Valentine's Day

February 12, 2009

Valentine's Day came, and with it the trip to Oklahoma which had precluded my original proposal plans. I flew out to Texas on Thursday night to be greeted by my loving new fiancée. After our joyous reunion, we headed to our respective lodgings for the night.

Friday was a day spent in a blur of preparations and driving. We spent the morning clothes shopping, and then joined up with Rebecca's family for the drive to Oklahoma. We were going to a location about an hour east of Norman, and Rebecca and I rode with Jason, Allison, and Rachel, thus packing out Allison's sedan. That was by far one of the most enjoyable experiences I've shared with her family, as we spent nearly the whole drive talking and laughing and just having fun.

We arrived at the hotel Friday night, where we met some of the Craigs' extended family immediately. I knew Mr. Craig's sister (Laura) from Rebecca's visit to Florida in October, but I had not met Clark (whom I think is also Mr. Craig's brother). We spent a small amount of time hanging out one of our many hotel rooms, spending time with Clark, Laura, and her family. Then it was time for bed. I crashed in a room with Jason and Daniel.

The next morning was Valentine's Day itself. Rebecca and I exchanged small gifts and then began the gauntlet for me. For nearly that entire day, I met relatives whose names and faces I mostly can't remember. The people that stood out to me and whom I still remember were Rita (Rebecca's sweet grandmother who reminds me of my own), Clark, and Harry (either Mr. or Mrs. Craig's cousin, I think).

Around lunchtime, the whole crowd converged on the great-grandmother's house who was the cause of all the commotion. It was her 100th birthday party, and relatives from all across the country had gathered to celebrate with her. We met up with even more relatives at the house, and the place was a veritable beehive. I met the lady of honor myself, and though she was very old and not in good health (she had to be fed and carried to her wheelchair), she still had her sense of humor. Someone asked her how old she was now, and she said simply, "Twenty-one."

We spent most of the day there, finally leaving around suppertime. We picked up some food on the way back to the hotel and then the infamous Craig extended family card games began in the breakfast room. Rebecca told me that they would frequently stay up until all hours of the morning playing. I stayed up until near midnight myself, playing Bridge with Mr. Craig, Harry, and Clark. I had never played before, but seemed to pick it up pretty well. The next morning, I heard that people (including Mr. Craig) had in fact played card games for several hours after I went to bed.

As a consequence of this, you can imagine that everyone was pretty tired on the way home. Indeed, Mr. Craig and Lauren were going straight to the airport (not even stopping at the house), because they were flying out for a debate competition. Mrs. Craig drove for a long way, but eventually she was exhausted and asked me to drive. It was my first time at the wheel of a 15-passenger van, and I was very nervous...especially in light of the fact that I was carrying most of my future in-laws! But beyond taking a wrong turn for fifteen or twenty minutes on the way to the airport, we experienced no mishaps and arrived home safely after dropping off the two departing family members.

The next day I spent nearly entirely with Rebecca. We hadn't had much alone time at all that visit, so we made the most of the time I had left. We had our Valentine's Day date that night, which was a really sweet time. But the time for me to leave came all too soon, and we soon bid each other a tearful goodbye at the airport. Nevertheless, hope was in the air....our wedding date was not so terribly far away!

The Big Day

January 3, 2009

I awoke with a feeling of anticipation and a slight sense of dread. I didn't really doubt what her answer would be, but I was very intimidated by the huge committment I was about to make. I continued talking to the Lord about it and my nervousness had faded slightly by mid-morning. Rebecca knew we were going for a picnic, but nothing really more than that. It was so cool how it had been set up the previous day. Mr. Craig had suggested I somehow get her to think it was her idea to go to the gardens. I didn't know how, but I decided to try. We were talking about where to go for the picnic and I asked innocently if she knew of any really pretty places in the area. With no prompting whatsoever, she said, "Well, the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens are really nice." I couldn't believe it. I said something like, "Oh really? Are there some pretty spots there?" She replied in the affirmative and said, "The Japanese Gardens are really pretty even this time of year." Externally, I said something nonchalant, but I was internally going "YES!" =D

The time drew near. I went upstairs to get a last-minute "good luck" from Mrs. Craig. She and a few of the girls who were there prayed for me, I gave her a hug, and it was time to go. Rebecca and I stopped by Kroger for our favorite bread, some blueberries, and some sparkling apple cider. Rebecca had brought some crystal glasses and a tablecloth to sit on. She thought all this was just for a nice picnic....but the sparkling cider and the glasses would actually be quite appropriate considering what was about to happen.

