The Importance of Being Busy

So, I know that I have been neglecting my blog for the last couple months (I even started a post about how busy I am, and never got around to finishing it!), but I figured before round 2 of papers is in full swing starting this weekend, I could take a few minutes to give an update on what’s going on with me.

Taking care of two adorable yet tiring 4-year-old twins has definitely helped me in a lot of ways as I look forward to being married in about 7 1/2 months.  I am learning a lot about the needs of children and how to act with them.  Also, just figuring out the logistics of daily life with kids is very interesting.

Classes have been good, though I get overwhelmed at times.  Being a full time student and working nearly full time (not to mention planning a wedding) has lead to several emotional break downs over the past few weeks/months, but I think I am finally getting things into perspective.  Getting a masters degree is to further my own knowledge and ability for my own work in life.  It’s difficult to see how this is going to make things better now, but I am thinking about trying to do a teaching certificate program starting next year, which could make a goal and outcome more real.

Probably the most practical thing I am doing is my work at the Catechetical Institute.  I like how I am able to see an educational institute at work and being in close contact with some really knowledgeable speakers/writers/teachers in my field.  I am praying that my role with the Institute continues to grow through next year and hopefully beyond. :)

Wedding planning has been a joy and a burden.  I love figuring out what the big day is going to be (and of course being treated like a princess by all the vendors and stuff), but I hate when it becomes something that is just an extra thing on my plate that I don’t really have time for.  I was able to get a better perspective on this during this past weekend when Scott and I (finally) got some engagement photos taken.  The photographer was SO much fun, and I am really excited to see how they turn out.  It was a little bit of an adventure to get there, and taking the photos were super fun (it was kind of hilarious, we were in a super small town south of the Twin Cities, and it was like we were movie stars or something the way that the passer-bys would gawk at us!  I kind of liked how mysterious it all was to them).  I will definitely post a few when we get the proofs!

So, bottom line, I am really busy, to the point that it is difficult to keep up with everything, but I am happy that it is all there.  And honestly, I would rather be more busy than not.

Yesterday was really full, but really great. I worked from 8-5, during which my friend Laura interviewed for my job and we went to lunch together (I'm keeping her in my prayers for this one! I think she would be great and I am happy to hand off my job to someone I know really deserves it). After work, I raced over to the UST campus so I could finally get my student ID card, which will come into play later on. From there I was able to take a peek up into Ellie's new on-campus apartment (so cute!) and then head over to the St. Paul seminary so I could start my first day with the Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute. What a wonderful time! I was there from 6pm-9:30pm, but already I've met so many wonderful people and I think being involved with the CI will only help me figure out the more practical end of my time in the Catholic Studies masters program. After helping out with the CI, I ran over to the library to find a copy of a book which I ordered online (and paid for!) and never came (but I still have to do the reading by Wednesday nonetheless) and then drive the half hour home to Eden Prairie. It was about 10:30pm by the time I got home. I was tired. I was worn out. I was happy. I am so excited to be doing something once again that is in the interest of my own personal and professional growth. Here's to this academic year to continuing in the way it has started; full of blessings and unimaginable plans for me!

Last Monday at the Office

Even though I have complained from time to time about my job, I am really starting to feel sad to be leaving here. Not for the job itself, but rather for the people and how comfortable I've become here. I'm also really excited to really center my life around my studies and to be going in a direction that is best for me. Going for a masters in Catholic Studies might not be appealing to many people, and perhaps even confusing for those who don't know me well, but I truly think that I have received so many small hints and blessing that I am doing what is right for me, that this can't be wrong. Everything seems to be falling into place so well! Not only did some other job possibilities come through right when I was on the brink of feeling like I need to quit work, but I have just been meeting with so many amazing people that I will have been blessed to know.

Your continued prayers and support are greatly appreciated!

And...breathe out

I've completed the first week of my classes in the Catholic Studies Masters program at the University of St. Thomas, and despite a few snags, all went exceedingly well. It was evident to me in the two classes I attended this week that I am certainly in the right place.

