So, we were engaged. And apart. Yet things were going well despite the fact we missed each other desperately. We began planning a trip to Utah over Memorial Day weekend so that my family could meet Jesse. Little did we know that God had other plans for us.
About three weeks after his visit to DC and proposal to me, Jesse called me one Friday morning in late April out of the blue. His job was over and he was laid off. He wanted to know if he should say in Iowa and wait for the Union to call him out to a new job or drive to DC and spend a few days with me waiting for his new job. Of course, the answer was simple. He drove 900 miles and was in DC early the next morning. It was great being together again.
That evening we went to Union Station and had dinner at Shake Shack, because their fries and concretes (shakes made from custard) are ridiculously good. Then we hopped on the metro to go see a movie together in Chinatown. Jesse had never ridden a metro before so it was fun to show him the ropes. He said it was like being in a movie because he was doing something that he had only seen in movies or TV shows.
Of course, I had to go work like a normal person, so Jesse spent time catching up on things he needed to do. We spent every evening together for the next week cooking, relaxing, dinner with friends from my ward, and just spending time talking and planning. Things were going really well between us.
By Friday afternoon, I was really looking forward to the weekend with Jesse. We had plans to go out for Indian food and walk the monuments as the weather was nice. I left work not feeling too great, as I was having chest pains and couldn't seem to quite catch my breathe. The pains weren't too severe, but I had never felt anything like it. We opted to stay in and have a quiet night relaxing to see if I felt better. Both Jesse and my housemate were concerned, and came up with different ideas of what could be wrong. By ten o'clock that evening, the chest pains were a lot worse, breathing was difficult and painful, and I was running a fever. Jesse made the call that it was obvious I was getting worse, and that I needed to go to urgent care. After giving me a priesthood blessing we headed out.
After ruling out a heart attack with an EKG, the doctors and nurses started running other tests. Blood was drawn, chest x-rays taken, a CAT scan with contrast dye (iodine yucky!) was completed and an IV needle was poked into my arm. By the time all this was done, I was very thankful for a wheelchair, as I felt considerably weaker and was having a hard walking on my own. Finally, they asked me for a urine sample. Jesse helped me walk the short distance and take care of things.
I stood washing my hands, and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I was a little shocked by how sick and haggard I looked. I started to feel a little worried, and then I had a very distinct thought, "This is why Jesse is here." As I absorbed this thought, another thought came into my mind, "It's serious, but you are going to be okay." These two thoughts together were so clear and unmistakable, that I knew they were not my own, but impressions from the Spirit.
Finally, the doctor came back with his official diagnosis: "You have pneumonia!!! Here have some Motrin 800, a strong antibiotic and an excuse from work on Monday!!! And you'll be better and able to go work on Tuesday!!!!" And he sent us home. We collapsed around four o'clock in the morning.
That weekend Jesse played nurse, cook, launderer, and assistant. I was miserable. My chest hurt so dang bad. Sneezing hurt. Breathing hurt. Yawning hurt. Swallowing hurt. Everything hurt because lungs are essential to well... everything! And by Monday I was not better, in fact I was much, much worse with a consistent fever.
So, that afternoon back to urgent care we went. The doctor this time was amazing. He had had pneumonia earlier in the year, and knew just how miserable it is. He said he was so miserable and in pain that all he could do at one point was moan. I totally understood what he meant, except that I hurt too much to moan. We repeated all the tests from Friday night which all came back the same as before, but showing fluid not just in my lungs but outside them as well. It also appeared that the antibiotic was not having any effect.
As we discussed my care options and the test results the doctor was concerned because he said that the blood cultures and other labs were all coming back negative and not showing any cause for the pneumonia. Basically, my systems were more severe than what the tests were showing. And given the severity of my symptoms he felt that I needed to be monitored overnight, which they were prepared to do there. Additionally, we needed to request a bed at a hospital if I did not improve overnight. He didn't think we would need it, but it was better to be prepared.