I had stashed the ring in the bottom of my camera case, with my camera on top. Once we got inside the gardens, I pulled the camera out under the pretense of taking some pictures. When I finished, I slung it over my other shoulder without the case, leaving easy access to the ring. We walked around for a bit as I tried to find just the right spot. There were a lot of people in the garden at that time, which was a problem because Rebecca had told me in the past that she didn't want a proposal in front of a lot of people. So I was trying to find a spot that was pretty yet removed.

We meandered up to the foot of the waterfall and I wondered if I should do it there despite the people. I had my arm around Rebecca at that time, hugging her close as I thought. I was terrified that she could feel my heart beating so terribly fast....but I figured if she asked, I would pass it off as exertion from climbing the steps. But I needed to know if she would like this place. I very not-subtly asked, "Do you like this spot? Is it pretty to you?" She looked around and said, "No. There are too many people." At that point, I started to think that SOMEHOW she knew I was going to ask!

So we walked around a bit more until I finally found a quiet spot. It was at the edge of the gardens, where the path passes between a bamboo forest on one side and a low hill on the other. There was a little recess in the path and a bench, and best of all, no one was in sight. I had a whole speech thought up, but as I looked into her eyes, it fled. I think I still managed to say something about how we knew we would come to this day, because our relationship was always serious....and how it was perhaps sooner than we thought, but the fact that it was here was no surprise nonetheless. I know I did say (as I was pulling out the ring and dropping on one knee), "Rebecca...I love you and I can't live without you. Will you marry me?" She immediately clapped both hands to her face, grinned happily, and said "Yes, I'll marry you!" I stood up, gave her a joyful hug, and slipped the ring on her finger. =D =D =D

We spent the next few minutes just enjoying the feeling of being very giddily in love. Rebecca loved her ring and the way it sparkled, and I loved watching her be so thrilled. She positively glowed. After a few minutes, Rebecca's sister (Rachel) showed up. I had arranged with her to come and take pictures of us after the proposal.

Rachel played papparazzi for a while for us, then headed off. Rebecca and I left the gardens and went across the street to a park for our picnic. That afternoon stands out in my mind as one of the sweetest times we've ever shared with each other. We were so relaxed, happy, and in love...eating bread and blueberries and sipping sparkling cider and laughing.

Finally, it was time to head home. We packed up and returned to Rebecca's house, where she proudly showed off the ring to her family. The rest of the trip passed in a blur, colored entirely by our joy at finally being promised to one another.

New Year's

Late December, 2008

The end of the year brought another opportunity to visit Rebecca, and I prepared for it with great anticipation. I had discussed some important issues with her father, and had determined to pop the big question on Valentine's Day. However, I wanted to buy the ring when I was back home in WA over the break, because I could buy it in Oregon, where there is no sales tax. I planned to take the ring back with me to Florida via Texas, although I knew it would be hard to hold onto it without mentioning it as I was around her all week. But even though a man plans his way, the Lord directs his steps.....

I arrived in Dallas on the evening of December 30. Rebecca and I made our happy greetings and went to our respective lodgings for the night. The next day was New Year's Eve, but a fairly low key day as far as activities went. I had just had ACL reconstruction surgery on my left knee on December 12, so I was still rather fragile and had to take things pretty easy. One important thing that happened was that I received a text message from Christina (Rebecca's older sister) informing me that the entire family would be out of town on Valentine's Day. I could go with them, but I either had to find a way to make a special proposal in small-town Oklahoma, or I would have to do it another time. I was not happy with the prospect of waiting until mid-March, but the idea of doing it on this visit was rather scary too. My mind started churning.

January 1, as well as being New Year's Day, was also Mrs. Craig's birthday. The previous day had been partially spent preparing for the events of this day, including a massive surprise party with several extended family members and many friends arriving at their home at the same time. I spent the day meeting relatives and friends, which was both beneficial and a bit tiring.

