I Do! (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 5) [Paperback]

Melody Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin | Publication Date: January 5, 2005

Caitlin O’Conner, now 21 and in her senior year of college, accepts Josh Miller’s proposal for marriage. But Caitlin soon discovers there’s a lot more to getting married than just saying “I do.” Between her mother and mother-in-law to be (who don’t seem to agree on anything) and Caitlin’s old buddies (who still have problems of their own because of wrong choices), Caitlin’s life never seems to run smoothly. But Caitlin, as determined as ever to do things God’s way, always manages to find the high ground...eventually. As a result, the journey to her wedding is full of twists and turns where God touches many lives, including Caitlin’s. Most of all, Caitlin and Josh realize that a wedding only lasts one day, but a marriage is for a lifetime.

Saturday, October 22

My life changed today. It’s as if I got up this morning as one person and will go to bed as someone else. Okay, maybe it’s not THAT drastic. But I’m so excited I’m not sure I’ll ever go to sleep tonight. Josh Miller asked me to marry him!

First she “kissed dating goodbye.” Now, several years later, Caitlin O’Conner is getting married–to the guy she’s loved all along, Josh Miller! It’s her senior year of college, and she has seven months to plan her wedding...but according to Josh’s mom, that’s not enough time.

Meanwhile, Caitlin’s roommate, Liz, has ditched her to move in with a boyfriend. Her new roommate and old friend, Jenny, is toying with anorexia again, and just when Caitlin needs her most, Beanie heads off to a New York City design school. On top of all this, an issue from Josh’s past rocks Caitlin’s emotions. Can she handle it all?

True to form, Caitlin is more concerned with following God than having the perfect wedding. But it is her big day. Can Caitlin have a lovely ceremony without spending a small fortune? Will she remember it’s the marriage–and not the wedding–that lasts forever?

Story Behind the Book

“My teenage years remain vivid in my mind. It was a turbulent time full of sharp contrasts– love and hate, pain and pleasure, trust and doubt. Then, just as I reached my peak of questioning, rebelling, and seeking, I found God. And I found Him in a really big way! My life turned completely around and has, thankfully, never turned back. Hopefully this story will touch and change hearts–speaking to teen girls right where they live, reminding readers that God is alive and well and ready to be intimately involved in their lives right now! Caitlin provides a very positive role model for girls. And her wedding is a great way to teach them about the things that really matter in life–their relationship with God and their willingness to be used by Him.”

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Melody Carlson has published over 90 books for children, teens, and adults—with sales totaling more than 2 million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestseller’s List. Several of her books have been finalists for and winners of various writing awards. Her Diary of a Teenage Girl series has received great reviews and a large box of fan mail. Melody has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER ONE
Saturday, October 22
 
My life changed today. It’s as if I got up this morning as one person and will go to bed as someone else. Okay, maybe it’s not as drastic as all that. But believe me, things are definitely different now. Excitingly different even. I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to go to sleep tonight. And ironically, here I am in my old bedroom in my parents’ home, the very same place I was when I began writing in my very first diary almost five years ago.
 
And as a result of what happened today, I think it’s time to break out a brand-new diary. Okay, this one isn’t exactly “brand-new,” since it’s actually one that I’ve been saving for quite a while. It’s a rather ordinary looking diary (really, more like a journal), but my friend Josh Miller gave it to me on my nineteenth birthday, just a couple of years ago. I thought it was sweet of him at the time, but I was also right in the middle of writing in another diary, so I tucked this special leather-bound book into my top bureau drawer—to save for another time.
 
Another time has come, and that time is now because:
 
Josh Miller asked me to marry him tonight!
 
Okay, okay, let’s start back at the beginning of this incredibly romantic day. I’d come home from college this weekend to attend a wedding. Two friends of mine were getting hitched—Willy Johnson (the manager of the incredible rock band Redemption) and Elise Curtis (mother of Redemption drummer Allie Curtis). I replaced Elise, last summer, when I traveled as a chaperone for Redemption. And as a result, these three gifted girls feel like family to me. Especially Chloe Miller, who will become my sister-in-law sometime next year. Wow, it’s still sinking in! God is so amazing!
 
The Johnson-Curtis wedding was absolutely beautiful. Oh, it was nothing lavish or fancy or over the top. And only about a hundred guests were there. But the ceremony felt very real to me, and the love between Willy and Elise was written all over their happy faces. I actually cried—it was that sweet.
 
