Early on the morning of January 31st, I proposed to Catherine Anne Lounsbury. It is astounding to me that 20 months after Sharry departed this Earth on JJ's birthday I have found somebody that I love so completely and hope to spend the rest of my days with. And I know it may seem completely unbelievable to the majority of people who have not had to endure such loss but as my deep love for Katie continues to grow my love for Sharry is not diminished in the least.
I have known the greatest of losses and experienced such depth of suffering and agony that I truly thought I would never recover. If it wasn't for JJ there is a good chance I would not have survived. Sharry saved JJ and he saved me. I still miss her everyday. Yet despite all of that I sincerely believe I am one of the most fortunate people in the world when it comes to love. I had twelve extraordinary years of love, joy, and friendship and an ongoing relationship with a guardian angel. And lightning strikes twice.
Katie is the unexpected, missing piece of my heart. Neither Katie or I were looking for love. Yet love found us and brought us together. She is generous, compassionate, wise, talented, beautiful, funny, sarcastic, patient and intelligent. After being lost at sea tossed by waves and storms she is the warm home that feels so right. She is perfect for JJ and me.
Katie and I entered each other's lives at an absolutely divine time. If it would have been even a little bit earlier I would not have been ready at all for a friend like her in my life. Yet at the same time, it was early enough where she can form a deep meaningful relationship with JJ, somebody that before the age of two he'll always remember as his Mama. I LOVE that. Just like me, JJ is incredibly fortunate. He has two amazing mamas who he will know, learn about and learn from as they will always love and watch over him (and at least twice that if you count his amazing Grandmas).
Two days before I proposed we were hiking in Snow Canyon state park. We hiked the petrified dunes trail and when we reached the very top of one of the peaks we set JJ's backpack down so he can walk around play and throw rocks. Our normal hiking routine at the turn around spot. After playing for a bit we decided to pack up. As we picked up the backpack Katie noticed immediately underneath where we just happened to set it carved into the stone was the name "Deckers" a few inches to the side the letters "KT" were carved out and above that there was a carving of a couple holding hands and off to the side a few inches a little kid and not 5 feet away a "J+S" was carved into the rock. In my post-June 2016 life, I have become a big believer in signs and whether this was a pretty cool coincidence or more than that it was an excellent confirmation to my heart that asking Katie to walk this road of life together was a good idea.
The morning of January 31st was a very rare celestial event. It was the first lunar eclipse of the year and also happened to be the magic trifecta of super-moon, blue moon, and red moon. The last time all these events occurred at the same time in North America was March 31, 1866, and the last time anywhere in the world was the day after I was born December 30, 1982. Needless to say, it doesn't happen very often and I thought that was the perfect fit for Katie. She is an extraordinary person in a myriad of ways entering a very unusual circumstance with love, confidence, and light.
At 5:30 AM we went to one of our favorite Snow Canyon overlooks to take in the sight. We cuddled under a cluster of blankets and drank delicious hot coffee. Then at approximately 6:29 AM I reached down to where I had hidden the practice ring (we hadn't picked one yet and I wanted it to be a surprise) and got down on a knee. I told Katie how she brings such profound love, goodness and wholeness and how incredibly grateful I am to have her in my life (among other more specific cheesy things) and asked her if I could merge my life with hers and she agreed! I am overjoyed and ecstatic to start our family this summer and continue to count myself as one of the luckiest.
And as a happy finale...JJ dancing! 😀
