Thanks to ALL of you for your patience over the last couple of days as the posting schedule went a little crazy.
As some of you know, I posted a blog on Monday called The Untitled Post. It was about some things going on with Sarah’s health and also an update on her relationship with Gage. And then a few hours later, I unpublished it to do some revamping. I eventually just decided to break that original blog into two parts which I am reposting tonight with a few additions. It’s a post about some BIG HUGE FABULOUS news, namely, the engagement of a certain couple.
In the next couple of days, I will share a little more about where we’re at on Sarah’s medical tests but for now right, let’s get on with his happy post!
Last Friday night at about 9:30, I was contentedly lying in bed reading a book when there was a knock on the door.
I looked up to see Gage and Sarah standing there, wreathed in smiles, wrapped in giggles, glowing in love.
As it turns out, he had just proposed.
And as it turns out, she had just said yes.
Sarah had told Gage that she didn’t want a diamond, but more of a non-traditional stone. The two of them had looked at a lot of rings together and narrowed them down to five that they both liked. And then Gage made the selection (a beautiful opal set) from there so that there would be some element of surprise for her. It suits her delicate hand so perfectly.
Steve had followed them into the room (they had told him first because they thought I was asleep) and was enjoying all the excitement with us. After we’d spent a few moments talking and oohing and ahhing over the ring, he went into the bathroom to put on his pajamas. When he came back out, he was laughing as he said to me, “Do you remember that both sets of our parents were in their pajamas when we told them we were getting married?”
I guess it’s a Smith family tradition.
And since you’re probably curious as to the date they chose, it’s May 22nd. Yep! We are about enter Warp Wedding Speed.
Sarah and Gage have been discussing marriage and their future together since December 2020 and they are comfortable with the pace of their relationship. Sarah had had an analogy last week: it’s like they are in a car. From the outside, many may think that their love is propelling them forward at 60 miles per hour. But inside, they are puttering along, enjoying each and every view, and honoring every moment, one at a time.
(And by the way, for those of you who guessed Meagan and Kristin’s visit had something to do with Sarah and Gage, you were right. I’ll write more about that in a future post.)
In addition to Meagan and Kristin, we had another family member visit this past weekend–Gage’s brother, Nick.
He graciously offered to take Sarah and Gage’s engagement photos. I love the job he did of capturing their personalities. And extra kudos to his photographic skills in managing to get these great shots while working with dreary, windy weather and very few golden light moments.
This one is my favorite. Captures them perfectly.
Let me just add right here that with each day that passes, we are more and more impressed with this young man God has brought into Sarah’s life. Gage hangs on Sarah’s every word, affirms her, treasures her, prays over her, tells her she’s beautiful and smart and, in short, is the best possible fit for Sarah we could possibly imagine. Even when Sarah was a child, she prayed for her husband and Gage prayed for his wife–whoever she was, wherever she was.
And now? They have found each other and are committing themselves to one another for life–for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health.
In fact, Gage actually proposed to Sarah after she found the lump in her abdomen saying, “No matter what happens Sarah, you are stuck with me!”
We couldn’t love him–or Sarah–more.
And we couldn’t be more excited about this wonderful season as we celebrate their young love and bright future.
Thanks to everyone who left a comment already; Sarah and Gage have loved each one. If you haven’t yet typed your congrats, they would LOVE to hear from you!
Oh my gosh! I have been without a computer for 2 weeks and what do I find when I get one and start checking my blogs I read.
HOW STINKIN’ EXCITING!! Congratulations to all of you. Wendy
By the way, I LOVE their engagement pictures and her ring is gorgeous~
I am so happy for Sarah and Gage . As I read their engagement story and looked at their pictures I was reminded of your precious family while you visited Florida.
Lots of laughs and smiles.
Prayers for a Beautiful wedding day and for Sarahs healing.
God Bless
Ronna Perry
Congratulations to Sarah and Gage!!!
Becky, I’ve always loved your photos. And the engagement photos by Nick are spectacular! What do I love about photos in general? They capture special moments, sacred moments. Photography makes us look carefully at what is in front of us right now. Each moment is so precious, and what is captured here is pure joy, and deep love. ❤
I’m so happy to hear this exciting news! Lord’s Blessings to Gage and Sarah!
