The Proposal

I've told the story of how Travis proposed to me so many times, but now I want to officially document it. So, this is the story of how he proposed...
We had been dating for 11 1/2 months when I was left in Edmonton to complete my 3rd year practicum and Travis went home for Christmas. I called his cell phone one evening and there was no answer... normally he is good at picking up his phone. Then I called my home phone to talk to my parents because I was feeling lonely.

This is how the conversation on the phone went...
Dad: Hello?
Me: Hi Dad, how's it going?
Dad: Oh good, good... Travis is over.
Me: ... Oh... Well, that's nice!
*Awkward silence on the other end...
Dad: Yeah, he just came over for dinner to visit us.
Me: Well I wish I was there.

Turns out, Travis was over at my house to ask my parents for my hand in marriage. I knew it right away because Dad gave it away. However, even though Dad wrecked Travis's cover when I was supposed to be surprised was a huge blessing.

After Travis talked with my parents, he called me right away...
Travis: Your Dad... he ruined it!
Me: I DON'T CARE! How did it go?

He told me about the conversation and how my parents were really happy for us. From this report, I started crying... I couldn't believe that the man of my dreams just asked my parents for my hand in marriage. The Lord was providing me with an amazing husband and has blessed me with amazing parents who were going to support and encourage us along our journey as a couple. I was overwhelmed with JOY!

Finally, I finished my practicum and headed home to Beautiful British Columbia for Christmas vacation.

Christmas came and went in a blink of an eye... and so did New Year's. I was anticipating a proposal, but I didn't know when it was going to come (I had thought about January 3rd because a year before on January 3rd, he took me on a long LONG walk and told me that he liked me...).

Finally... on January 3, I went over to his house and his parents disappeared to go to his "grandparents" and his brother disappeared to go to his "girlfriends house". Travis and I had arranged to go to our mentors place (Mike and Kathy) to roast s'mores with them... so I thought, "o.k, definitely NOT happening tonight!"

We then started making our way over to Mike and Kathy's house and it was raining (typical B.C.) Travis was a little antsy and was on his phone a LOT! I asked who he was texting and he said his brother, Luke... and I thought nothing of it.

We then got to Mike and Kathy's home, Travis said that they would meet us in their backyard. So we started walking to the side of their house. As soon as we got to their back gate, there were candles lining the steps down to the path... then I thought... "O.K, this is a fancy s'more roast".

We then entered their backyard... to my surprise, Mike and Kathy were not there. However, the yard was covered in candles and lanterns. I looked at Travis and I could tell that something was wrong.

Me: Trav, where are they?
Travis: I don't know... let's go back to the front.
Me: Why don't we just wait in the backyard?
Travis: Let's just go knock on the front door!

So we went back to the front. Travis had already snuck his phone out and called Mike.

Travis: Hey, we're here, where are you?
Mike: Oh, we'll be down there in a minute!
*Click

Me: Travis, why don't we just go to the back and wait for them?
Travis: No Jenna, it's fine, they're just getting set up!
Me: O.K well, let's go their anyways...
*I start trudging to the back
Travis: Jenna... noooooooooo... O.K...

I start making my way BACK to the backyard and Travis starts holding my shoulders. He gave them a squeeze as I turned the corner...

There was Mike and Kathy... and my Mom, Dad and brother... and Travis's Mom, Dad, brother and brother's girlfriend, Chelsea.

Travis's Mom and Dad: (1 Corinthians 13) 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

My Mom and Dad: 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Mike and Kathy: 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.

Luke in the mean time handed Travis the RING! After they recited the verse, Travis said a beautiful speech about how much he loves me and how he desires to love me and serve me for the rest of my life.

Then he got down on one knee... 
Travis: Jenna McAlary... will you marry me?

Jenna: YES!!!

The first thing that I did was give him a hug... 

 FINALLY I let him put the ring on...

Then we were surrounded by our friends and family with hugs!

I'm so glad that my Mama was there... that was so special. My man knows me too well. He did a great job planning. 

 Mike and Kathy helped Travis plan the engagement... they provided candles for everyone to hold and then gave them to us as an engagement gift. We will be using them at our wedding as decorations too. It was so special to get engaged in front of our dear friends as well. Kathy is my mentor and we had been praying for this day for a long time. We are now praying for the wedding day. 

A picture with the immediate family from both sides... Kevin (my bro, who will also be the M.C at the wedding), my Mom, my Dad, me, Trav, Shelley (Trav's Mom), Garry (Trav's Dad), and Luke (his younger brother, a groomsmen).

