We're getting married!!

I was going to wait a few days to type this blog but SO many people have asked me about all the little details and how it happened. I can't type this out on my phone and text it to everyone so blogging it seems most fitting. I will just start off by saying this was by far the best Christmas I have ever experienced, not because of the presents but because of the love that was evident throughout mine and Joe's entire family. It was absolutely wonderful. And, well.... the gifts were wonderful, too. Thank you to everyone who has texted, called, messaged us, come to see us, and everything else! You will never know how much we truly appreciate the love and support from our friends and family. 

Sooo.. lets get to the good stuff! 

Every year on Christmas eve Joe and I let each other open one gift from each other so last night (Christmas eve) we exchanged gifts and he gave me the most beautiful, custom made pearl bracelet. It is absolutely beautiful. He told me he had three presents for me and this was the first thing he gave me. I am in love with it! I was really confused at how he was going to give me a better present than the bracelet, but I didn't say a word. Anyways, he left my house and went home and I went to bed. 

Well, this morning (Christmas morning) my brother was up and at 'em at 7 o'clock and by 8 o'clock all of our presents were opened. There was a present to me from Joe under our tree that was supposed to be my third gift but Mom accidentally gave it to me and I opened it while Joe wasn't there. *BIG mistake* But, I loved the gift! It was a pair of hot pink and white golf shoes to match the hot pink golf clubs that I got from "Santa". They are perfect! But when I opened them and said, "Are these golf shoes?", mom freaked out and re-wrapped them and made everyone promise that Joe wouldn't find out. Funny, because somehow Joe found out!

Every year on Christmas morning I always open presents with my family and eat breakfast with them and then go to Joe's and *try* to eat again and open presents with them. Well this morning Joe got up to go hunting so he had been texting me and right after we finished breakfast he texted me and said....

I asked him if he was lying because earlier in the week he told me he shot a buck when he really didn't. And he asked me to come help because I am the one who found the blood trail for the deer we shot on Monday night. I am now known as the professional "deer tracker". He texted me this around 9:30 and I wasn't able to get to his house until around 10:30. In that hour he probably called me 20 times wanting to know where I was and when I was going to be there. So when all the presents were finally opened I was rushing out the door to go find a "huge buck"! 

Mom took a picture of me leaving because apparently everyone knew what was going on but me!

So I got to Joe's house and we take off to the woods looking for this "huge buck". All I remember was that it was FREEZING! 

We get down in the woods and start looking for this blood trail and Joe continuously keeps saying how mad he is because he can't find the trail and he was so upset because he just knew he missed the deer. He only told me that he was going to throw up a million times. I thought it was because he was so upset over the deer, but he was really just nervous! So we walked around the woods for a good 20 minutes looking for this "deer" and finally Joe says, "well I guess I missed it and I don't want to be a scrooge this Christmas so lets go eat & open gifts!" I totally agreed with him because I was so cold and I just wanted to get out of the woods! 

Well we got back to where the car was parked in the field which just so happened to be right next to his trail camera that was strapped to a tree. When we walked by the trail camera he said, "Hey, smile, you're on camera!" He messed around with the trail camera for a minute and then he came up to me. At this point he had told me he loved me probably 30 times in a 5 minute span. He kept telling me how excited he was to be married in a few years and kept talking about all of our "dreams". I honestly was just confused. His mom was cooking breakfast, I knew she wanted us to hurry and I couldn't understand why he was talking about all of our dreams in the middle of the woods on Christmas morning. Welll... now I know! 

He got me right in front of the trail camera and he hugged me for the longest time. The next thing he said was, "Do you want your next present?" Of course I said yes and I asked him to go get it out of the car. He told me it wasn't in the car and I asked where the big buck was and he told me..... there was no buck!! At this point I started laughing. I just hiked through the freezing cold woods looking for a blood trail that didn't exist? On Christmas morning?! WHAT?! 

But then he pulled me closer and started telling me how much he loves me and how he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else. 

**If you look closely, he is holding the ring box behind his back in this picture**

To be honest, I don't remember exactly what he said. Multiple times today we both tried to remember what he said but we just couldn't. When he started with the "I love you so much" speech I knew something was about to happen. Before he got down on his knee he said, "I'm really doing this!" He was so excited! 

He then got down on one knee and all I remember was, "Chaselyn Alyse Duncan, will you marry me?" 

I didn't even look at the ring. I just fell on both of my knees with him! 

We were both crying. Actually I was more like bawling, but whatever. It was the happiest moment of my life. We both sat on the ground and just hugged and laughed and cried and he eventually put the ring on my finger. It was so perfect. I never wanted that moment to end. I could have sat in the freezing cold with him all day. 

But, the moment had to end and we had to go to his house where his mom and sister were waiting. It was absolutely perfect. 

