Wedding Update...

Well, I've made some progress! A HUGE thank you to my parents for looking at venues while I was back at work this week. That made all the difference in the world. Even though I have made the intention to have a more low-key wedding, there is so much involved, and there is an order to the madness. I couldn't really do much until I knew where and when the wedding would take place.

I initially wanted to get married on the Van Meter family farm, but that is no longer a possibility due to natural gas drilling. I was disappointed and took a few weeks away from the wedding planning to restructure my vision. I knew we wanted it to be an outdoor wedding, sentimental, and unique. White Rock Lake has all of those elements to offer, and more. Fortunately, in the event of rain, we will have an indoor accommodation! We booked the last available Saturday and pushed the date up from April 28 to March 24th. That is 4 days before our 7 year "dating" anniversary. I really like the way the date looks, and have had fun envisioning this as our new anniversary.

03-24-2012

We are taking our engagement photos with Stephanie Rose tomorrow (OMG) at the Van Meter family farm, to tie it in to our wedding. I am so excited to have Stephanie as our photographer. She is so talented!!!! I also am thrilled we can incorporate the farm into our wedding with this session! The drilling won't start until March, and when we saw that Saturday would be a beautiful, clear, sunny day in the 60's...we thought we better take it while we have it! This is definitely one of the more fun aspects of wedding planning! Less structure, more creativity. I'm very excited.

I applied for our marriage license this week. That was very exciting! I had to double check a few things with George...which despite some obvious sarcasm, hit on a real issue.

L: "And also: birth city, county, are u already married? And u are a man right"
G: "(address). born in dallas county (not sure which city) Not married. Am a man."
L: "...We are not related right"
G: "Correct."

This made me even more aware of the discrimination for monogamous homosexual couples. I just do not understand why this is a legal issue. It's not that I am gay (obviously) or even that I'm condoning marriage between homosexual couples in a church (though I can't say it makes a difference to me)...this is a legal document that has nothing to do with religion. This online document is through Tarrant County in the State of Texas. The sole purpose of this document is for registration and tax purposes.

I'm not ANGRY with people who disagree with my stance; I simply do not understand the opinion. If you don't want a gay marriage, don't have one. If you don't want guns, don't purchase them. If you don't want to drink alcohol, don't consume. What's the difference? I would understand if the argument was about bringing this into the churches...because we need a separation between church and state. I would understand (though I would not necessarily agree) if it was about respecting, honoring, and protecting the sanctity of marriage...

However, if people like Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries can marry and divorce within 72 days...

 And people like these beneath this text can marry and divorce within one year...

...I need a reminder on why we think marriage is currently being respected and upheld between heterosexual couples? Granted, these are those in the limelight. But the divorce rate is 50% regardless of fame.

It's not our job to police relationships. It's not our job to decide who's love is "worthy of recognition," either. My heart goes out to the committed, monogamous, loving, and faithful homosexual couples out there. I recognize your relationship as I type these words, and I hope on some level, you know that there are people out there just like me who know it's a matter of time until all Americans are treated equally. I believe this to be the "civil rights" issue of my generation. I truly do not think this will be discussed in the next 30 years, and I hope that my children are just as shocked by the treatment of this community as I was to hear about the treatment of African Americans during segregation. 

Click here, listen, and pray (or if that's not for you, then HOPE) for equality for ALL Americans.

"Come senators, congressmen

                                                                    Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside, And it is ragin'

It'll soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'."

-Bob Dylan