My philosophy prof is so down to earth. She's a mother of four, and you can definitely tell that she views motherhood as her first vocation. She is extremely intelligent, but also very humble, which is a great combination in a professor.

Literature in light of Theological Aesthetics is going to be a great transition from my English Lit background into a more theologically based program. I am happy to have already gotten my feet wet with having read the first book of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy by Sigrid Undset in my undergrad days (It's such a great trilogy!!! I highly recommend it. Kristin reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara, a character you hate and love, especially since they are so human and remind you of yourself in their choices and struggles). Although it will be a difficult class, I am hoping that I will love it.

Tomorrow I will have my first Catholic Thought and Culture class, so I'll let you know what that and help out with the Catechetical Institute is like once I get there :D

Goodbye and Hello!

It's a good day. Today I received an opportunity to be a nanny for a fabulous family in St. Paul. I am so excited by this prospect, and thrilled that it came just in time as I start classes this week. It is such a relief to know that my crazy crazy schedule will probably only last about two weeks. I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity.

I'm also so excited at the prospect of starting my classes this week. I finished the first book that I needed to read and I am well on my way to completing the other reading I need to have done as I start this week. Tonight I will be at the orientation meeting for my program.

I really happy that my prayers (and all of yours for me!) have paid off and that everything is falling into place right when it should.

More updates to come as the week continues.

Marriage Prep and NFP

Scott and I have wasted no time in starting our marriage prep and NFP class. It is early in the engagement, but what with both of us starting school full time (and me continuing a full time job?) we will have little to no time to get started with the preparations that actually matter. Don't get me wrong, wedding planning is fun (once you book a reception hall), but the prep and NFP; now THIS is getting into the substance of it all.

Last night was our first NFP class, and it was really great! I am a little confused by what I am looking for exactly at this point, but I am so excited to learn how my body works and all the signs it gives me about my fertility. The human body, and particularly a woman's body, is so fascinating. I'm especially glad that Scott can share that awe with me as a med student and one who has a particular interest in the human body and the way it works. The method we are learning is called the Billings Ovulation Method and it seems to be the least invasive unlike other methods that require you to take a temperature read daily or check the cervix. I would like to find out if it is the most effective method or if the other methods might allow less time for having to abstain (that is if you are avoiding pregnancy that month)? Let me know if you have any insight about this!

We are looking forward to doing some registry shopping (another thing we want to get done before school starts!) this weekend, and celebrating my 23rd birthday! It's my golden birthday, so hopefully we'll make sure it's going to be a good one!

We're Getting Married!!

Now that I'm fairly sure that I've spoken to or at least attempted to contact most everyone who I should before making an impersonal announcement, I have something I would like to post here:

SCOTT AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!

It happened Monday, July 20th (so just over a week ago), but I'll start at the week before to set up the story.

Scott and I have been together for about a year and a half now, and since very close to the beginning of our relationship, I've been hinting to him that we should go on a picnic. I just always thought a picnic date is about the cutest thing you can do and it can be both very sweet and romantic and not expensive. It started with me forwarding some stuff online to him, to seeing stuff in the store that "reminded me of a picnic". It finally became a running joke that Scott would take me on a picnic... someday....

So, imagine my surprise when Scott told me that he was planning on taking me on a picnic on the coming Saturday. He wanted to take care of all the details, he didn't want me to lift a finger, and he wanted to find the perfect spot for it. I was really excited, and for some reason, I had an inkling that this might be more than just a picnic. That thought quickly vanished when in a discussion on Friday afternoon Scott told me that the place he wanted to go had a wedding going on so we would have to go a different day. Maybe Monday. Well, I was super disappointed (especially since nothing good ever happens on a Monday!) but I tried to make the most of it and not complain. That only lasted until Saturday morning when I was even more emotional about it and let Scott know it. Luckily, Scott knows how to handle my emotionalism by now, and talked me into being ok with our (less romantic in my mind) Monday evening picnic.