That night in urgent care was miserable. I was given three different IV antibiotics and each time they switched to a new one I would throw up. My fever was climbing too and I had the most severe, deep and painful chills I have ever experienced in my life. The worst was when I had to go for another CAT scan with contrast. They did the first scan and then administered the iodine dye via IV. I felt my whole body go warm from the iodine dye for about a minute and then I crashed into full on chills. I was so cold and in so much pain that I was shivering and my teeth were chattering so hard that I had to be lifted from the scan table back into the wheel chair by the technician.
Once I got back to my room in urgent care, the nurses grabbed blankets from the warmer to cover me up. (Honestly, those warm blankets are the best thing ever in all the universe and world...seriously!) I was finally warm and not shivering when my new nurse walked in the room.
This woman made Miss Hannigan seem like a good guardian for orphan girls. She ripped the warm blankets off of me, saying that we needed to get my fever down and that I needed to be uncovered to do so. She wouldn't let Jesse help me any more, because "I needed to learn to help myself and use my own strength to sit up and stand if I was going to have any chance at getting better." She was not pleased that she had clean up vomit either and complained loud enough to the nurses at the station outside my room, that I heard her. Honestly, I get tough love, but this woman's bedside manner was so brusque and uncaring that it was all I could do not to order her out. But then again, I didn't have the strength to do it. When I went to the bathroom with Jesse's help and went back to bed afterwards wearing socks because my feet were so cold, she tore them off without even asking permission to do so because my fever had shot up even more. And when I started having chills again, Jesse was the one who got me warm blankets so that I could warm up again over her objections.
By the time morning rolled around and the new doctor said he was sending me to the hospital I was so relieved to get away from "Nurse Hannigan" that I didn't care that I was being admitted to the hospital for the first time in my life. After an ambulance ride during which I was swaddled in warm blankets, I feel asleep as soon as I was settled into my hospital bed. The nurses just left me alone until Jesse got there.
For the next three or four days, I had IVs with loads of antibiotics, and morphine for the pain (hallelujah morphine!). Oh, and the daily blood draws from the same vein in my arm were loads of fun. I was on oxygen too. My blood oxygen levels were carefully monitored. With a 103-104 degree fever running consistently they put me on a cooling blanket to bring the fever down. So much fun! I even got my first catheter (ahhhhh the relief!).
I was so exhausted that I didn't want to talk on the phone or watch television. Jesse stayed at my side and gave my parents updates three times a day on how I was doing. He also talked with people from work and church to give them updates as well. We allowed only two people to visit, my housemate LP and my dear friend SAS. I listened to hymns on Pandora and Jesse read scriptures to me for a while, but mostly I just slept.
I had moments of lucidity but was having horrible hallucinations from the morphine. The bacteria was alive all around me, and threatening me. People who were the wrong colors with rainbow neon colored skin, hair, and clothing, wanted to help me and were freaking me out. I was stuck alone in a room in an abandoned outpost in Afghanistan and could hear the enemy getting closer and closer, but could do nothing to help myself because I was so sick. I finally had to tell myself on this last one that it wasn't real and that I just needed to open my eyes. Thankfully that worked and I didn't revisit that particular hallucination again.
The nurses were amazing during that first week. They helped me keep my spirits up, which was pretty hard to do. They made sure both Jesse and I were comfortable, and coordinated treatments, tests and doctors visits. I credit much of my recovery to them. They were just incredible.
More to follow on part four....
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
j & c's story - part two
So, as Jesse and I talked to each other we revisited our meeting on United Flight 658. That flight was on a Sunday, and I found myself thinking of staying in Idaho for a few more days. I talked with my sister, and we agreed I would stay a couple more days if I could get another flight out. When I started to look at booking a new flight, I had this distinct feeling, "No, Christine just go home when you originally planned." I didn't think much of it, but I didn't change the flight. Turns out Jesse was originally going to fly back Iowa later in the week, but he finished his business earlier than planned, so he changed his flight.
