One of my favorite photos of us at a wedding was when the bride and groom used books from their personal collection as their centerpieces on the tables . In the photo I ’ m smiling while reading a book titled , Your Catholic Wedding , and John is next to me grimacing while reading Making Sense of Suffering .”
John and Crystal always joked about their marriage .
“ I think it was to make the wait not so stressful ,” Crystal explained . “ Annulments take time , at least they did . Of course the month after mine was approved ( which took two-anda-half years ), the Pope announced that they were simplifying the process .”
Last summer John and Crystal took Lucia on a road trip as a 10 th birthday present .
“ We told her our destination was the Grand Canyon ,” she said . “ We did campout one night and spend about eight hours the next day at the Canyon . But then we loaded up to continue our journey . My oblivious daughter never asked what we were
doing . She woke up the next morning in Anaheim , Calif .”
They took a mid-morning drive to Newport Beach and Lucia was loving the water , but they pulled her away for a minute to open a birthday card which announced that she was going to Disneyland .
“ We captured this on video ,” she said . “ Relatives who were with us also captured what happened next on video .”
After Lucia was surprised with the news of Disneyland , John started talking about them all becoming a family . John addressed Lucia first and then Crystal . He got down on one knee and everything . Crystal knew he was going to do that . “ You can ’ t know someone for as long as we have known each other and not read them ,” she said . “ I had picked up clues along the trip , which he didn ’ t realize he was laying , and we had even had an argument the previous night because he wanted to go to the beach that night , and I was adamant that I was smelly and gross from being at the Grand Canyon and all
I wanted was a shower and a good night ’ s sleep .”
Even though she knew what was coming , Crystal still teared up .
“ I whispered in his ear appreciation for waiting until the morning ,” she said . “ I later joked with him that if he had asked me the night before I would have told him I wasn ’ t going to answer him until the next day when I was clean and rested .”
The subsequent Facebook announcement was met with hundreds of people responding with versions of “ It ’ s about time !”
Indeed , it is about time , and that time is drawing near . John and Crystal will be married at Saint Patrick Cathedral in Fort Worth on Sept . 30 , 2017 .
“ There is still lots of planning to be done , but we have the church reserved , and I ’ ve bought my dress ,” she said . “ So , as far as I ’ m concerned the important parts are taken care of . Hopefully everything else will fall into place as it should .”
Stay tuned .
Love Stories — Continued on page 56
311 East Hwy 199 • Springtown , Tx 76082
FEBRUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
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