Congratulations Sarah and Gage!! You two seem perfect for each other! May God bless you in your new life together!
What a perfect couple. So meant for each other. And His timing in this relationship has to be perfect too. I’ve followed Sarah for so many years, you all are like family in a way. Will pray for the happy couple as they tackle this next phase in Sarah’s health journey. I’m so glad they have each other. She’s a fighter. And Gage is perfect for her. Love the happy photos! Makes my heart smile. Happy wedding planning for you all too!
I am just finding out this awesome happy engagement news and the sad discovery of the lump. So many prayers prayed, so many answered. We will pray for Sarah and Gage in their new life together — sounds like their love is deep to tackle this new storm.
I have already commented, but I keep coming back to Sarah and Gage’s pictures. They are just priceless! In fifty years, I hope they are beaming the exact same love! There is no doubt of their love for each other.
Bridgette,
I get EXACTLY what you are saying. I feel the same way about those photos. They are magical.
Congratulations! How exciting!
Becky,
Exciting, indeed!
I knew it! I actually cheated and looked on Facebook yesterday. 🙂 I’m so excited for them both. Their love just radiates right out of their photos. I know the health stuff is scary, but I hope they can enjoy today and worry about the rest when the time comes. Praying that the scare is just a scare and nothing serious is going on with Sarah, but having each other will make everything a bit easier. Congratulations to all!!
Gayle,
So true about their love radiating. That’s the perfect word.
Congratulations to Sarah and Gage. Good luck planning the wedding in two months time. I’m sure it will be beautiful.
Love all the pictures. Gage’s brother did a great job capturing their joy.
Phyllis,
Yeah, two months isn’t a lot of time but we’ll make it work. Nick definitely captured some joy that day!
Young love…it’s so beautiful! Praying that they also get to experience old love which is also beautiful 🙂
Congratulations, Sarah and Gage! You were so obviously made for each other!
Sending hugs and blessings to all of you!
Suzanne,
Young love and old love. Beautiful words!
Congratulations Sarah & Gage.
Chase–thank you!
I am so thrilled and happy for Sarah and Gage. What a cute couple. Love just flows from their smiles. They know they were meant to be together.
I know you are so excited to start the wedding planning. I think the shorter the engagement you have, the less time to stress over details. Have so much fun planning. Can not wait to see the pictures.
Praying for their future and Sarah’s medical issue.
Joy,
I’m all about less stress!
Thank you so much for the prayers.
This post makes my heart SO very happy! Their beautiful young love is evident in every picture. The two of them TOGETHER radiate joy. It is always a miracle when God matches two lives so perfectly. Thank you for sharing this wonderful news. It has made my day. May God bless them from the rising to the setting of the sun, all the days of their lives.
Jenny Jo,
What a beautiful, encouraging comment. I’ve always loved that verse about the rising to the setting of the sun
What awesome news for Sarah – Princess Groovy Chick, indeed! Gage seems like such a nice guy, and I’m so glad they connected. 🙂
I’d like to chime in about their timing: My husband and I met online (on a car site, not a dating site) in 1998. We spent more than a year emailing, IM’ing, and chatting on the phone before we finally met in person. Having a relationship’s foundation based solely on the emotional/intellectual connection is amazing – the physical connection was never a distraction or replacement for the development of a legitimately strong bond. We finally met in-person on March 26, 1999, and were married on May 7 of that same year. Yes – still married. Yes – still like each other (most of the time). Yes – still completing each other’s sentences and thinking each other’s thoughts. 🙂
As for the other lumpy news – well, that stinks. 🙁 I’m hopeful her test results are not scary, and that this is just another bump in the road.
Sorry I haven’t been commenting lately – I’d lost my login from my WordPress, plus I’ve been running short of time for “fun” stuff lately with an extra-heavy workload, and working on our new (to us) house.