We are SO blessed by these two. The Richardson's are absolutely amazing and mean so much to us. When I first told Kathy that I was dating a Johannesson, she freaked out because they knew the family from a LONG time ago. Mike actually dedicated Travis when he was a baby. He likes to take a lot of credit for Travis's height. He always says, "I blessed you well!"

 

Finally, the last picture of me and my amazing fiance. He had been planning the proposal since August of the previous year. He even messaged my manager at work to make sure that I had January 3rd off. What a guy... I'm definitely blessed. 

After we took photos outside, we proceeded inside and celebrated with Mike's famous special coffee drinks (definitely better then starbucks...) and cake! We then made phone calls to our families and close friends who will be in the wedding party.

Well... this is a long story, but one worth telling. I can't believe how blessed I am and now we are getting ready to live life together. Right now I only have 1 exam left and Trav has 2. Then, we will be heading home on April 29th!

As for now... 3 months and 2 days till we get married! 92 days and we will be MARRIED!!!

Hello AGAIN Friends and Family! (and Blogging World)

I have been trying to start up my old blog again... I'm not very good at this... so here we go again. 

Anyways, I was just thinking about how I have really wanted to document my life because well... 

I'M GETTING MARRIED! And... I'm getting married to the most amazing man I have ever MET!

July 22nd 2012 is the date and right now we are 97 days away and we can't wait! My fiance, Travis, is one amazing man and we are just working on finishing up exams before we go back home to beautiful B.C.

So, I figure I may as well start this blog with a little bit of background of us before we continue on with this project.

Here Is Just A Little Snibit of How We Met and Started Out...
(This is on our Wedding Website which I will talk about later on)

Jenna’s Point of View

I moved from Ladner to Edmonton to pursue my teaching career at the University of Alberta. The thought of moving to Edmonton was one that never entered my mind, but my best friend Clara was moving there and wanted a roommate and pointed me to the UofA website to look of the Education program. I ended up loving it and decided to apply.

In the mean time, her boyfriend and my good friend, Caleb, had been telling me about his awesome roommate Travis who he wanted me to hook up with. Just to clarify, I did NOT move to Edmonton to pursue a boy… but I moved to go to school and to seek out a intentional community.

Long story short, Caleb and Clara’s intentions for Travis and I to be together ended up working! The first time I met Travis, I knew I he was a man that I wanted to get to know… and I liked him right away. However, I tried avoiding it for the first part of the semester because we were in such close quarters and were working on building an intentional community. Then, by October of 2010, Travis and I had become good friends and shared the same love for many things like the outdoors, sports, singing, guitar, dancing, laughing and of course, the Lord.

Eventually in November, Travis made me a steak dinner… then a stirfry… then another dinner and another…

I tried making a trifle for him but failed and burnt the angel food cake (I was very nervous to be around him).

By January of 2011, Travis told me he liked me and we decided we would pray about dating each other and seek out the Lord before we actually started dating… (We started dating 9 days later… we were so excited).

We have been through many things together… we have had many highs and many lows. However, Travis is not only my amazing fiance, but he is my best friend that constantly holds me up in prayer and is continually serving me, comforting me, and encouraging me. I am a VERY blessed woman to have him in my life and God has DEFINITELY drowned me in His unconditional love by providing me with an amazing man who I can’t wait to have as my husband.

Travis’s Point of View

I had been living in Edmonton for 2 years already and I was not planning on coming back to Edmonton for my 3rd year. My brother and I had planned on going travelling, but when football had offered me a starting position on the team, I could not say no so I decided to go back.

I have to tell you, that was the best decision of my entire life. Without it, I would not have met the most AMAZING girl I have ever know who would one day be my future wife.

The first time I met Jenna, she blew me away with her friendliness… and she had such a great personality. We were drawn towards each other from the beginning. We shared the same humor, the same weirdness about the way we acted, the same energy levels… needless to say, we became very good friends.

It was later in November when we really started hanging out a lot more and talking more. I knew that I was attracted to this girl and she was really sweet, but I didn’t want to screw anything up so I decided to tread carefully. After a while I knew this was the girl for me and so I pulled out all the stops, I’m talking making 3 course meals, marinating steaks… the whole nine yards. I tell you that stuff works because she fell so hard for me, it was awesome!

I finally told her her that I liked her when we went home for Christmas and we started dating soon after that back in Edmonton. Being with Jenna has brought me so much more joy and makes me look at everything in a more special way. She is such a beautiful person inside and out and God has blessed me beyond measure with Jenna. Every day, I fall deeper in love with her and can not wait to spend the rest of my life making her happy and serving her.

