have i ever told you about italy?

as i'm quickly approaching a wedding, another thing i'm quickly approaching is a honeymoon! where to go, where to go, where to go.

no tropical paradise for me, nuhhh uh. i live in heat at least 6 months out of the year. not mildness, no no. heat. warmth. humidity. as in, don't walk too fast to your car or you'll break a sweat.

i've heard wonderful things about the irish countryside. its green, cool, quaint, and full of history. i could do that. i could do that any day. can you imagine staying in a castle that's older than our country? and of course, you can stay somewhere international and not worry about the language barrier (i hope--some strong irish accents can sound like an incomprehensible language). sure, i could do ireland.

but if we go that far, why not swing just a little south and head on to finish a love affair i started almost 4 years ago. good gracious, has it been that long?

i dream of italy almost every day. america has a beauty about it, but something about italy never escapes the mind. the landscapes, the food, the way of life--it's enough to make an american ask "what have i been doing my whole life?"

everyone wants to visit italy, and i can understand why. when God created earth, italy must have been last. italy must have been when he stopped and proclaimed "it is good". i could go on forever, but i won't. if you've been, you know.

my fiance (that's still weird to say) has not been. and i think i torture him talking about it. i would love to go with him. but do we explore something new to both of us? or do i pick up where i left off with a new companion? we'll see.

while i figure this out, here are a few snippets for your viewing pleasure.

every day i grow more nostalgic. in the case of italy, absence does make the heart grow fonder. a part of me wonders if i went back if it would be as sweet as i remember. maybe i'll just have to find out!

a spirit that is unafraid

i said it on facebook and i will say it here:

a strong dislike for a football rival is understandable. but the deliberate hatred from the person who poisoned toomer's oaks comes from somewhere else. his spirit is poisoned.

i have never had any of my homes burn down. but, should the toomers tree die, i feel like that would be a similar thing to experience. 130 years of tradition gone because of one person's stupidity. that man needs some serious prayer. and a reality check--because this goes much deeper than football. he sounds deeply disturbed and angry.

should the trees not make it, i am at least glad they shaded my face in the hot auburn afternoons, and shared my excitement in auburn victories. i will not forget the many afternoons and evenings i stood on that street corner waiting to cross the street on my way home after an exhausting day. i hope by some miracle they pull through, because i'd like my children to share the same experiences that i did, as well as my parents.

just as we are strong in victory, we are strong in tragedy. he must have been a fool to think that killing our trees would make us weaker.

war eagle. from mine to yours.

i am beyond excited

not only about this

but about the reason why i'm excited:

that's right. i'm engaged!!! to the most wonderful man i've ever known. i can't believe it.

there really was divine reason behind my arrival in pensacola florida almost 3 years ago. i wouldn't have believed it then if you told me.

and here's the nice rock i have to prove it!

he did good.

i am blessed beyond measure.

so what does this mean for the blog? you guessed it. for the next 9 months this will feature a grand amount of wedding inspired posts. get ready!