Low
I had an intense headache that started around noon on Sunday and worsened as we posed for engagement pictures. It reached its worst as I drove home from our weekend celebrations. It finally abated a bit when I took a power nap in my car when I stopped to run some errands.
Highs
1) I enjoyed the way people enthusiastically participated in Brian’s birthday surprise.
2) Brian’s aunt and uncle hosted a lovely and fun engagement party for us. The food was delicious and I enjoyed seeing some of our family members meet and interact for the first time.
3) On Sunday afternoon, the weather was sunny and over 60, which made our outdoor engagement photo session much nicer than it could have been in February! Our photographer is sweet and energetic and creative and took some terrific pictures.
What were your lows and highs from the past week?
Lows & Highs is a Stories from the Stairs weekly feature. Feel free to join in by posting your lows and highs in the comments or by posting a link to your lows and highs blog post.
Brian’s fortieth birthday was last week so I wanted a fun and memorable way to celebrate him. Even though we live 250 miles apart, we planned to meet at his parents’ house for his birthday dinner on his actual birthday (and other engagement festivities during the weekend).
Out of Nowhere
Brian knew something was up when he was setting up for college Bible study the night before his birthday. A few students were already in the room when one of the girls stuck her head in and motioned them to come outside. When he walked through the hall a few minutes later, the students immediately stopped talking. Near the beginning of Bible study, the ringleader gave him an envelope that contained a decorated plastic zipper bag and a note from me. He was about halfway through the letter when the students began throwing ping-pong balls at him! On each ping-pong ball, I had written a milestone from his life and a note from me.
The last part of the letter explained: To honor and celebrate you on your milestone birthday, I have prepared an unconventional highlight reel of a few of the experiences, achievements, and blessings of your life so far. Enjoy!
Ambush #2
The next morning, on his birthday, Brian stood chatting with colleagues who share the same office area and told them about the students’ ambush from the night before. He went to his morning class and was trying to call the office secretary when she and the rest of his colleagues came “charging in and throwing ping-pong balls.” Brian was so surprised that he gaped at them, still holding the phone until it went to voicemail. He was not, however, as shocked as the student who was caught in the crossfire next to him!
Flashback: The Setup
Over a week before Brian’s birthday, I secretly recruited my co-conspirators via email and Facebook and then mailed them each a box of decorated ping-pong balls. They may have thought it was a weird request but both cheerfully agreed to help and to enlist others.
Back to the Birthday
After birthday dinner with his family and some relatives, Brian opened his gifts and wisely (or cautiously?) saved mine for last. The first package held a large jar and I asked if he knew what it was for.
“I have an idea.”
“You’re probably right. Where is that bag I suggested you keep handy?”
“In my car.”
“You should really go get it.”
“Oh, really?” He grinned as he started out of the room slowly and looked behind him. When he saw me going to get something, he began moving quickly in the direction of the car. I called after him, “Take your time!” but he didn’t listen and was back in the living room before we finished passing around the ping-pong balls. Brian sat there smiling and laughing while we all threw our projectiles at him and even his grandma joined in the fun!
Side note: The jar I liked and purchased to hold the ping-pong balls did not come with a lid, so my dad made a custom lid out of walnut.
For the first post of my new Field Notes series, I have selected five Notes on dating, based completely on my experience and what I have observed.
1. If you search the web for romantic gestures for ladies to do for their boyfriends and eliminate all the ones better-suited for married, parenting, and/or cohabiting couples, there is a surprising lack of creative ideas out there.
2. A new dating relationship often inspires women to bake cookies, even if they are normally averse to cooking and baking.
3. The cuteness of coupledom can make friends simultaneously “aww” and gag. If the couple in question tends toward excessive PDA*, there is probably more gagging. I am told by an anonymous source that throwing soft foam darts or other projectiles is a good way to distract and dissuade an offending twosome.
4. I initially had my doubts but kite-flying is a fun date.
5. Not every real relationship is “Facebook official” and that is okay. Social media never tells the whole story anyway.
Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. – C.S. Lewis
What are your random observations about dating?
*Public Displays of Affection defined as excessive by anyone other than the couple.
1. Look at the smile and dimples on that baby! I have a feeling those will get him out of trouble quite a few times when he gets older. (Credit: Photo actually taken by my dad, a.k.a. Eli’s Gramps.)