One event of the day in particular made me chuckle. A family close to the Craigs had come over earlier that morning, and Mrs. Sessions was watching a video Rebecca had made me. She didn't know I was in the room, and asked Rebecca, "Are you engaged yet?" Rebecca replied in the negative, and Mrs. Sessions snapped her fingers and said something like "Oh, rats!" I snickered and said from behind her, "I'm getting there, don't rush me!" Mrs. Sessions was quite embarrassed, but it was very amusing to both Rebecca and me.

Friday morning, January 2, Mr. Craig and I went out for breakfast. This was the moment I had been nervously anticipating from the day I first began to like girls (instead of thinking they had cooties). Yes...the "May I have your permission to marry your daughter" conversation. 0_0 But first I had to figure out when to pop the question if he gave permission. We conversed a bit about proper timing and he stuck to what he had said before....essentially that it was my decision when to ask her. I brought up the Valentine's Day issue. He agreed that it would be difficult to get around. But the more I discussed it with him, the more I got the feeling that sooner would be better rather than later....especially because she was trying to do some wedding planning already and it was embarrassing to her when people realize that she's not engaged yet. So I began to seriously consider doing it over that weekend.

I was SO nervous. We made small talk for a while until our food arrived and I finally couldn't wait any longer. I said something along the lines of, "Mr. Craig, I will ask you a question I've been dreading to ask ever since I've liked girls.....may I have your permission and blessing to ask your daughter to marry me?" He nodded without hesitating, and I felt a large load lift off my back. I didn't honestly expect him to say no, but it was still nervewracking.

At that point, I was planning to do it the next day, January 3. Mr. Craig and I discussed some potential options as to how to do it, and I eventually settled on a picnic idea. Rebecca had already mentioned that she wanted to have a picnic on this visit, so proposing on such an outing would hopefully be a surprise. I knew Rebecca liked the sound of water, so I asked if there were any good waterfalls or the like in the area. He couldn't think of any, but suggested the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. In fact, he offered to drive there immediately to scout out possible locations! (Do I have a cool future father-in-law or what? =D) I took him up on it and we drove off.

To this day, the next couple hours stand out in my mind as the most enjoyable time I've shared with Mr. Craig. We spent the whole drive there and back scheming for the next day and talking and laughing about women. The gardens were somewhat pretty, but it was January....meaning there wasn't much green. That is, until we went in the Japanese Botanical Gardens. Most of the vegetation there was elephant grass and bamboo, both of which were still very green. We found a couple beautiful places as potential spots. Mr. C cracked me up when he said that I should pop the question around lunchtime so that the sun wasn't too low in the sky and would glimmer off the ring really nicely. As we left the gardens, I knew that this was the place. Now I just had to pray and figure out if this was the time.

We returned home, where I deflected Rebecca's curiosity about why we were gone so long. I don't remember how the rest of the day was spent...it was overshadowed by the decision I had to make. Late that night, after she left, I lay out on the swing in the backyard and looked at the stars and prayed. It was a beautiful night. I put on my logic hat and had a conversation with myself.

"Why am I perturbed? Is this not the right time, or am I just afraid?"

"If I'm afraid, that's no reason to not do it. God has not given us a spirit of fear. What other reasons am I nervous?"

"Well, it feels rushed."

"What's wrong with that? Is being rushed really a bad thing, or is it just my C-type personality worrying about not having a concreted plan?"

"Hmm. I think that's my personality. The plan that I have is special...it's irrelevant that I just came up with it today."

"Ok, then. If I remove fear and remove my perfectionist tendencies, what do I have left?"

"Just apprehension at the gravity of the committment."

"Yes, and that's appropriate. But not a reason to delay if all other factors say to go."

"Ok.....let's do it."

Birthday Surprise (by Thomas)

November 15, 2008

Rebecca's birthday is on November 15.  I knew that she would enjoy a surprise visit, and she had in fact asked me to surprise her at some time during our relationship.  Amusingly enough, I had already purchased the plane tickets to do just that clear back in May, right after she and her dad left my house in Washington.  I had corresponded with her closest sister, Christina, for the months beforehand, and the plan was all set.  I would fly in the night before (Friday, November 14), and Christina would pick me up and give me a place to stay for the night.  She would take me over to Rebecca's house the next morning.  

