If you’ve been reading these posts from the beginning, you know that at this point, we’ve just celebrated our two month anniversary from our first date. (If this is the first time you are reading, you can start at the beginning here.) I headed back to NY after a glorious long weekend in KY. Kevin was laid off after only being back for two weeks. So he decided twelve days after I left, he would make the journey up to NY to visit me. Now it was MY turn to show HIM off! My family and friends had heard me talk about him relentlessly. And I had shown so many photos of him. But he is so much better in real life! Time for introducing Kevin to my family.
My family instantly fell in love with him. I knew they would! His sense of humor and his kindness and generosity drew people to him. Sometimes he’s a know-it-all. But my family had to deal with me their whole lives, so they knew how to handle this no problem. Bonus: he brought his guitar, and everyone loves a good looking man with a guitar! Even my shy three year old cousin slowly walked up to him and started listening to him play.
Choosing a Wedding Date
Well apparently (going back and reading our notes and cards to one another–so glad I kept them all!), this is when we decided October 10th would be our wedding date. At first we chose October 3rd but realized that was the date of the next religious assembly for his area of KY. So we moved to the tenth. 10/10. That would be easier to remember anyway.
When he told some of his co-workers that was the date we chose, they tried to tell him to wait a year. 10/10/10 would be such a cool wedding date. Nope. Not waiting a year just to have a cool wedding date. When you know, you know. No point in putting it off. He told them it would be a great day to celebrate one year of being happily married. Step one of wedding planning was done!
Sweet Love Notes
One day that week when I was at work and he was sitting in the grass by himself looking up at the clouds, he wrote the cutest note to me. He said,
“The clouds float by, making shapes determined by your imagination. They float together in the same direction. They are constantly changing shape but are still always around one another. We are two clouds that are very different in some ways and very similar in others. We are heading in the same direction. And on October 10th, 2009, we will be one cloud. And whatever shape we take is up to our hard work and our imagination….I am coming off the worst year of my life, and there you are now making this year the best of my life. At the beginning, I tried to convince myself that what we had wasn’t true or real, that what I hoped and wished for was too good to be found so fast in a girl as wonderful as you. Now I am 100% convinced.”
How sweet is that?! Just in case you couldn’t figure out how I could fall so fast, these letters give a little clue.
Introducing Kevin to My Favorite Falls
That week seemed like another whirlwind. Sunday, with my parents and brother and sister-in-law, we went to Letchworth State Park (the one that’s very similar to Cumberland Falls). Such a beautiful place to enjoy a leisurely stroll and appreciate the beauty of nature. I had been here several times, but it was even better introducing Kevin to it and having him by my side. My family could finally enjoy things as three couples.
Dress Shopping
On Monday we went with my mom and sister-in-law to Buffalo to go dress shopping. That was quite the experience! There were so many options and after awhile, they all started to look the same. We don’t have any superstitions, so Kevin came with us. I wanted him to be happy with whatever I chose for my wedding day, so I let him be part of the decision. He even shed a few tears. So I thought that was the dress. But it was, again, because this was becoming a reality and not just a nice dream. Here are a several of the dresses I tried on. One of them winds up being the right dress. If you’ve seen our wedding photos, you know which one. If not, stay tuned!
The next day, I was at work and he was sitting out by a stream with his guitar. He decided to write a song for me. He wrote it in only a few minutes. It may not be the best song you’ve ever heard. But it was to me. No one had ever written a song for me before! And now, it wasn’t just someone who wrote a song for me, it was the man I adored. Without further ado, introducing Kevin playing a song for me. Listen here.
Introducing Kevin to My Other Loves – Chocolate and Portraits
Loved it! That evening, we hung out and he had bought more dove chocolates. We were talking to the couple that he was staying with, laughing and having a good time. Then Kevin looks down and sees several candy wrappers (my closest estimate is 15) and asks “How can you eat that many that quickly?!” Oh, I was a chocolate pro. You have to start unwrapping the next chocolate before the one in your mouth is gone. Women know these things. Apparently men don’t. He had only eaten two.
So by this point, we have the dress, we have the venue, and we have the date! Much more planning to do, but we had a little bit of time. Still no “official” proposal. But Kevin has called my parents and got their blessing. We KNEW we were getting married. Since photos were so important to me and he visiting me, we decided to visit the Olan Mills studio where I worked. My co-worker took amazing photos, so I knew she would do a great job. My cousin let me borrow a ring so the photos would look right. So here are a few of the “not technically engaged but getting married” photos:
In Our Next Story: Our Three Month Anniversary
My family had planned a trip to Mexico and Kevin was going to go with us and would stay with my brother and sister-in-law. I only had to wait a short time (twelve days to be exact) until I saw him at the airport ready to board our plane to Mexico. Something to look forward to for sure! I also looked forward to our three month anniversary coming up in a few days where I knew he would have a card waiting for me, just like I would have a card in his mailbox that day. That’s where I will pick up the story next time.
Until then, have a great week! And in the meantime, pick at least one person and tell them how much you appreciate them. It can be face to face, in a card, or even in a text. It doesn’t take much, but it will mean the whole world to them! (Read the next part here)
Love,
(Kevin and) Reneé