2. Brian wanted to be sure we took this photo the night he proposed.
3. Intentionally blurry view of my Christmas tree. It is called bokeh, which I take to mean “artistically out of focus.”
4. Rag quilt for picnics, football games, and movie nights. Made for Brian with lots of guidance from my mom because I had never made one before.
5. Christmas Eve photo with my future in-laws. They have a terrific Christmas village but this does not do it justice.
6. Eli with his Great-Grandma at our postponed Christmas celebration.
If you noticed that my last two Lows & Highs posts left out a day, you may have wondered about my counting skills. The omission was intentional because, as someone wise told me, “That day deserves its own post.”
Brian proposed on December 11.
The Disclaimer
If you don’t like proposal stories, it’s cool if you want to stop reading now and join in on the next post. If you have not already read Ping-Pong Ball Sweetness, please do because it gives some context.
The Set-up
On Tuesday, December 11, I was on my way to work when I received a text message from Brian that he sent me an email and the link inside would explain. When I got to work and read the text, I opened the email to read, “Abby, Here’s the start of a little something to celebrate your graduation. Love, Brian.” When I followed the link inside, it took me to a YouTube video that was set as private and I could not view it. I sent off a text of my own and Brian had the video fixed a short time later.
The Videos
The video was of Brian explaining that he wanted to do something special for my upcoming graduation, so he made me several videos. Every couple hours, he emailed the link to another video. The six videos featured him in different locations that are meaningful to me around my hometown: The campus building where we have weekly college student Bible study, the adult ed center where I volunteer, my parents’ house, and so on. In each place, he told me something he notices and admires about me.
Mid-afternoon, Brian sent the fifth video and texted me, “I just hit send on the next one. Hopefully these have made u smile all day.”
I replied, “Oh, they have definitely made me smile! If I didn’t already want to spend forever with u, the videos would have convinced me.”
“That reaction makes me smile. I’m glad I’m sending them all in one day instead of piecemeal.”
Around 3:30 p.m., he sent the last video where he sat in his office over four hours away and said even though I said I did not want graduation gifts, he had some help and a present was waiting for me at home.
I worked the next hour in suspense until I could leave for the day. Since I was sure Brian was waiting by his phone to hear my reaction to his gift, I sent him a text that I was on my way home but had to stop at the store for a few things first and would let him know when I got home.
The Question
At home, I entered through the back door and saw a path lined with ping-pong balls, leading through the kitchen to the living room. I shed my bags and coat and followed the path to where Brian stood waiting in a ping-pong-ball heart.
Surprised, I asked, “What are you doing here?” as I walked over to greet him. Yes, it was a silly question. As Brian pointed out later, I should have known as soon as I saw the ping-pong-ball path but I was surprised to the point of being flabbergasted because I came home expecting a nice bouquet of flowers or something similar. My memories are blissful and a bit hazy after this point. He got down on one knee to propose, and then pulled out a ring box and opened it but I could not take my eyes off his face. After I said, “Yes, of course” and we were hugging, he said something about putting on the ring. “Oh, yeah, I didn’t actually see it before.”
He showed it to me again and helped me put it on. Then he told me my plans for the evening had changed and our parents were meeting us for dinner at six. What he did not tell me was that his sister and my sister, brother-in-law, and baby nephew were also meeting us! It was a sweet surprise and we had a terrific time celebrating with our families.
After Brian and I recounted the story of how he proposed, my mom looked over and told Brian he did a good job, “You gave her a story.”
Low: I honestly cannot remember a low from the past week.
Highs: After three weeks apart, I enjoyed spending time with Brian cooking together, watching a movie, and looking at Christmas lights over the weekend. One of the parks we visited includes the local zoo and is decorated with all sorts of fun Christmas-light animals.
What were your lows and highs from this week?
Lows & Highsis a Stories from the Stairs weekly feature. Feel free to join in by posting your lows and highs in the comments or by posting a link to your lows and highs blog post.
Last Saturday, we celebrated early Thanksgiving and fall birthdays with relatives. We met at my grandparents’ farm early to help with the food preparations and “a few” outside projects. Brian was in town for the weekend, so he and I rode up with my parents and were greeted by my grandparents and aunt, Jan.
