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