Two Special Thank You's

Before we blog about anything else, we wanted to give two very special 'thank you's to some people.

My (Jordan's) Uncle Larry is the first person to send us a financial gift. Uncle Larry has given us $150 to put towards the wedding project. We are so incredibly touched by this gift, Uncle Larry, and we can't thank you enough. This will help buffer us with costs that will likely come up; we so very much appreciate your generosity, and we will put this gift to good use. Thank you so very much!

The second thank you goes out to my (Jordan's) parents, Bill and Sue. This thank you bears some explanation.

Many months ago, Brian and I booked a cruise with my parents for this upcoming January. Money was tight then, but at the time I was employed at two different jobs, aside from my own freelance art work, so we were certain we could slowly-but-surely pull together enough money for this trip. (This was, as well, before any thoughts of engagements or wedding planning were a reality.) We booked the cruise, my parents covered our deposits, and we began to save up. Unfortunately, not more than a month after booking the (non-refundable) tickets, we faced a major hiccup: the method my second job delegates shifts to part-timers was changed, and suddenly I was only guaranteed one shift per month--a dramatic drop. We put the plan to save for the cruise on hold until I could find another job, as we were routinely short for basic bills each month. A few months later, that same second job closed down for renovations, and suddenly my precious handful of shifts for the coming months were cancelled. Things looked grim, indeed.

Last week, Brian and I were visiting my parents, and they told us they had decided on a wedding present for us. We attempted to guess (guesses including 'a house', 'a pony', and 'world peace'), and finally they told us: their gift to us is to pay for the cruise and plane tickets for our January trip.

Mom and Dad, if we were quiet that day, it was because we were completely overwhelmed by the generosity of your gift. I am still not totally sure what I can say that will convey how appreciative we are of this gift, and how much stress you've taken off our plates--not to mention, salvaging our first-ever vacation, which both of us could really use. We are looking forward to having tons of fun on the ship with you both. Thank you, Mom and Dad, from both of us. You're amazing and we so very much appreciate you--not just for the generous gift, but for your daily support and love.

Dad and Mom joked that their present was rather early, and I of course immediately jumped on that thought and agreed with them. I suggested that maybe the cruise could be an engagement present, and something else was still expected at the wedding! However, when Dad asked what the in world else I could want, all I could think of was a wok. I've been bringing up woks for weeks now, having discovered the asian market by the airport, and I constantly lament not having one (nor having the cash to buy a 'good one', as everyone keeps telling me is essential). Dad, exasperated, asked if he just bought me a wok already, would I stop talking about it? I said yes, of course.

Two days later, I was helping Heather (maid of honor) pack up her house, and she came out of her kitchen with a big grin. Sure enough, she had a big wok, and no space for it at the new house. I am now the proud owner of a wok, ladies and gents. I suggested she hold onto it and give it to me as a wedding gift but she just laughed at me. Perhaps she thinks it a little gauche to be giving used cookware as a wedding present. Either way, I'm a very happy girl.