You're the Droid I've Been Looking for

I have mentioned my boyfriend in previous posts and I am excited to announce that we are officially

ENGAGED!

Let me tell you a little bit about Josh and our story

Josh: He is a few years older than me and is out of school. He has a full-time grown-up job with benefits and insurance. He is one of the biggest nerds I know loving Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and all things Marvel. He knows a ton of dinosaur names and random facts. Josh can even tell you some Latin names of animals if you go to the zoo with him. He is an uncle and loves his nephews. He will actually play with them and try to teach them ridiculous facts. There is a large family and he absolutely loves being and helping out with them. Josh loves Jesus and helps out at church all the time with teaching Sunday school, ushering, counting money, and more. 

I can honestly say that he is my best friend as well as my significant other. We can play board games one night, see a game another, shop all day, go for walks or workout together, take a day trip to Chicago, road trip together, worship together and more. I always wanted a guy who I could do everything with: sit at home, go on trips, spend time with family and friends, and serve God and others.

I have had a list of nonnegotiables for my future husband since freshmen year of college. It became exactly what I looked for in the guys that I dated. Sometimes I knew someone didn't meet something on my list but dated them anyway - and shocker that's exactly why things didn't work out later. When Josh and I met, I asked the hard questions to get down to it right away. We both took our first few dates seriously so see if we would be able to have a relationship. He met all of the things on my list and more. He met all of the things I dreamed about as a girl and talked about at sleepovers. 

Josh and I met in a very unexpected way. I normally go to bed incredibly early and one Friday night I could not sleep. It was almost midnight and my roommates were already asleep and I could tell I was going to be up for a while. For fun, I decided to make a profile on a dating app just for fun. I figured what could happen?! I'll talk to some people while I can't fall asleep and it'll keep be occupied through the weekend and then I can delete it - no big deal. 

Well, I made my profile and started talking to some guys. I saw Josh's profile picture and checked out his page. He ended up messaging me and we talked for a little bit! Out of all the guys, we actually held a real conversation. Come Monday, we were still talking and I looked forward to having notifications whenever I logged back into the site. A week goes by and I realized we were still talking! I hadn't really planned on that and I could tell something was different about him (and I hadn't talked to other guys using the app for a few days). I took the plunge and just gave him my number to make things easier. 

Eventually, Josh asked if we would ever be able to really meet out on a date. I didn't know what to say considering I was only planning to keep the app for a few days until I wasn't bored anymore. Did I really want to go on a date with someone that I met through an app? 

Josh was very gracious and said he would wait as long as necessary since I told him my worries. He had conversations over the phone and had a few video chats...so I definitely knew he was real! We ended up talking for about a month before we went on our first date! 

On our first date, we went out for coffee (in a very public place and I had a friend on call just in case!) and to talk. We talked until the coffee shop closed and then walked around the shopping district. We walked through the bookstore and had a great conversation. He was such a gentlemen in holding doors open for me and kindly holding my hand. When I said I should probably head home I knew a kiss was coming...and boy was it awkward! We were both nervous, but mostly Josh, and it was one second and then Josh walked off to his own car! I drove back to campus and thought could I really date someone who gets so nervous and barely wants to kiss me?! 

When we met for our second date at a restaurant, Josh walked right up and kissed me directly. I felt like I had been swept off my feet and I couldn't wait for what lay ahead. 

We had a few more dates where we discussed difficult questions and what we wanted for the future and he met all of my friends. I couldn't believe that there was a guy who was willing to have these conversations with me and meet my crazy friends. 

I knew I had to give this a try...and well the rest is history! 

Josh and I knew we wanted to get married. He will tell you he knew right away. I will tell you I knew when Josh willingly wanted to do devotions together as a couple (and we actually started them). After this, I realized I had never felt so much love in a relationship. Someone was putting in the same amount of effort I was and showing me love. 

I had started to figure out that a proposal was coming. My mom had started to ask more direct questions so I knew that they must have started to talk about a possible date and blessing. There were things my best friend, Bekah, had said or that Josh said and I knew something was up! I started to get paranoid anytime Josh and I hung out and I was getting upset with myself for trying to figure it out! 

Then one day Josh made a big deal of asking if I wanted to go to dinner in a couple weeks. The way he was talking I figured that had to be when the proposal would be! Then a few days later he asked if I would want to go to the movie Thor. I was so disappointed because I thought that was going to be the night to find out we were going to a movie...I said yes and I was determined to have a fun time regardless. I went into that night and dressed up like usual and tried not to get my hopes up but then...

We were walking towards the restaurant (before the "movie") and then Josh took a turn a different way. I asked, "Isn't the restaurant over there?" and he responded with, "Yes, but I want to take you somewhere else first." I didn't think a whole lot of it until he said, "I want to take you to where we first met" and I realized we were walking towards the coffee shop and tears immediately came to my eyes. He said we weren't actually going to see Thor because he had something else in mind. 

We were coming up to the coffee shop and Josh got down on one knee. He said something like, "I knew pretty much right away" and I was so caught up in emotion that I didn't really hear anything else until "Will you marry me?" I, of course, said yes while crying! I had so many tears in my eyes that I couldn't even focus on the ring until later! 

For the rest of the night, we enjoyed dinner, dessert, and then celebrating with his family. We called lots of family and friends only to hear how much they had been involved and knew the plan! I found out that Josh had the ring since July and had started planning! It was an absolute whirlwind! My best friend and maid of honor even left a little present for me to open once it was official. It was so exciting to see "Future Mrs. Buske" on the card! 

We are enjoying being engaged and starting the wedding planning process, but I cannot wait to marry this man and be his wife. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! 

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24