My fiance had a love before me. And by choosing to marry him, I must acknowledge his first love and accept it happily into my life. It was here first and it made him the man he is today. So, beautiful state of Texas, you can stay in this relationship. We will faithfully visit you as often as possible so that you and sweet R can re-connect. We will consider you a home away from home but despite R's love for you, we will likely not be moving to live near you. Neither of our mamas live there and we want a lot of babies. This will require a lot of free babysitting that we don't have with you. But R loves you dearly, and if I'm really honest, I've come to simply adore you myself.
I write this silliness after receiving pictures from Ross's cousin, Nicole's wedding. We were in Texas (more specifically all this love is for Austin, Tx) for a beautiful wedding at Chapel Dulcinea. These pictures do not do it justice and I'm waiting on some good ones from Ross's other cousin. Anyway, this wedding was set amidst one of the most gorgeous landscapes I have ever seen. Set a top one of the beautiful hills of the celebrated Hill Country, the chapel is small and quaint. The view is big and breathtaking. The wedding was near perfect. Thank you to Cody and Nicole for giving us a reason to jump on a plane to our favorite place.
Ross first brought me to Texas just 8 months into our relationship. I quickly realized that to know Ross is to know Texas, his birthplace, the home of his childhood. His parents still own two condos in New Braunfels, this precious little German settlement. You can walk to Mass at a church with an amazing gratto to the Blessed Virgin. You cannot help but stop and pray in this place (as we did with a Rosary since Mass was cancelled due to swine flu!!!) There is a bakery that makes me salivate to think of it and a park where any child (or 31-year-old man and his father) can play.
I have always said that a person should find where they experience God most and go there. For me, this has been in the Eucharist and in Mass. I am completely at peace there. For Ross and many others, he feels God through nature. He needs to be outdoors they way he needs water. Racing to keep up as he has led me through various parts of New Braunfels and Austin, I can understand why. There is a magnificence in the rolling hills, lush parks, short, canopied trees. You can look far and wide and be assured of the presence of God. You look around and want to shout the popular song, "Our God is an awesome God, with wisdom, power and love, Our God is an awesome God."
After two trips to Austin in less than two years, I know this place will be a part of our lives and our children's lives. They will hike with their daddy and Bodki and eat donuts with their mama. They will sit on the water's edge with Busha and if we can medicate their grandma Sullivan to get on plane, they can take her tubing down the Comal River.
So, to dear, fabulous Texas, thank you for enlivening my fiance, for giving him passion and joy. And thank you for sharing a little bit of y'alls love affair with me.
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