(((hugs))) for all of you. I can’t WAIT to see the dress Sarah chooses! 🙂
Replying to myself because *of course* I forgot. Her ring is lovely! When Mike and I married, we simply had matching bands. Later on, we bought me an “engagement” ring. It was sapphires (my favorite stone). 🙂
Stefanie,
That’s so similar to Sarah and Gage’s story. A lot of their getting to know each other time was done from a distance and had its roots firmly in friendship, not just physical connections. Once you know you’ve got a good thing, go ahead and follow it through. So glad it worked out so well for you and Mike and you’re still finishing each other’s sentences all these years later.
It took my breath away to read that Sarah and Gage have been praying for each other since childhood. No wonder they knew so quickly that each was the one for him/her!
It looks like Gage has found “dancing down the road” to replace Steve’s “skipping down the road.” My advice to Sarah is that she never take a walk down a road with both of them at the same time if she’s feeling tired and/or hasn’t had a good breakfast.
I, too, have been following Sarah and all the Smiths since diagnosis, and am resuming prayers for her health.
Jan,
I love the idea of Sarah taking a walk down the road with both of her men–and needing a good breakfast to do it!
Walking, skipping. . . it’s all good.
Congratulations Sarah and Gage!! How wonderful and exciting. Meeting “your person” and just knowing that God has them just for you is such an amazing exciting thing. I’m just thrilled for you both.
Praying that Sarah’s medical tests come back all clear.
Love to all,
Heather
Heather,
They have definitely met “their person.” So beautiful to see.
Are Sarah and Gage going to stay in Monteo? Or have they not decided yet ?
Congrats to them
Katrina,
Not real clear on long term plans but they will be around for a while.
I’ve been a long time follower and couldn’t be happier for Sarah and Gage! Praying her latest health stressors turn out to be absolutely harmless!
Thank you, Bridgette.
Always glad to hear from a long-time follower!
May 22..a year to the date when they first connected. When you know you know and Sarah has Him by her side. No doubt Gage has been put here for her. Love to your entire family.
Mel,
You have a better memory than I do because I can’t even recall WHAT date they first met!
And it is so true. When you know, you know.
P.S. Love the engagement pictures and love Sarah’s ring, opals are one of my favorite gems and it suits Sarah perfectly!
Hi Becky,
As someone who has been following your blogs since “Princess Groovy Chick” was first diagnosed, I am thrilled and full of joy for Sarah and Gage. We always knew that God had something special in store for Sarah, and that turned out to be Gage ❤️. I am wishing them many years together filled with love and happiness. How nice for you to be gaining another son, and I’m certain that Gage’s parents are thrilled to be gaining such a special daughter.
Hopefully, the lump will turn out to be nothing serious..I will continue to keep Sarah in my prayers.
Hugs, blessings and joy,
Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
Yes, I agree. The ring is truly lovely!
I am so thankful that Gage’s parents are as wonderful as they are, welcoming Sarah wholeheartedly into their family. And when Nick was here last weekend, he was saying several times how much he was looking forward to having a sister.
I love young love–and all of its accompanying joys.
Hurray!!!! Congratulations to a vibrant and delightful couple!!
Ellen,
Hooraying with you!
Ellen–vibrant and delightful are great words for the two of them.
Such beautiful pictures! The happiness just spills out of them. I immediately thought of one of your posts many years ago where you were assuming Sarah would never be signing her wedding register, and here she is! So amazing! But for goodness sakes, the timing of this bump is so stressful. I will be praying for a quick turnaround on results, all good news, so that her wedding can be enjoyed with complete abandon. She is already surrounded by so much love, I have great hopes!
Lesley,
It is interesting to think back on some of those old posts where we had no idea what her future would hold–or if she even had a future. So thankful for all these wonderful years!
Congratulations and prayers for Sarah and Gage!! Love the beautiful pictures.
Thank you, Donna. We were so thrilled with the pictures. Gage’s brother did such a good job!
Congrats to Sarah and Gage !
And I am hoping you will reviece good news soon.
Katrina,
Thanks for your sweet words!
What exciting and scary news! I absolutely loved the photos, especially when I recognized that hat in two of them! Sarah will be in my thoughts and prayers until the results are known. What a happy and scary time for all.
Cindy,
Oh that’s right! I forgot about those hats being from you. She has enjoyed those hats sooooo much over the years and Gage adores them because he is a lover of all t hings vintage.
