This Side of Lost

I have waited what seems to be a decent amount of time for news to make its own winding way around the circuits, so hopefully it has reached the people who would feel offended at not being told in person. If you are one of those people and learning this for the first time right now, my apologies. Give me a call and we'll pretend I called you. :)

On October 12, 2005, Samantha and I exchanged vows and rings and became husband and wife, in the presence of the clerk of Brown Country, Indiana, some passersby, and God, in front of a courthouse on a beautiful autumn day. And we are so happy.

This was planned and done intentionally on our one-year anniversary of becoming a couple. Samantha wore a red dress and no shoes, like she always wanted to. It was simple, fast and absolutely perfect.

For those of you who are surprised by the unconventional nature -- well, I was, too. :) This isn't exactly how I picture my wedding would go, but you know what? It went better than I ever thought it would. We basically did it all that day -- got the paperwork done, did the deed, called our immediate family and friends, had a wonderful dinner at Restaurant Tallent and got back to our busy lives the next day. It was great.

For those of you who are surprised by the suddenness -- if you've been paying attention to the way I've been speaking about Samantha, about us as a couple and just the way I've generally been living my life for the past year or so, you shouldn't be.

For those of you expecting a "nice Lutheran wedding" -- were you really expecting that? Samantha is not Lutheran and it would not have been right. For all that we are alike, we come from very different backgrounds and family situations, and we are merging them as we see best. This was the best for all parties involved. We will be having a ceremony that will enable us to be more flexible than a traditional wedding would have allowed.

For those of you disappointed that you weren't invited -- no one was. And everyone will be. We will be having the ceremony (for immediate family and close friends only) as well as a reception (for the standard wedding party kind of people) and a party (for everyone!) on June 10, 2006, here in Bloomington, Indiana. Mark your calendars now.

I cannot tell you how excited I am, Samantha is, we both are, about this. For the first time in too long, the path my life will take beyond the next year or so has a sense of direction again. I feel like God has worked to bring this wonderful thing about in my life and I am so excited to see what the future holds for the two of us.

There are a few pictures here, if you're interested.