Chloe, Allie, and Laura were bridesmaids, all wearing the most gorgeous gowns designed by none other than my old best friend Beanie Jacobs. The dresses were autumnal colors with lots of beadwork and lace, but not a bit frilly. Just really elegant and classy and like something you’d see in a movie. Beanie’s majoring in textile design now and is rumored to have the kind of talent that will take her places. I’m so proud of her!
 
All right, I will admit that I had a brief fantasy during this particular wedding ceremony. I mean, what girl doesn’t dream about her own wedding day? Especially when you hear those familiar notes of “The Wedding March” starting to play! Dum, dum, da-dum. I’m sure I’ve been humming that tune since I was a little girl putting my mom’s old white negligee over my head like a wedding veil. And okay, I did wonder how I would feel to be the one standing up there in a scrumptious white gown and repeating my vows to…well, I even had a particular guy in mind.
 
In fact, that guy was actually one of the groomsmen standing up there with Willy and looking totally awesome in his dark brown rented tux with velvet lapels. It was in that exact same moment that I realized Josh was actually staring back at me. It seemed as if our eyes locked for about five minutes, although I’m sure it was only a few seconds before I looked away. Maybe that’s what made me cry.
 
I suppose I was sort of embarrassed to be caught gaping at the same guy I have consistently pushed away over the years. It’s hard to believe that it all started back in high school, when he was a senior and I was a junior. But then our relationship went sideways, and it was time to break up.
 
Oh, we’re friends now. And better friends than we’ve ever been before. We’ve even had a few talks that made me wonder…but then I always remember how many times I made it perfectly clear to Josh (especially back during my first year of college when he says I
broke his heart) that I couldn’t be serious with him. Not that I wouldn’t have liked being serious with Josh. I mean, all you have to do is to read my other diaries to know that this guy totally gets to me. Believe me, there’s always been a strong attraction to that boy. But even so, I knew that I had to keep him at a safe distance.
 
Let’s just say that it was a God-thing. Because I’d committed myself to abstaining from sex until marriage, and as a result, gave up dating in general. So there was no room in my life for Josh as a boyfriend. Consequently, I think I’ve really learned about priorities these past few years. God is always first, family and friends next, and then school (since that’s sort of my “job” at the moment). And that’s a full load. Getting serious with a guy just did not fit into that picture.
 
Even so, I never stopped loving Josh. And there have been times (like dozens!) when I was so scared that Josh would forget all about me and just write me off and marry someone else. I mean, there had to be hundreds of girls out there who knew what a catch this guy was. Not only is Josh cute (have I mentioned he looks like Matt Damon?) with blue eyes and the greatest smile ever, but he loves God with his whole heart, and he’s the most honest and sincere guy I know. But enough about that for now—since I can feel my pulse rate increasing!
 
Anyway, each time I’d start to freak over the possibility of another girl snatching up the guy I loved, I tried really hard to give this fear to God. And it wasn’t always easy. But it usually boiled down to trust. I knew I needed to trust God completely. I had to believe that my life and my future (as well as Josh’s) were in His hands. That was my lifeline.
 
Back to today’s wedding. Following the ceremony, we all traipsed down the stairs for a fairly no-frills reception in the church basement, which is nothing to write home about. I mean, our church is about as plain and boring as they come. It’s in an old department store building downtown, but due to recent remodeling, the “sanctuary” is fairly spacious and the basement (which still smells like cardboard) actually has pretty good acoustics. That came in handy since Redemption played a few songs for the wedding guests. Just a few quiet numbers that made both Willy and Elise teary eyed.
 
I was slightly surprised that there were no decorations—no ribbons or candles and very few flowers. But Chloe informed me that Willy and Elise wanted to keep everything as simple as possible. “It’s supposed to be lowkey,” she said, as if she knew I had noticed that the room looked somewhat Spartan. Not that you need hundreds of roses or miles of satin ribbons and greenery, but I suppose that most of the weddings I’ve gone to have been pretty elaborate affairs—not to mention quite expensive.
 
“Yeah,” Allie said in a hushed voice. “Believe it or not, the cake is from the grocery store bakery where my mom used to work.”
 
“It looks nice,” I said. Okay, it was a bit boring, and I suspected it wouldn’t be too tasty. But it had the traditional three tiers with the little plastic bride and groom on top. And when Willy and Elise sliced into it, I’m sure it didn’t matter to them whether it came from Albertsons down the street or the finest French bakery in Manhattan.
 
