Jersey, here we come!

Over this fine weekend (March 4th-7th), I took Stephen home to meet the parents. It was a wonderful weekend for us! My parents loved Steve (who wouldn’t? he’s just one of those genuinely nice, likeable guys). Dan (my brother) loved Steve – he continued to give me two thumbs up throughout the weekend. I love it…. Well, here’s a breakdown of the visit for those who are interested:

Saturday, March 4th
Our morning started off bright and early on Saturday. We somehow miscommunicated our departure time, so let’s just say that we had a few hours to kill. However, we were able to laugh about it --- and it was nothing a Starbuck’s couldn’t fix. Smile! We flew in that afternoon – meeting up with my mom at the airport. Upon arriving home sweet home, Steve got a grand tour of the little old farm house on Preakness. We then had some lunch and rested for a bit, we were both pretty exhausted. My dad and Dan were at a men’s retreat, so we caught up with them over dinner. Of course the family seemed to be a little mellower than usual, lol – but, that’s expected with making ‘good’ first impressions. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad. SMILE). Saturday night we all piled in the car and made a trip into NYC and strolled through Times Square while sipping on Starbucks. It was pretty stinkin’ cold, but we all had a great time! There is nothing like NYC – the sights, sounds and smells.

Sunday, March 5th
Sunday was church and, of course, there were lots of introductions made – Calvary Temple always extends a great deal of love and warmth (okay, maybe a threat or two was extended to Steve, but that was because he’s dating Pastor Dan’s daughter. LOL). After a yummy home cooked meal, Dan, Steve and I headed to the mall for some shopping and bonding. Dad was able to take Sunday night off, so my mom, dad, Steve and I headed to a diner for some ‘getting to know you’ question and answer time. Steve passed with flying colors! Actually, this was an amazing time for me -- I truly enjoyed listening to my parents share from their hearts about their desire for me to be in a healthy relationship with a Godly man. I also appreciated hearing Steve’s sincerity regarding his admiration and love for me. I am blessed and grateful!

Monday, March 6th
Steve and I decided to head back into NYC. We took the transit bus into port authority. Believe it or not, one of Steve’s favorite artists, Marc Tetro, was there at the ArtExpo held at the Jacob K. Javits Center --- so, we went to check out his booth and meet him. Very cool! After cabbing back to Rockefeller Center and enjoying hot dogs and sausage from the street vendors, we decided to tour NBC’s studios (we got to see SNL and Conan O’Brien’s studios – it’s amazing how SMALL they really are). It was a great tour! The day flew by soooo quickly and we needed to head back to Jersey; however, we have already started our wish list of places to see for future visits. Steve treated the fam to dinner and the night seemed to slip away from us. Bummer!

Tuesday, March 7th
Unfortunately, Tuesday morning arrived and before we knew it, we were headed back to Newark Airport. I always hate goodbyes and I'm not so good with them. I couldn't thank my parents enough for their warm hospitality to the man I love.

We boarded the plane feeling refreshed.... and relieved that this visit was a HUGE success! My turn will come in July (yikes)!

ksk

My saved up wishes are coming true.

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.
Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973)

Upon officially meeting Steve at Starbucks, I remembered thinking -- not bad. SMILE! After just a short time of visiting with him over coffee, I felt very comfortable. My first impression was that there did seem to be a true sense of warmth about him, a genuineness. I think if you look closely, you can see it in his eyes!

There was a moment at Silver Dollar City when I felt as though I was given a chance to take a glimpse into Steve's sensitive and caring heart. He was staring at the BIG christmas tree just inside the park, christmas carols were playing, people were crowded all around, when Steve said something along the lines of, "This time of the year can be such a lonely time for so many people." Call me crazy, but that moment stood still in time for me -- I remembered standing there and just gazing at him, thinking to myself, We have a winner! It was evident that he wasn't saying it for me to be impressed, for all he knew -- I wasn't listening. However, I was...

After knowing him now for about six months, I can say that I've fallen in love with this beautiful soul. As I've said before and I'm sure I'll continue to say for years to come -- I am blessed!

ksk

Who Needs Summer and Winter When It's Springfield in Fall?

After a few weeks chatting with Kelly, I wanted to meet this woman whose great attitude and personality always made me "kik."

With Thanksgiving approaching, we agreed upon a Saturday during the holiday weekend to get to know one another better over a cup of coffee, a little sushi, and an evening watching some of the finest "Redneck Broadway" Branson had to offer. I arrived at Starbucks a little early and sat anxiously in my Xterra waiting for another Nissan to show up. When a white Altima pulled into the parking lot, I made a call to Kelly's cell phone hoping to confirm that she had just arrived. Grrrrrr, my call went to voice mail.

I watched as the driver got out of the car and made her way toward the door of the coffee shop. My gut feeling told me (and noticing how beautiful she was, certainly hoped) it was Kelly. I walked over to her, inquired about her name, and it was there, in the parking lot of Starbucks on S. Campbell in Springfield, MO, we met for the first time.

- smr

Saturday - November 26, 2005

Our first date. Nervous? Naaah, not really. We met up at Starbucks to have some coffee and chat a bit, then headed to Haruno's (Kel's absolute favorite sushi restaurant in SGF) for lunch. Steve's lack of experience with the chopsticks was absolutely entertaining. LOL. Good times....

Steve bought tickets for us to go to Silver Dollar City -- so we were off to Branson. November is a perfect time to visit SDC and it was a beautiful night to stroll through the park, stopping off to watch a show or two and listen to some Cajun Christmas music. Walking arm in arm and sipping on wassail (yet another fave of Kel's) -- picture perfect. Unfortunately, the time came where we had to leave, but only because the park was closing!

In route back to SGF, we decided to head downtown for a quick bite to eat and a drink at Brew Co. We had a great time yelling over the loud music (hee-hee) and simply enjoying each other's company. After a short walk around the block, we knew the time had come to say goodnight. Ugh.

After meeting at noon and not saying our farewells for another 12 hours -- I'd have to say that our first date went very well. Wink!

ksk