Our Story, Part 2

Part 1

If I were to choose one word to describe our first meeting and the 3 days that followed it would be...awkward.

In Jeremy's apartment after a dress fitting. Me, standing by the door wishing I could melt into the wood. Caleb sitting on the couch. Five other people in the room watching. I think I mumbled a "Hi", but no more than that.

Following the initial encounter, a lunch at Wendy's with Caleb, his parents and Jeremy ...awkward.

Both of us in the wedding and so kindly paired together and then embarrassed at the reception with being announced as two people looking to wed and the pastor doing 2 for 1 discounts on weddings. ( Not exact words, but general gist.) ...awkward again.

All in all I don't think there was more then a dozen sentences said between us. It was a rough beginning. At some point Caleb was talking to a couple of the other bridesmaids and made a general invitation to visit Wales. I was included in this sweeping hospitality.

As I was leaving the reception I apologized to him for his brother's and my friend's pushiness (Love you guys!) and walked out thinking that was the end of it. I'd never see him again.

Trying to locate my parents I find my mom talking to his mom. An invitation to Sunday lunch at my parent's house the following day is given and accepted. I would see Caleb again...I was thrilled, but surprised they would travel 3 hours just for lunch.

I don't remember the meal or what was talked about over the table. What I do remember is that after the church service that night Caleb and I went outside and walked around the parking lot together... and talked. It was our first conversation without prying eyes and well-meaning pushy friends. It was awesome. We were beginning to click.

From there I accepted his invitation to visit him in Wales. I went for 1 month. The first two weeks we walked and talked as friends. The second two weeks we walked and talked as an engaged couple.

Jeremy and Ellen played the earthly part in setting us up, but I know ultimately God was our matchmaker. He brought us together from different backgrounds, different states and then even different countries. Never in my wildest dreams could I have planned such a beginning.

Caleb, his nephew Matthew and Dawn

Starting School

Paul has been asking every morning
for the past month
to go to school.

I wish I had a picture
of the way his eyes lit up this morning
when I told him today was the day.

He was so excited.
He wouldn't even finish his breakfast.
Just wanted to get his shoes and coat on
so he could leave.

He took his fruit.
Walked right into his classroom.
And the king of goodbye hugs and kisses
didn't even say goodbye.

He's a big boy now, you know.

*sniff sniff*

Our Story, Part 1

October has been declared Love Story Month by Mary. Even though I've never read her blog I learned of it from Jenni. And since I am a sucker for a good love story or even a bad one I've decided to join in the fun.

*************************************************

I met Caleb a few days before the wedding... their wedding, not mine, but our story started six months before that.

My friend from college, Ellen, had fallen in love. The object of her affections, Jeremy, came to Pennsylvania to meet the folks. He also met me and got the idea in his head to play matchmaker between me and his older, handsome, single, missionary brother.

Enter Caleb. Living and working with his missionary parents here in Wales. Jeremy told Caleb to write me. He even appealed to the parents to try to persuade Caleb to write. He told them I was interested in missions and Wales...total lie. Missions, yes. Wales, no. I knew nothing of Wales...didn't even know it existed. Geography was not my thing.

All this persuading took several weeks. During this time Jeremy had informed me of what he was doing. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, so I left it in God's hands. I prayed that if Caleb was not the One he would simply not write.

(As a young teenager my request of God was that no one would ask me out save the One. I knew I would be too loyal in a relationship and would overlook things that ought not to be. God knew what I needed better then I did. I was afraid of getting myself stuck in a right royal mess. So there I was a 20 years old college sophomore having never been on a date...which kind of stunk, but it is what I asked for.)

Then one ordinary college day in early November I reached into my cubbyhole mailbox and pulled out a postcard...from Wales. I was shocked, but very excited. I really did not expect to hear from him. I turned it over to read the first communication from my potential sweetheart and...it was all in Welsh! Let me tell you I was shocked all over again.

Why? you ask. That is exactly what I was wondering at that moment. Months later I found out the reason. He was nervous about writing so he wrote in Welsh because then it didn't matter what he wrote. Logical, no?

Well, that was the start. We continued with email during the months leading up to Jeremy and Ellen's wedding. It was six months, but to get the correct picture it went something like this. I would receive an email and respond within two days. Then I would wait two weeks for his next email and so on. Even though we wrote for six months it wasn't much more then 12 emails. And they were all strictly pen pal-ish ...nothing romatical happening yet. In fact, I shared them with my family.

