow you whole, laughter that makes your stomach hurt and forehead kisses when you feel like the world is tumbling down.

This is why this kind of man is the real hero for whom we’re all looking. He keeps it simple in a world that makes life far too complicated. Happiness is supposed to be simple and, trust me, so is love. :) 

Waiting: My Story: Part 1

     If you had told me last year that I'd be engaged by December of this year, I wouldn't have believed you! I've had my moments, when I doubted Gods plans for me, and doubted that I'd ever be in a relationship, much less, married!
     In July of this year,(2014) I wrote a blog post for my birthday: http://daughterofdestiny generation78.blogspot.com/2014/07/greater-expectations.html ... in this blog post, I have another perspective on the little things of life that God blessed me with throughout this last year, instead of looking at it as, an un-married woman.

     After I wrote that blog post, about 2 weeks later, I saw Mark Robinette and his family at a church Family Camp. I met Mark earlier that year, when he came to Russia with us, so I was excited that he was going to be one of the speakers at the Family Camp. Him and my dad were talking at one of the tables one morning, and when Mark waved for me to come over, he began telling me all about this young man, "Joshua Narwold". He kept saying how Josh would be a perfect match for me to marry! I was very doubtful, because, I didn't think there was any

chance that I could meet this young man, because after all, when was I going to be going to Ohio?!
     I gave Mark my blog name, and apparently, he called Josh almost immediately, and told him to look at my blog, and get to know my family. Josh called my dad about a week later, letting my dad know that his intentions were serious, and that he wanted to get to know me, with the intention of marriage.
     Josh came out on September 5th, to meet me and my family. He stayed in Colorado through the weekend, and we clicked immediately, and were pretty comfortable talking with each other. After he left, we started to chat via-Facebook, and talk on the phone. My mom and I went out to Ohio on October 5th, to see him, his brother and sister-in-law, and his church friends/community. As my mom puts it, "When we left Ohio, Caitlin's heart stayed with it." :) Coming back to Colorado was very sad for me, because I really felt at home there in Ohio. I was welcomed as part of the family. Josh and I continued to chat and talk on the phone daily, and got to know each other pretty well. He came out to Colorado again in November, and as usual, our time was wonderful! In December, my parents and I would fly out to Wisconsin to meet the rest of his family, and little did I know, it was going to be on that trip, that he'd propose. I've had my share of times that I felt like I'd never be married for several reasons, which I'll go over next blog post. I'd like to leave you with this Bible Verse from Lamentations 3:25-26, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."