I was already settling into the window seat when Jesse walked up. He didn't say anything until after he put his bag in the overhead compartment, and then looked down at me and something along the lines of, "Looks like this is my seat." As he took his seat, he accidentally elbowed me. He didn't hurt me at all, but was so overly apologetic about it that I started laughing. And because I was laughing, he started laughing. So we started off on a good note, laughing.
I don't remember everything we talked abut, but I do remember how intently Jesse kept looking at me. Honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone whose gaze was so intense. It was like he could see who I truly am. At times I had to look away to the window, just to give myself a break. Looking back it's interesting to me how comfortable I felt with him and that I knew I could trust him.
Jesse told me that he always had a fantasy of meeting an attractive woman on a plane. He later told me his fantasy came true when he saw me on the plane (yay!). This thrilled me to no end!
During the month of January, we burned up the airways between us talking and getting to know one another. We began sharing more details of our lives and things that were happening to each of us. We were talking one evening about some things we were each going through in our lives, and how we could help and support each other. We set the intent to pray for each other and outlined specific things we would include in our prayers. I remember having a very tangible impression that although we were on separate paths, they were beginning to merge and we were becoming a team. I had never felt this before, and it was both exciting and scary.
Jesse is very creative and came up with a couple of games we could play while talking. For instance, we played the A-B-C game. We would share something about ourselves that started with each letter of the alphabet. For example, "A" is for that I like apples and Jesse served in the Army; "K" is that I like kisses, but not Hershey's kisses and Jesse likes to be a kid and do the fun things kids do; "Q" for me is quality time and for Jesse is quality of work and taking pride in it; and "T" for both of us is the temple. This was just one fun way for us to to get to know each other.
As January came to a close, I knew I was falling in love with Jesse. Yeah, I know I had only seen this man once... What was I thinking? I even ended a couple of dating relationships, telling them I had met someone else because of how sure I felt about Jesse. I even wrote my SIL TB, who was in Japan and wouldn't tell a soul other than my brother an email telling her how I was feeling to see how it felt to tell someone in my family I was in love and thinking about getting married.
In the meantime Valentine's Day snuck up on us. Jesse and I planned a video chat, and mailed off our gifts to each other. He sent me flowers, a card, some lotion and bath salts (not the kind you smoke) and a drawing of our paths merging and us walking on the path. It is the sweetest, best Valentine I've ever received. As we gazed longingly into each others eyes, talked about nothing at all, and grinned from ear to ear through the wonders of video chat, I knew for sure that I loved this guy!
We shared our feelings for each other shortly after Valentine's Day. We had talked about love before and how we wanted it in our lives. We shared what we hoped it would be like and what we each felt we brought to the table. And then over the next couple of weeks, we started talking about getting married. Oh, and somewhere in all this we celebrated our birthdays which are two days apart in March.
So, what was I thinking? Here I was in a long distance relationship with a man I had only seen once for less than two hours, and I knew that I loved him. Somehow this was both scary and not scary all at the same time. Quite a contradiction I know, but honestly underneath my initial mix of excitement and fear was a quiet, deep calm that this was the right partner for me, and that if Jesse was who I wanted and chose all would be well. So, as I sorted through the fear and uncertainty with a lot of prayer and pondering, I began to hold onto that calm feeling more and more certain as I did that he was the right man for me. Jesse seemed to be certain right from the start, and each time I brought my doubts to the table, he listened and was reassuring. He didn't try to convince me either way. He simply let me work through what I was feeling and thinking until I made my decision.
Throughout the experience of falling in love with Jesse and deciding to marry him, I had the very distinct feeling that I was choosing someone to love and share with my life with. It's often said that you don't choose who you love, but in this case I very much chose who to love. I wasn't just being chosen, I got to choose also. All along the way, I kept feeling that Jesse was a choice and a good one, and that I was being guided to make this choice. I could have made the choice to not love Jesse, to simply be his friend, and it would have been an okay choice. When I chose to accept his love, and love him in return, I felt the goodness of this choice. And when I finally chose to marry Jesse and we talked it through, I knew it was the right choice. The peace I felt was undeniable and is still with me, as I recall this period of our courtship.
