First Date

Nine years ago today, Gary and I went on our first date. Little did I know that May 27, 2000 would change my entire life.

I was up before 6 am that morning, and so excited that I was in the Hechts parking lot by 6:30 am. It was Memorial Day weekend and they were having a huge sale. An hour later, I came out with a great new outfit and a new purse to match (all bought with a coupon – those of you who know me well know that I get a “high” out of coupon sales). Then I grabbed some breakfast, got my car washed, and headed home to get ready.

All that time getting ready turned out to be a bit of a waste. It rained that day, I had a new perm and my hair frizzed beyond what I thought was imaginable. Fortunately, Gary didn't seem to notice.

We met in the church parking lot (we didn't live remotely close to each other so it would have taken him 2 hours to come out and pick me up and drive back into town), got in his car, and headed to the National Gallery of Art in DC. I love that he carried an umbrella and didn't just make us run for the door. I love that he asked directions when we got into the gallery (seriously ladies, how many men do this?). I love that he thanked God for introducing us when he prayed at lunch in the cafe.

We were apparently there to see some sort of exhibit, but I suspect now that it was just a fancy place to walk around, just look at each other and talk. I have vague memories of walking around the gallery. Of looking at the famous art on the walls, not so much.

Eventually, we left, and the date was going so well that I asked Gary if he wanted to join me at a 40th birthday party that night. “You probably won't know anyone there,” I said, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable about saying no. “I'd love to come,” he said. So we headed off to the mall to buy a gift for my friend's son. They had also just adopted a 5 lb baby boy, so I wanted to get a gift for their older son.

When we were in the mall, I had a hard time finding the right gift for a teenage boy. I asked if we could go to one more store. “We can go to ten more stores if you want,” he replied. I almost married him on the spot but thought it might overwhelm him, so I decided to wait.

When we got to the party, he started saying hello to a bunch of people. Apparently he had walked into a home where he knew virtually everyone. It never occurred to me that most of the people at the party would also work on Capitol Hill. The deal was clinched when he willingly held 5-lb Bennett, and sat down on the floor and talked with an elderly woman for awhile. I knew I had a “good egg.” :)

It would be almost a week before he would call me again because he had a bad case of the stomach flu. But we went to dinner the following weekend and after that night, I knew for sure that I was going to marry him. It took him another week or so to figure it out, but we were soon talking about our future.

In some ways, it seems like yesterday that we were dating. And in other ways, we've lived a lifetime in 9 years. Two children, one coming soon, ovarian cancer, blood clots, losing jobs, finding new careers, moving across the country, and so many other things.

Honey, there's no one else I'd want to ride this roller coaster with than you. You have softened me in ways I didn't think possible. Through your example, you have shown me how to be less selfish and given me the opportunity to see what it truly means to lay down your life for another, as you have done for me. While there are many ways I feel like God is changing me to be the wife that you need, it is my greatest joy to be married to you and raise our little family together. I love you!

Baby Kole Is In Heaven

Remember when I mentioned a few weeks ago that the Kilgo family was facing a tough pregnancy? Well, Kole is in heaven now. They discovered last week that he had died in utero. Will you join me in praying for Steve, Kara, Emma Grace and Keaton as they mourn the loss of this sweet baby? While they are grateful he never experienced any pain, their hearts are broken. They have been such an example to everyone around them with their strong faith despite great sadness.

Cheerleading Party!

We had Anna Claire's birthday party about a week ago (her actual birthday is the 14th). It was so fun! We had 2 cheerleaders come from the high school where Gary teaches. They brought the whole party with them! A pinata, a cake, decorations, balloons, pom poms, cups, plates, water...you name it, they brought it! They even swept my kitchen floor when they left! This is the way to do a party, I'm telling you!

We had 9 little girls come from AC's class and from our neighborhood. They had such a great time learning new cheers, doing tumbling and watching the cheerleaders do their tricks. As you will see from the pictures, Leah (and her little friend, Sidney) also had a fabulous time being "big girls" at the party.

Lovin' My Nano Lite

A few months ago, my long-time vacuum cleaner sparked and caught on fire while I was vacuuming the play room upstairs. Fortunately, I was able to quickly get the small fire put out and the vacuum unplugged before it could do any serious damage.

That night, we headed to Wal-Mart for a few things and decided to look at vacuum cleaners. Gary was strongly recommending that in addition to a new heavy-duty vacuum, we buy a light-weight upright for the upstairs, thereby avoiding the need to carry the bigger vacuum up and down the stairs all the time. I will be honest - I felt like it was a little extravagant to buy 2 vacuum cleaners since I'd been lugging the vacuum up and down stairs my whole life. I was already used to it. But, he insisted, so I looked at the inexpensive lightweight ones and chose the Hoover Nano Lite to appease him.

I'm not too proud to say that I think it was one of the best decisions we ever made. I LOVE this little vacuum. I love our bigger one too, but this little one is perfect for the upstairs. It is so easy to lift and it comes with a hose and some attachments - just very simplified ones. It's very narrow (the reason why you wouldn't want to use it for your whole house), which makes it perfect for vacuuming in between furniture, tables, toys, etc. without having to move anything. AND - my favorite part - it's narrow enough to use on stairs because it's the perfect size! It picks up everything that a full-sized vacuum would, but without the bulk and weight of a regular vacuum. And for less than $50, it was a perfect fit with our budget, too.

The only negative is that it has a relatively short cord, so you have to unplug it and re-plug it into another socket a lot, but I don't mind doing that at all because I rarely vacuum an entire floor without stopping to pick stuff up. I usually clean one room at a time, so it's great for me.

The Morning Sickness Returneth

This morning while taking Anna Claire to school, I stopped at an intersection for a red light, only to discover that there was a dead skunk nearby. The smell was overwhelming, and I immediately began to dry heave in the car (thanks to those fun pregnancy hormones and an enhanced gag reflex). Fortunately, I had plenty of napkins, but it was awful. Skunks in this area have a death wish and they are EVERYWHERE, it seems.

Anna Claire was kind enough to helpfully point out that I might want to "map out" my route ahead of time before I get in the car so I can avoid the skunks. I told my husband that if I hadn't been so busy hurling, I would have found it funny. It is kind of funny that she tried to help me solve my little problem - she just needs to work on her timing. :)