So that is it for now folks! We are just about to go and watch the Canucks game... game 3 and we haven't won yet... but we are still cheering for the Nucks! GO CANUCKS GO!

How the TIMES have CHANGED!

Wow... it has really been a while since my last posting and I've been trying to figure out what I want to write for this one because A LOT has happened to me in the past 2 and a bit months or so since I've last written. So let's do a QUICK recap... 

1. Christmas Break happened and it was AMAZING... why you might ask?

VanDusen Gardens with my family

a) I got to go to back home to BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA! I was greeted by Mama Mac, Papa Mac and my dear brother... such a joy to see my family at the airport and to spend my holiday with them. I then got to see my WHOLE family on both sides to celebrate Christmas. It was so refreshing and wonderful to see everyone again (especially with everything that happened with Grammie and Oma this year). God is continually loving my family and I have felt SO blessed by His GOODNESS.

Kevin and I testing out my new camera... we had way to much fun with it

b) "The Boy" (don't worry, he has a name... I'm just going to introduce him later) I liked came out (45 mins away from me) and spend time with me. We went out for sushi a couple times and were able to enjoy meeting each others families. I got to meet his mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and aunt and he got to meet... well... my aunts, uncles and cousins on my mom's side. We had a lot of fun seeing where the other person grew up and who they grew up with.

c) Our best friends got ENGAGED ON NEW YEARS EVE! We knew it was going to happen as well because Caleb told us "the plan" and showed us the ring... so we were anticipating their phone call that evening and it was the most excited I've been for a friend in a while. 

d) I got to visit with friends... I had the opportunity to go to Camp Squeah and into Langley, Surrey and just stay in Ladner to meet up with close friends who I hadn't seen in a while and catch up with them over coffee or food. It was a busy Christmas break... but SO AWESOME! I'm so blessed to be able to witness the Lord in people's lives.

e) FINALLY, "The Boy" I liked eventually told me his feelings for me... and I was SO happy to hear that "the Boy" I liked, liked me as well.

2. "The Boy" eventually became my boyfriend...  That's right, my 20 year single streak is officially OVER!

Ok, "The Boy's" name is Travis... and he makes me SO happy! We have been friends since September and we have been dating now for over 2 months. It feels like longer already, but these 2 months have gone by so quickly.

Who would have thought that I had to move all the way to Alberta to meet a B.C boy?

We have way too much fun together... he makes me laugh till I snort and brings so much JOY into my life. And we have done TONS so far this semester already. We've seen concerts, been to the Art Gallery, the Legislative building, gone out for dinners, gone out for coffee's, made food together, seen movies, gone for walks in the blistering cold, gone on a road trip to Fort St. John and have just stayed in and enjoyed each others company and conversation. I'm definitely spoiled and am SO blessed to have this man in my life... God's will for my life is GOOD and PERFECT... =)

Honestly... I don't understand why the Lord has blessed me with such an amazing man!

3. Academics are actually ENJOYABLE this semester... especially when dance is considered an academic.

That's right... I'm dancing for SCHOOL! I dance 3 times a week for 2 dance classes. One is Modern Dance and the other is the Spectrum of Dance. They are both SURPRISINGLY challenging. I've stressed out over dance routines already because... 

1. I've had to do a solo... and I have NEVER done solo's before

2. The majority of the Spectrum of Dance class is done in groups... group work is really hard to coordinate when everyone is in class at different times and you have to practice outside of class time.

3. Modern class is all about your own movement... My movement is ballet. I don't really have my own movement! I have technique, but not my own style. This has left me in quite the pickle, BUT... it's challenging me. 

But being able to dance again has been amazing. Even just having the opportunity to take a dance class makes me so happy... but to get credits for it is like a cherry on top of a really amazing milkshake.  

So now... things that I get to look forward too... hmmm... Clara and Caleb's wedding is coming up pretty quickly now. I am the Maid of Honour and Travis is the Best Man (this is when everyone normally goes "Aww, it was meant to be!" I don't know how many times I've heard that when I tell people this) Anyways, I have been looking forward to this wedding for a VERY long time. It will be such an amazing day and I'm honoured to even be a part of it. 

This semester is almost over and I'm looking forward to coming back to BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA. The snow is FINALLY melting here, but that makes Edmonton a BIG mess. But the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, so really, I can't complain. Yet, it will be so nice to return home and spend a summer at HOME! 

There is much that I have to look forward too... I seriously cannot complain! =)

It has been a BIG year =)

Looking back on 2010, I have experienced QUITE a bit... so I have decided to make a list!