Oh, but it wasn't nearly so blasé.  =)  I had created a whole grand scheme to make things fun.  So finally the big day arrived and I landed in Dallas (quite late, thanks to the incompetency of modern airlines), got a late dinner with Christina and her roommate Jessica, and hit the sack for a very fitful sleep.  The next morning, Christina took me to the store for the all-important bouquet of roses (incidentally the first time that I had given her red roses) and then dropped me off at the prearranged spot.  

You see, I had created a kind of treasure hunt.  I had made a series of envelopes with a series of letters containing sequential instructions.  Each one had some kind of significance, as it told her to walk to a special spot around her neighborhood where we had shared some kind of memory.  I did up the letters really nicely with creme paper and red hearts and handwritten love notes and such.  I knew she would find them very romantic.  In any case, the plan was for her to finally end up at "our special spot", where I would be waiting.  

Well, the plan went well except for the fact that I misjudged the distances I was asking her to walk....and also for the fact that it was MUCH colder out than I had anticipated it being!  Add these two facts together, and you have a VERY cold Thomas by the time Rebecca arrives!  However, it was well worth it.  I can still remember her grin as she saw me and ran to me.  I gave her the roses and a silver cross necklace.  She usually doesn't wear jewelry, but she promised to wear it always, until I give her an engagement ring.  What a sweetie.  =)

We walked back to her house, arriving in a somewhat frosty condition.  Her little siblings were unaware of my arrival until they saw us walking up the sidewalk together, so they were pleasantly surprised as well.  She's got a cute batch of brothers and sisters!  

We spent that weekend together much the same as we have spent other times in person together.  We went out on several dates and several shopping trips, most notably to see Fireproof again on the night of her birthday.  That is such a great movie to see on a date.  

Tuesday morning came too soon, and with it my departure.  We both shed quiet tears in the airport, but knew that our time apart was fairly short this time around.  As a matter of fact, I will see her again one week from the morning after I write this.  =D  

Florida (by Thomas)

Mid October, 2008

It seemed an eternity from the time I saw Rebecca in August until the time I knew I would see her again in October. We had arranged for her and her parents to fly to Florida to visit me and some extended family at the same time. The 45 days crept by VERY slowly. We passed the time as best as we could with webcam, IM, and extended phone conversations, but the time apart and the stress of a difficult semester still wore on both of us.

At last, the time came to see her again. It was October 3, 2008. Rebecca's parents had been in Florida for a couple days already, to see relatives and take a bit of a mini-vacation at the same time. I was going to drive down to meet them in Kissimmee, which is a bit south of Orlando (near Sea World). I made the ~90 minute drive bouncing on my seat in anticipation, finally arriving at the house they rented for the night. I nervously rang the doorbell, and a moment later, my sweetheart sleepily opened the door. She had been napping. My goodness, she is TERRIBLY cute when she's sleepy! =)

We spent that evening mini-golfing and going out for dinner with Rebecca's parents. That was SO much fun. Mr. Craig is a very good mini-golfer, but none of the rest of us were terribly talented. Nevertheless, Rebecca and I greatly enjoyed the time we had together. It was just a really sweet atomosphere. It felt a lot like a double date.

The next morning, we went off to Sea World together. Neither Rebecca nor I had ever been before, so it was a new and exciting experience for both of us. We met up with her aunt, uncle, and two cousins midway through the day, and we walked around the park together. We went down one ride in particular that still generates amused smiles to this day. It was one of those rides in which the passengers ride in a type of boat carriage that goes way up and then plummets down to stop in a pool of water at the bottom. It had a camera which took pictures of the passengers as they were falling down the steep drop, and the picture of our carriage is absolutely priceless. Expressions ranged from my grinning deathgrip on the handrail to Rebecca's full-throated scream to Mrs. Craig's very unhappy grimace of terror. *laughs* I still chuckle when I see it to this day.

