Fiance or Fiancee?

It's only been three days since we became officially engaged and I'm still on cloud nine! I hope it never ends. Someone said to me the other day that, "You are married for eternity, but only engaged once. Enjoy it!" and that is exactly what I plan to do! Already planning has taken over my life, so far consisting of a flower consult, cake appointment, dress appointments, reception center booked, temple booked, and photographer taken care of! It is INSANELY hard to make myself concentrate on school. Maybe once all the main details are taken care of, I'll be more focused. I keep looking at my ring and thinking, 'Am I ever going to get used to this?'

It's hard to not get caught up in the fun wedding details and still focus on the marriage, but the marriage is what is most important, and so its something I want to focus my time on for the next three months before we get married. Something that I want Jared and I's relationship to grow in all aspects to be, is Pres. Spencer W. Kimball's definition of 'Divine Love'. His definition is, "'Divine' love is not like that association of the world which is misnamed love, but which is mostly physical attraction…love of which the Lord speaks is not only physical attraction, but also faith, confidence, understanding, and partnership. It is devotion and companionship, parenthood, common ideals and standards. It is cleanliness of life and sacrifice and unselfishness. This kind of love never tires nor wanes. It lives on through sickness and sorrow, through accomplishment and disappointment, through time and eternity." I think with that as our goal and with both of us striving to do everything we can to create and develop that kind of love, we will be blessed.

Something one of my professors said in class that really stuck out to me was, "There is something very powerful when spouses are each other’s strongest supporters - when they rally to each other’s side, rather than turn away; encourage, rather than criticize; see the best in each other, rather than the worst; and lift each other up, rather than push each other down"(Jason S. Carroll, 2004, p. 5) This is what I feel Jared does for me as my best friend and fiance, and it is also why I cannot wait to be married to him! "Choose a companion you can always honor, you can always respect, one who will complement you in your own life, one whom you can give your entire heart, your entire love, your entire allegiance, your entire loyalty." (Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley) I have chosen Jared and because of that choice, I am going to do everything I can everyday to help make his life easier and make him happy. I am so in love with the most amazing pure hearted man!

p.s. my roommate Whitney clarified that fiancee is the feminine version of fiance, which I didn't know!