1. I've moved away from home
2. I have my very own apartment that I share with my best friend
3. I have made new friends and have connected with old ones
4. I have experienced loss
5. I have been homesick and have missed my friends and family in B.C
6. I have made my own meals
7. I led a Leadership Training Program at Camp
8. I have started a new school where I am learning how to be a teacher
9. I have made grocery shopping mistakes... and laughed about it
10. I have experienced my nose hairs freezing together (-35 degrees)
11. I started celebrating Christmas in the beginning of November
12. I've been so stressed that I have fried myself out
13. I took a hip hop class and learned a little about gliding, pop and locking, tutting, and krumping
14. I have dyed my hair
15. I helped lead a multi day backpacking trip in Manning Park
16. I have been challenged in my faith by family, friends and the Holy Spirit
17. I have been blessed by surprises
18. I have been loved and cared for by friends
19. I got braces
20. I have had my wisdom teeth removed
21. I have skipped class
22. I have procrastinated (what I am doing now)
23. I have swallowed a dime (don't ask me how!)
24. I've summited 2 mountain
25. I have gotten my first "A" in a University course

Now... 2011 is here... and it is looking SO GOOD!

Life... It's Beautiful

Well... this past week and a half has been more difficult then most.

One of the reasons I started this blog was so that my family and friends at home could see what I was getting up to in Alberta. Most of this information is not new though.

My Oma passed away last Thursday (Nov. 4th 2010) at 2:00 in the morning...
Wednesday night (the 3rd) was a difficult night. After I had received an email from my ma about my Oma's condition (she wasn't responding to anyone), I needed to study for my EdPsych midterm as well as finish up a paper for my Profession of Teaching course. It was a stressful and emotionally draining time... however, my friends out here are truly amazing and treated me so well. They were there to listen to me and to just be with me as well as help me study as I was trying to get things done while thinking about my family...

The next morning was VERY difficult.

I was getting ready to go write my midterm for EdPsych and I received a phone call from my mom about Oma passing away. I was able to be with Clara for 20 mins or so before I could go write an exam 30 mins later. I wrote my mid term... then I handed in a paper... then I skipped my class... I could not handle it.

However, I have GREAT friends. After I left my class, I went home to calm down and take a breather and to be alone for a little bit. Then Caleb, Travis and Clara came back from Value Village where they went Christmas shopping... (yes, we like to celebrate Christmas a little bit early here). So I headed over to the guys place and was greeted with big smiles, hugs, an eggnog chai latte, Christmas music AND a STOCKING! Then we played Bohnanza and I WON... they didn't even let me win... I won all on my own! My friends out here are TRULY GREAT!

My last midterm was last Wednesday... and last Wednesday was Oma's funeral. As soon as I was done my test it all started sinking in. I REALLY wanted to be there and to see my family and to see my Opa, but I couldn't. All I could do was pray for my family... that the LORD would bless them and hold them close and calm their hearts.

Oma LOVED to hear about ALL of her grand childrens lives. Last year when I lived at home, I would run some errands with Oma like take her to the bank to make bill payments or to the super market or the farmers market. We also made a few hospital runs so that she could get eye surgery. Eventually, Oma started asking questions about boys... BOYS... my 85 year old Oma asking me about BOYS? I wish I had a story to tell her each time, but I really didn't. Every time she asked me, "so Jenna, are there any boys in your life?" I would always reply with the same old, "No, no boys for me Oma." After, she would always say, "it's ok, he's coming for you Jenna... and he'll be great!" And then she would try and force feed me some more stale candy...

This has been QUITE the year for me and my family. Kevin and I have lost 2 grandma's and my parents have lost both their mom's (within half a year)... and we have never really lost anyone before. We are so comforted in knowing that BOTH our grandma's had a great relationship with Christ. But I just miss them A LOT! And it makes me realize how AMAZING my parents are.

When Grammie (my Dad's mom) passed in May, my mom and dad were ALWAYS checking up on me and Kev to see how we were doing with it. They always wanted to check up on us because we are the "grandkids" even though they are the ones that just lost a mom and a mother-in-law. Even with Oma, they have both been seeing how we are doing with it. I have EXTREMELY strong parents... and I am so proud of them.

But Christmas is coming! I'm SO excited to see my family again and to be around them and love on them and hold them and do family things.

Elyse, Kevin, Holly, Adam and I... just some of my wonderful cousins

God has been SO good throughout this WHOLE time. I cannot believe how well he has blessed me out here with my little community of friends. They have been ABSOLUTELY amazing and I can't thank them enough.