The afternoon led to a bit of stress, as Rebecca's young cousin (age 6) got lost in the crowds of people. We divided up and searched all over the park, only finding her when we enlisted the help of park personnel. She was lost for less than an hour, but it still understandably worried her parents half to death. I still remember her dad sitting and holding her tightly to himself. I'm such a softie...I actually teared up when I saw that. I couldn't help thinking of how I would feel if that was me and my daughter had been lost and then found. Having Rebecca in my life has made me a lot more emotional than I used to be.

That evening was spent driving back to Daytona Beach. Rebecca and I went out to Christian Fellowship Club that night, where I got to introduce her to a lot of my friends from school. Afterwards, we went out for a date to the beach.

Sunday morning, I got to introduce Rebecca and her parents to a lot of my friends and my pastors at church. There was a picnic afterward, so we hung around and chatted and Rebecca's parents got to mingle and get to know some of my friends. That evening was another lovely time spent half apart, half together with her parents. Rebecca and I went to the beach by ourselves and ate dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company. The food was expensive, but VERY good. A bit later that night, we met up with her parents and went to go see Fireproof together. That is a very solid movie by the way....and one that's great to see on date. =)

Monday was spent driving to and exploring St. Augustine. I had been there several times before, but it was the first time for Rebecca. We wandered around the historic streets, just enjoying spending time together and playing tourist a bit.

Then it was time for her to leave. We made the drive back to Daytona Beach in sorrowful silence, punctuated only by her tears. We said a tearful goodbye, sad that we had to be parted again, but grateful for the wonderful time that we had shared that weekend.

Long Visit (by Thomas)

I am now back in Florida again after a deliciously-long visit to Rebecca and her family in Texas. It's somewhat depressing, but I am so ready to be back in class again that it's not actually too horrible. I have the drive now...I have made the connection between success in class and being able to marry Rebecca someday, which has the effect of increasing my motivation by a large factor. I also have a full heart because the visit was so wonderful.



I arrived in Texas on August 9th after a very quick, uneventful transit from Norfolk via Atlanta. Rebecca and her dad picked me up and we went out for lunch. After this point, I can't even really remember everything that went on. It was all so wonderful (and so long) that it really ran together.

We did have our first date on that visit, on August 11, 2008. =) We went to the Arlington Highlands, an outdoor mall with a winding stream and park benches and nice landscaping. We walked around for a while and then went to Mimi's Café, which turned out to be a rather nice little French restaurant. It was admittedly a little bit weird at first to be completely alone...no chaperones, no one else around but strangers. But by the end of the night, we were enjoying each other's company greatly. It was a very sweet first date.

Rebecca actually liked our second one a bit better though. We started to go the Highlands again, but couldn't find a TGI Fridays, which is where we were going to eat. Upon leaving the Highlands to find one, I spotted a Sweet Tomatoes and made a snap decision to eat there. Rebecca loved it. She just loved the whole evening. She said she was more comfortable, she loved the restaurant, and she just had a great time. =)

And so things kinda ran together. I went to Chuck Swindoll's church with Rebecca and Allison on Sunday, which was cool. He didn't preach, but it was still neat to go there. Rebecca had to work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I typically stayed home and hung out with the family until she got back, at which point we would go on a date. Tuesday and Thursday were days she didn't work, so we generally spent those running around together doing errands.



One amusing side note is that nearly every time Rebecca and I were outside together, we ended up getting in a water fight. The Craigs have a small kiddie pool filled in the back yard....and the accessible water was frequently just too much to resist. ;-) I think we were quite amusing to the rest of the family.

I greatly enjoyed getting to know Rebecca's whole family better. They're really a sweet family. Courtney (age 6) loved to have tickle wars with me, which Joshua (age 3) liked to get in on occasionally. I shared a room with Daniel (age 13) on a bed which Mrs. Craig had bought specifically for me! :o She said I would be there frequently enough anyway...they might as well buy me a bed. Josh can use it after I get done with it in a couple years. I was quite shell-shocked by her generosity. I had not expected that at all, but it was a real blessing.

Another cool experience was going with Mr. Craig on a tour of a very large steel manufacturing plant...one of the largest in the country, in fact. I was quite impressed with the whole process. The heat coming off the molten metal was particularly impressive. It felt like an oven some 30 feet away. While I'm not interested in going into the steel industry for a career, it was a very informative experience. I thought it was quite amazing that our tour guide was none other than the VP of operations there....which you can bet doesn't happen much! It was really cool of Mr. Craig to invite me along on that tour and I really appreciated it.