God really had his hand in us corresponding before actually meeting. I was terribly shy with the male species at this point in my life and through writing, Caleb was able to get to know me in a way that no man in person would have been able.

As nervous as I would be the face to face meeting did have to come and it happened in April of 2001...a few days before Caleb and I walked down the aisle for the first time.

...to be continued.

Decor

Our house is arranged so the living room is actually two rooms...a front room and a walkway room through to the kitchen...connected by an archway. Each half of this area has it's own entrance from the hall.

Recently we moved our living spaces around, because I was tired of having a "walkway room". With 3 doorways, a large window, a fireplace, a build-in cupboard, and a large archway it was a completely wasted space and mess attractor.

Here are some pictures of what I've been up to for the past week and a half. I've pretty much changed everything. The furniture placement, the decor and the curtains. I do have some before pictures if anyone is interested.

First, we moved the couch in front of the archway. Dividing the two rooms. The walkway room is now our living room and the front room is the playroom...which I LOVE having. This picture is from the kitchen door...


Picture from the hall door...


Close up of the decor above the mantel... I'm sure you'll recognize some of the photographs. I just changed them to sepia and printed them with our printer on regular paper. They turned out surprisingly well.


Looking from the playroom you can see my window mistreatments. I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. It's not perfect as I didn't have quite enough fabric, but I don't think it looks too bad.


Everything in here was neutral colors before because I couldn't decide what color I wanted. I love the red. It adds so much to the rooms.


Here in the playroom I put some of Caleb's photographs that I thought the boys would like. I was right...they love them. :) I hung them fairly low at a level better for the kids. The blocks of color are just scrapbook paper in glass frames with kid friendly quotes in the centers. The brown is quoteless because the glass broke and needs to be replaced.


This new set-up, although a bit odd, is really working for us. It's amazing how much less mess is spread throughout the living room and kitchen. And the boys actually play in the playroom! They simply will not play in a closed off room. They want to be able to see us which is why the plan of them playing in their bedroom was not working.

We've moved some things around upstairs as well, but I'll save that for another post.

Ultrasound

The news you've been waiting for.

We have....




















a....




















Little Stinker!!!!

Baby did not cooperate at all.
Facing down with legs pulled up to belly the whole time.
There was no way we were going to see anything.
We couldn't even get a picture.

The good news is...
the technician didn't see all she needed to see either
so we will have another chance
in about 2 weeks.

Quirkiness

I have been tagged by I Am Boymom. So in order to pass some blogging time while awaiting the greatly anticipated ultrasound of tomorrow I will leave you with 6 random and quirky things about me.

Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

Here ya go:

• I can not, will not, refuse to drink water from a bathroom sink. It's just gross!
  
• I can play the piano some, but I don't read music. I don't play by ear as I need a book in order to play, but I couldn't actually tell you what the notes are.
  
• I have very rich taste in bed sheets. Our 1000 thread count sheets recently had to be replaced with the best we could find over here...a mere 300 count. I can't stand them. They feel very cheap. Sheets of 180 thread count are just ghastly.
  
• Along that same line...when we were traveling in the States and had to sleep wherever was deemed suitable by our host we always did and will in the future bring our own sheets and blanket for the bed.
  
• When laughing or smiling while talking with someone I'm not very comfortable with I tend to cover my mouth with my hand.
  
• I can't stand sock seams. When I must wear socks and shoes together you can be sure they are put on, taken off and adjusted at least twice before I'm good to go. It's a pain. :P
  

I'm sure you are all immensely edified by such knowledge. lol! For those who notice my last one is the same as Boymom's but does very much apply to me. I couldn't think of a different 6th one and I want to go to bed now. :)

I always feel awkward tagging people because when my tag gets ignored I then feel all stupid for tagging in the first place. I mean, like, I should have known you didn't want to be tagged! lol!

So play along...or don't. :P I'm tagging:

1. Ellen

2. Jen

3. Dana

4. Barbie

5. Julie

6. Katina

Birthday

Even though we celebrated Jason's birthday back in August with Seth, we couldn't let his special day pass unnoticed.


Besides it was the perfect excuse to have another cake. :)

4 Years Old