When we got back to his house there was a bunch of screaming, crying, laughing, and smiling. It was wonderful. And about 10 minutes later my WHOLE family walks in. Mom, dad, grandma, brother, sister, cousins.... I was, and still am, on cloud 9. We screamed a little more, a little louder, and we all just celebrated. 

Truly the most awesome thing I've ever experienced and I couldn't have asked for it to be done any more perfectly. 

Sooo... about the ring. 

For a while now Joe and I have talked about getting married but we never really talked much about how we would get engaged or what the ring would be like. Honestly, Joe never asked me what kind of rings I liked, he never let me show him what I liked, and he never liked talking about it. He always told me that he would take care of me and I completely trusted him. He has been working on creating this ring specifically for me since July. It is absolutely p e r f e c t. The pictures don't do it justice at all. I have been flashing it all day! But can you blame me?! 

Needless to say, today has been a total celebration. But so many times Joe and I just stopped to pray and thank God for all his many blessings. We both prayed all morning and we have prayed multiple times since then. I don't even know what to say to God though. "Thank you" has come out of my mouth many, many times. I am so thankful first and foremost for the most perfect gift that was born on Christmas day many, many years ago, for the true reason that we celebrate Christmas. Secondly, I am thankful for the man of God that I have been blessed with. I am beyond excited for our life as husband and wife to begin. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him. He is something special and I wouldn't take all of the money in the world over him. He teaches me every day how to love stronger, laugh harder, and trust deeper and for that I am so thankful. He pushes me towards Christ and holds me accountable for so many things. God has given me a better gift than I could have ever dreamed of, and for that I will be forever thankful. 

I love you, Joe Parsons and I cannot wait to be your wife!!!

Once again, thank you to all of our friends and family for the sweet words and encouragement. It means the world to us. We are so thankful for such wonderful people in our lives. We cannot wait to celebrate on our special day with the ones who mean the most.

 Joe and I have not had a single second alone since the big moment so a date has not even been talked about. We will let you know as soon as we decide. Until then.... let the wedding planning commence! 

We hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas with your families! 

Today I'm just thankful

It's been a while since I have sat down and written a post. Honestly, I would love to write every day to just spill my thoughts because sometimes that just seems to help me, but in reality I just don't have time for that. A lot has happened since I last wrote- Thanksgiving (which is probably my favorite holiday), exams (which were so very brutal), and my first semester of junior year nursing school has ended (AND I MADE IT THROUGH!) Praise the Lord! Truly, this is a praise. This semester truly showed me that there is a God and he loves me very very much all I have to do is reach out for him. And this semester, more than ever in my entire life, I depended on God like I depend on my earthly Daddy every single day. Every week of the semester I had a huge test, I wrote a 10-20 page paper on each patient I took care of, I spent anywhere from 8-15 hours in the hospital and I spent 18 hours a week in class all while trying to balance my grades and keep a social life. Thank goodness for some of the best friends and family I've ever had to keep me sane. At times I thought I would never make it through, but with determination, faith and tons of love and support I made it! 

So here we are now, on Christmas break and let me tell you- it is AMAZING! I have been able to sleep in a few days, I've spent time with my family and Joe's family, I've gotten all my Christmas shopping done, and now I'm just waiting for Christmas! I am super excited for this week. One, because we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the most perfect Christmas present ever. Two, because I get to spend endless amounts of time with my family and the ones I love. And three, because for the first time in 5 years Joe and I have NO CLUE what we are getting each other. To be honest, we have never been good at surprises. I always get so excited and tell him what he's getting and well, he just doesn't know how to shop for me so I always have to pick my presents out. But this year will be so fun! I hate waiting on surprises but I know it will be worth the wait! I trust that they will be the best presents I've ever gotten because he is doing this completely on his own. 

So, this week when you are celebrating with your families remember why we really celebrate Christmas. The gifts and Santa and the food are all wonderful but remember that precious baby that was born many, many years ago and remember the most perfect sacrifice he made for us so that we can spend eternal life with him. In church today our preacher made the best statement, "The best gift you could receive for Christmas is love from your Heavenly Father". And he is so very correct. I would be fine without a single gift under my tree as long as I know I get to spend eternal life with my Heavenly Father. I encourage you to read the love chapter (1Corinthians 13) and read the birth of Jesus (Luke 2) in the bible and realize that the perfect gift of love has already been given to us. He loves you so so much and his desire is for everyone to know him and commit their lives to him so that we can spend forever with him in Heaven. At times I catch myself pondering what Christmas is like in Heaven and I think about all my loved ones who are in Heaven, especially my Papa and Granny Pansy, and I just think about the perfect time they are having. I am so happy for them and I wouldn't wish them back on this earth for anything! 

So to the ones who are reading, I hope you have the best Christmas you have ever had. I hope it is filled with love and joy and Jesus and the best food you've ever eaten. Always remember the true reason for the season. 

Until I write again,

Merry Christmas!!!