Monday came around and I went to work. I had a great surprise that morning when I walked in and my boss was engaged! It made me a little sad actually, since I had imagined for a little while that maybe I would have been engaged over the weekend too, but decided to put it out of my mind since I realized that I was probably only making up in my head that Scott was thinking about that and I had no proof at all that those were his intentions for our date. Erin, my boss, let me know that she had a doctors appointment and would need to leave a little bit earlier for lunch and then I would have to go after that. I just agreed to it, no questions asked, and got back to work until she got back around 12:30. I handed the portable phone for the main line to her as I do everyday when I'm leaving and started to walk out the front door.

I was looking at my phone to give Scott a call, when I heard someone calling my name. I looked up to see Scott standing to the right of me in front of my office!!! I gave a little jump totally startled and asked him, "What are you doing here?!" He replied, "I want to take you to lunch." To which I said, "But what about our date tonight? Can we not do the picnic again?" He said, "I want to take you on a picnic right now!" We got in the car and started driving. I realized that the place he wanted to go for the picnic was a full 15 minutes away from where I work and I only get an hour for lunch, so it seemed unlikely that we would have time for a long lunch. When I expressed my concern he only told me not to worry about it and we would be quick. On the way up, we just had some normal conversation. I thought about telling him that Erin had gotten engaged, but I realized I might slip my own thoughts about maybe it would have been me that day going into work, so decided against it, especially since he was being so good to me at the moment.

We made it to the Millenium Gardens in Plymouth and set out to set up our picnic. We picked a spot right in the center of the rose garden with a stream and fountain right by us. I could see why Scott had so much wanted to have the picnic in this location. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the beautiful flowers and water--absolutely heavenly. Scott pulled out a wonderful lunch of cheese, grapes, and sandwiches with some wine ("Wine! I have to get back to work after this!" "Just have a glass; it will be fine"). We enjoyed the place and each others company for a good 20 minutes before he said, "Let's pack this up and go on a little walk--I want you to see the whole park before we have to go."

We started to walk around and we saw some beautiful flowers and some fish in the sream around the garden. The stream went into a water fall that ended on a small pond. We walked down the path that followed along the side of the waterfall. As we walked over a small bridge that went over the waterfall, I saw something sitting on a bench just on the other side. There was a bouquet of flowers on it... with a card... with my name!! I turned to Scott said, "Scott, for me?? Why??" The flowers were just gorgous and I enjoyed smelling them and just taking the moment in. I opened the card to look at it, and it turned out that in the envelope was an 8-page (small pages, but still, 8 of them!) letter! I asked Scott, "Should I read this now or take it with us?" When he encouraged me to read it then, I sat down on the bench with the flowers in my lap and Scott next to me. Well, after about the first 1/2 paragraph I was already sobbing. I don't know how I made it through that letter to the very end, but as soon as I read the last words, Scott was on his knee in front of me, pulled out a ring and said, "Sarah Marie Galgano, will you marry me!?" I jumped into his arms (well lap kind of) saying "YES!" and just cried on his shoulder for about five minutes, at which time he said to me, " do you want to put on the ring?" We laughed and cried, and even had an onlooker from across the pond shout to us a congratulations and assurance that married life is simply wonderful.

Scott explained to me that he had gotten the rest of the day off for me (which explains Erin's mysterious emergency doctor's appointment). We somehow walked back to our picnic stuff and I made a few quick phone calls to my family. Since we were so close to Providence Academy, we were able to stop in and give my mom a hug, see JP, go into the chapel for a prayer together, and see Ellie who rushed up and wanted to see the ring!! We then went over to his house (less than a mile away) and had a glass of wine with his mother and brother.

That night, my family invited his entire family over to our house for champagne and cake for the celebration!! I think from the moment he picked me up from work until I fell asleep that night, I had a perpetual smile on my face.

I'm so happy that the man I get to spend the rest of my life with is someone with whom I can laugh, be goofy, have a deep conversation, pray, respect, love, challenge and just be me. Scott Michael Deeney has made me the happiest woman and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!!!