I left Texas on August 18, which was a somewhat depressing experience. It didn't really hit me until I was actually sitting at my gate that I was gone. *sigh* Sometimes I hate long distance. But I have a good motivation....I'm off to slay the dragons of the semesters of Fall 2008, Spring 2009, and Fall 2009. After those dragons are dead, we can (God-willing) get married. The visit was wonderful....just a small taste of what future life together will be like. =) Hopefully Rebecca and her parents will come visit me in the next month or two, which will likely be the next time I see her. I can't wait! =D

HSA Reunion (by Thomas)

Ah yes, I finally got to see Rebecca again....and it was SO worth the wait!

The weekend began on Wednesday morning. I left VA at about 2:30 a.m. after about 3-4 hours of sleep. I went to bed at 9:00 the night before, but couldn't sleep. Don't ever try to sleep when you're hungry and excited...it doesn't work! In any case, the drive was pretty tiring for the first few hours. I was quite sleepy until I stopped near the WV border for some coffee and a muffin. The caffeine/sugar woke me up and after that, the sun was rising, so the increased light kept me awake.

I was quite surprised by West Virginia...nearly the entire state is made up of mountains! I seriously followed the interstate for some 150-200 miles of mountains, only emerging from them after Charleston. After driving through a deluge of a thunderstorm in Kentucky, I finally arrived (after about 10 hours of driving) at the Kroger I had scoped out beforehand. Situated strategically some 10 miles away from the campground where Rebecca was, it had the all-important floral department.

I grabbed a bouquet of carnations and a cheesecake (a thank-you present to Rebecca's sister Christina for chaperoning in the car), and headed off to the campsite. Seeing Rebecca again was a teeny bit awkward at first, but we re-acclimated to each other quickly. We were quite comfortable with each other's company again by the end of the day. As soon as I got to the campground, we loaded up, grabbed lunch at Subway, and headed to the Creation Museum.

http://www.creationmuseum.org/

The museum was VERY cool. It has like 70 acres of land, most of which is gardens and such outside the actual museum itself. Rumor is that they plan to build a full-scale Noah's Ark next. That would be amazing.

We spent that evening after the museum playing cards, eating hot dogs and s'mores, and generally just enjoying each other's company. That night was very interesting as far as camping goes. It thunderstormed and rained heavily nearly ALL NIGHT. Those of us in the guys' tent woke up around 2:00 a.m. with water soaking up through the floor of the tent. We subsequently moved to my truck for cover, after checking to see that the girls were all right. Rebecca and one other girl had moved to the van and the rest were damp but fine. The next morning was a fun experience, involving literally dumping water out of the tents. We threw all the wet stuff in the back of my truck to spread out and dry at the Reunion.

After that, we were off. We drove down to the Reunion and got checked in. The facilities were very nice, if somewhat hilly. The guys' dorm was perhaps 50 feet higher in elevation even though it was only perhaps 500 feet away. The whole campus was like that, so we got very good workouts just walking around! Rebecca and I got into a daily habit of meeting at 7:00 a.m. for our morning walk and subsequently "hanging out" for the rest of the day. There were scheduled events that we sometimes went to, but in general, we just spent time together and enjoyed being around each other.





And so we enjoyed the weekend, spending nearly every waking minute ofevery day with each other. We got more comfortable with each other's company than we ever have before. She is hands-down my best friend (the best I've ever had) by far. One of our most treasured times this weekend was getting to have fun with each other......me putting ice down her back, her throwing a cup of icewater on me, spashing each other, laughing at each other's attempts to shoot a basketball, playing cards together, laughing at each other trying to swing dance and looking stupid, and just generally being goofy. That was a major part of our relationship that we hadn't experienced much of before, and it was so enjoyable to just have fun together.





So came Sunday and the end of the weekend. She cried when we left (as always), despite the fact that we knew we would see each other again in only six days. I had a hard time not tearing up myself, but the short time we have to spend apart was definitely a mitigating factor. =) I'm already hyper-excited for this next weekend and the 1.5 weeks I get to spend with her and her family!



God is good! I can't wait to see how He draws us together next. =)