And it didn’t matter to me either. Mostly I just enjoyed visiting with my church friends and a few old high school buddies, and finally congratulating Willy and Elise.
 
“I’m so happy for you two,” I told them as we hugged.
 
Elise was absolutely glowing. “We are too.” Then she frowned slightly. “I hope you don’t feel bad that this means Davie and I will be going back on the road again.” She held up her wedding ring finger. “Now that we’re no longer scandal material.”
 
Willy laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bet some people think that this is just a marriage of convenience so that we can have Elise back as the chaperone again.”
 
Elise leaned over and kissed her groom on the cheek. “Let them think what they like.”
 
“Not that you weren’t a great chaperone, Caitlin” Willy said, as if he suddenly remembered that I was still standing there. “You know you’ll always be welcome.”
 
I laughed. “Don’t worry, you two. I had to give up the chaperone gig for now anyway. My plate’s pretty full with my senior year.”
 
 “Still doing the double major?” Willy asked with a slightly concerned look.
 
I nodded. “Yeah. I like the pressure.”
 
“What are you taking?” asked Elise.
 
“It’s kind of an odd combo. Journalism and child development.”

Willy smiled. “Well, if you graduate and end up jobless, I’m sure that the girls would welcome you back as their chaperone by next summer.”
 
“You can say that again,” Allie said with a mischievous grin. Of course, knowing Allie, I’m sure she’d prefer having me to her mom. Not that she likes me more than her mom, but she probably thinks she can get away with more stuff with me. Not that I ever let her. If anything, I think I was pretty strict with those girls.
 
Then just as Beanie and I were about to leave the reception, Josh stopped me. He and I already had one very brief conversation that had been interrupted by the photographer wanting to get some group shots...

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (January 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590523202
• ISBN-13: 978-1590523209
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melody Carlson has written around 200 books for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her books range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including the Rita and Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will You Marry me?, February 10, 2006

By 

GoVHS (Versailles, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Do! (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 5) (Paperback)

I do, is the fifth and last book in the Caitlin series. It is mainly about Caitlin getting ready for her wedding. Josh proposed to her at the beginning of the book. He proposed to her in a very special way. All through the book she is fighting her wedding battles. She has to try to go through with her mom and Josh's mom telling her different things she needs to do. Josh's mom likes to spend lots of money and Caitlin's mom is the complete opposite. Caitlin just wants to have a simple wedding. Jenny was a very big help since she has transferred to Caitlin's school. They are now rooming together. Beanie got accepted to a design school in New York City and is helping Caitlin out with the designs for the bride's dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Caitlin is also trying to figure out where they should go on their honeymoon. Caitlin and Josh are having their wedding at a big church and the reception at a place they went together in high school. Is Caitlin going to get everything worked out or get completely stressed?
I would recommend this book to any girl that can read the reading level. I would also recommend this book to people that like the books, P.S Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail No More because they are very similar.
This book was a very good book. I like everything about it and I don't think that I disliked any part of it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Would you say "I do"???, January 14, 2012

By 

JesusJuice - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Do! (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 5) (Paperback)

I do is the last and final book in the series of Diary of a young girl Caitlin. Finally! A happy ending. Caitlin is about to get married to Josh Miller the boy she has loved all along. Josh proposed to her at the beginning. Now onto the wedding preparations and telling the family members. She is going through wedding battles. She is listening to both her mom and Josh's mom telling her what she needs to do for her wedding day. Both parents are complete opposites. Jenny who is one of Caitlin's best friends helps Caitlin a lot prepare for her special day. They are now rooming together at the same college since Caitlin transferred. Beanie got accepted into a design school in New York City. She designs Caitlin's dress. Caitlin and Josh go through the motions like any couple who are about to get married. But they have God in it and that what makes it great. This book is the book we all have been waiting to read. I love this book. I love the ending. I love the wedding. I laughed and cried and cheered as I was reading this book. I will miss Caitlin and I wish her well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome Series, April 1, 2009

By 

Katie D. Wing "Crazy_Dog_Lady" (Western KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Do! (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, Book 5) (Paperback)

This is an awsome series and I reccomend reading all the caitlin books and in order. I like how they are christian based, have a good story line and teach good morals. The caitlin series follows a girl from high school through college and eventually marriage. I am 19 and read all 5 books during my fall semester at college.