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.