Such a cataclysmic juxtaposition of emotions. Deepest congratulations to Sarah and Gage and your family. And hope deeply I hope that the treats reveal anything that is unserious. This is such a joyous time, with this uncertainty mixed in. Thinking of you all.
Jenna,
Yes, some seasons of life are definitely more emotional than others. Thank you for your sweet words.
Congratulations on the engagement of Sarah and Gage! They look so happy and so very in love. Just looking at the pictures made my heart happy!
Praying for the lump to be “just a lump” with an easy resolution!
Hugs and Blessings to you all!
Suzanne,
Yes, I would have to agree. Those are happy heart photos.
Congratulations to Sarah and Gage! What wonderful news. The engagement picture shows their joy! I am praying for Sarah and all of you!
Bebe,
Thank you for the prayers and rejoicing over the happy news of those two and their engagement. Exciting times!
Oh, Becky! Such great news and scary news at the same time. You and yours will be in my thoughts and prayers. Blessings!
Thanks so much, Lib!
First of all, great big congratulations to Sarah and Gage!!! I love her ring…opals are my favorite stone. The joy on their faces and the love in their eyes says it all. I just keep going back to stare at the pictures. They both look SO happy and the pictures are wonderful!!
Second of all, reading of the lump and ensuing stress and fear, breaks my heart. I, too, will pray fervently for good test results and for peace for all of you. Big hugs!!!
Lee Anne,
How fun that you also love opals! I wasn’t very familiar with them until Gage chose one.
I know what you mean about wanting to go back and look at the pictures again. So much joy and whimsy there to see.
Thanks so much for the prayers.
Many prayers coming your way. What an anxious, worrisome, and happy time for all. Prayers for Sarah and Gage and a beautiful long love story together. Praying for you and Steve that God wraps his loving arms around your family and you feel his comfort and healing.
The engagement pictures are beautiful. More beautiful is their love of Christ and sweet, sweet spirit.
When reading your blog, I could only think of my precious granddaughters words to me. “Nana, sit back and watch God work”.
Love to all,
Suzie
Suzie,
You have some very wise granddaughters. Love their sweet faith.
We are so grateful to have those engagement pictures that truly capture Sarah and Gage so well. Such joy!
I started these post with tears of joy and ending with tears for the uncertain. Geez. What a roller coaster.
First, the celebration. I’m over the moon with the news of Sarah and Gage’s announcement and the engagement pictures are stunning!
The lyrics of Mercy Me’s new song “Say I Won’t” are what come to mind when I think about the medical news. I’ve excerpted them below.
Say I Won’t
Mercy Me
I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
So keep on saying I won’t
And I’ll keep proving you wrong
I’m gonna run
No I’m gonna fly
I’m gonna know what it means to live
And not just be alive
This world’s gonna hear
Cause I’m gonna shout
And I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music out
Say I won’t
Sending love, prayers and all good things to the Smiths!
Courtney
Courtney,
I have always loved Mercy Me’s music; thanks for introducing me to those wonderful lyrics. And thanks for being over the moon right along with us over the engagement.
Prayers for Sarah! And congratulations on her engagement.
Phyllis,
Thank you so much! Prayers always appreciated and, of course, we are so thrilled with the engagment.
My heart is hurting reading these last paragraphs. I will be praying fervently for good results from Sarah’s tests. Lord Jesus, your will be done.
Hugs to all.
Buff,
Thank you so much for your prayers and for being such a faithful Smithellaneous friend.
Prayers, prayers and more prayers. Prayers of joy for an engagement-and those are some great engagement shots. Prayers of concern that the further testing reveals that easy fix. Prayers of peace for you all.
Patti,
Thanks, thanks, and more thanks for those prayers. We appreciate them!
I understand why you had trouble picking a title! Such a mixed bag of absolute joy with undercurrents of much anxiety… Sarah looks so happy in the pictures – I pray nothing will take that away from her and that she will get an “all clear” on the medical front. Hugs to you all!
Anne,
Mixed bag is right. Sort of sums up life in general, doesn’t it?
Thanks for your words of encouragement and your prayers.