Project 1: Garage Window
We did not plan to replace any windows but, when we arrived, Grandpa told us he put Blondie (their very intelligent, rebellious, and undisciplined retriever mix who is very noisy at night) in the garage the night before because she was barking so much and keeping them awake. She was so upset and determined to get out that she jumped up onto the work bench and through the garage window, breaking the glass. Dad quickly measured the glass and called the nearest lumber yard to order it, only to find out that they closed in 20 minutes and were a 15-minute drive away! Dad handed Brian his car keys and the two of us took off, finding the store and making our purchases with 2 minutes to spare.
Project 2: Back Door
Due to the shifting ground and foundation, the door between the kitchen and back porch/mudroom would not close completely, letting a cold draft into the house. While Brian and I were on our errand, Dad lifted the door off the hinges, planed it, and re-hung it.
Project 3: Bushes
While we arrived back at the farm, Luke and Christine had arrived and the growing work crew began taking out all the bushes next to the house, which died during the drought last summer. Ben (the youngest) came during lunch and helped clean out the last of the bushes.
Sara, Josh, and Eli showed up and we all stopped to greet them and then we ladies went inside with Sara and Eli. Jan and Grandma both got to meet and hold Eli for the first time.
Project 4: Gutters
Mid-afternoon, I walked outside to see if the men needed any drinks or snacks. I chuckled to see Ben up on a ladder, cleaning leaves and dirt out of the gutters while the other men stood around and talked. When my uncle, Brent, came later, he brought the rest of the replacement bushes (we brought the others) and they planted yews and roses in place of the dead bushes.
Todd and Catherine, my cousin and his new wife, arrived in time for our celebratory supper. We had a terrific time, with all 15 of us crowded around the table, laughing and eating and talking. Most of us were more than ready for bed that night, though!
“Hi, Eli! Remember me? You do?!”
“What are you doing all the way over there?”
“Um, you got a little something right… there.”
I’m a tad late in the day on my InstaFriday post, but I made it!
Low: I could not think of a decent low for this week other than the same old pesky allergies that have been plaguing me.
Highs: One branch of my family congregated at my grandparents’ farm for a dinner to celebrate [early] Thanksgiving and fall birthdays. We added three new people since the last family gathering and it was the first time for Eli to meet this part of the extended family. My favorite parts were seeing Eli meet his great-grandma and sharing a family holiday with Brian for the first time.
Lows & Highs is a Stories from the Stairs weekly feature. Feel free to join in by posting your lows and highs in the comments or by posting a link to your lows and highs blog post.
The past week – really most of October - held one major milestone after another.
I met Eli, my nephew, for the first time last weekend. Meeting my first nephew or niece is a milestone I have been looking forward to for years and I loved every minute!
In my head, I know no one is perfect but this boy is pretty darn close. He is pretty content as long as he can have one hand up by his face.
I also celebrated the wedding of two dear friends last week. I am thrilled for them, especially since I will get to see Veronica more now that we live in the same town!
This sweet girl is one of my favorite young friends. Her dad was my youth pastor in high school and her mom led the senior high girls’ Bible study. They live in Georgia now, so I don’t get to see them as often as I would like but we sat together at the reception and hit the dance floor for all sorts of fun!
Not a milestone but I did snap this photo of a brown recluse spider stuck in my bathroom sink. Note the violin-shaped spot on its back? That is how you can tell it is a brown recluse. They are poisonous to humans and should be avoided. If you are bitten by one, seek medical attention right away. This concludes the “big sister PSA” portion of Insta-Friday. Thank you and have a good weekend!
Question for you: What would you like to advise/warn people about? Post your own PSA in the comments.
This is the end of of 31 Days with the Nester and 1238 other bloggers. I plan to resume weekly posts like Lows & Highs and Insta-Friday. I also plan to add a weekly random question post. Other posts will continue to be as I feel inspired and find time to write.
Did you dress up for Halloween as a kid? Do you dress up for Halloween now?
My siblings and I did dress up for Halloween, but I remember thinking, “So we dress up in costumes, go to see the neighbors and they give us candy… How is this different from most days?” We liked dressing up so much that we had a collection of costume clothes that we wore on wild, imaginative adventures in the backyard.
I had not dressed up for Halloween in years, but was invited to a costume party this year. Brian was Waldo and I went as Carmen Sandiego.* I have short, blonde hair, so many people did not recognize me at first (in person and in photos). It was easily the most fun costume I have had as an adult!
*Carmen and Waldo, hard-to-find globetrotters who wear red, are much more popular couple costumes than I first realized.