And then we started planning his first visit to Washington, DC. And finally on the last weekend in March Jesse arrived for the first time in Washington, DC. On Friday evening, I picked him up from Reagan National Airport, where we met for the second time. I had butterflies of excitement in my stomach but felt that calm deep inside that this was the right thing. It was so good to see him, and get a big hug from him right there in the terminal. And then to walk out to my car holding hands and looking at each other felt like the biggest moment of my life.
We headed out to the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite!!) where we looked out over the Tidal Basin, taking in the iconic panorama of the White House, the Washington Monument, the MLK Jr. memorial, the cherry trees with their leave and blossom buds, and the DC skyline. We even shared our first kiss in a private moment on the portico. It was so cold that night, but neither of us felt it.
We grabbed pizzas at 7th Hill and gelato from next door at Pitango, and headed back to my house to eat dinner and talk. It felt so comfortable to be with Jesse. I felt like I was talking with a longtime friend. We talked, and talked until pretty late. I then dropped him off at a friend's house who had a spare bedroom so he could sleep. I floated home and somehow feel asleep after telling my sister and housemate how things were going.
Saturday we ran over to Eastern Market for breakfast and did some food shopping for the weekend. The wind was blowing so hard and so cold, that we didn't do any walking for sightseeing, but drove the length of the National Mall instead so that we could stay warm. We spent the afternoon talking, and practicing dancing. You guys, Jesse loves to dance!!!!
That evening we met up with my friends O & M at a country bar to go dancing together. It was fun to have O meet Jesse, as she was the first person I told about him when she picked me up from the airport. It was really fun to dance and chat. We ran into several people from work, and had a fun evening! We didn't stay out too late, because Sunday was going to be a big day and we wanted to get some sleep.
We got up early for church the next morning. Jesse was a little nervous and understandably so. The Capitol Ward (congregation) is my home and family here in DC. Most of my closest friends are from this ward, and so taking Jesse to church was like taking him home to meet my family over Easter or Thanksgiving weekend. Everyone wanted to meet him!!! It was really cute, because as soon as the main service was over my girlfriends were lining to introduce themselves and meet Jesse. Poor Jesse the quiet introvert that he is handled all the attention well.
After church we headed up to the Washington, DC Mormon Temple. Another favorite spot in this city! Again it was freezing cold, but Jesse and I walked the grounds talking and taking pictures. When got to the east side of the temple underneath the spire with the angel Moroni statue, Jesse stopped walking. He pulled me in close and we looked at up at the statue and chatted some more. He then turned me around to face and took both of my hands in his, and said that he had an important question to ask me.
He looked me in the eyes, and after telling me that he loved me, he simply asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! He then pulled a simple diamond ring from his pocket and placed it on my finger. I was all smiles as we kissed and sealed the deal.
As we pulled back from the kiss, I took Jesse's face in my hands and told him that I had a question for him too and needed his undivided attention. I then pulled a ring box out of my coat pocket and asked him to marry me. He wasn't even fazed, he smiled the biggest smile and said yes! I put the ring on this finger, and we kissed again.
I felt I was saying yes to marrying a man who looked me in the eye as his equal partner. I felt that we were on the same level with our spiritual commitment to God, the outlook we share on life and our desire to serve our church, community, and each other. It was such a good feeling!
After taking some photos, we continued our walk hand-in-hand around the temple. I took a moment to explain to Jesse that a few weeks ago I had this crazy thought that when he asked me to marry him, I should ask him to marry me. The thought didn't leave me, and as I considered what to do it felt right to ask him too. So I did! (Before meeting Jesse I had never considered actually proposing myself.) He was really pleased with my surprise proposal and the ring I chose for him. It was definitely the right choice.
We walked over to the Temple Visitors Center to warm up and look around before heading home to eat dinner. As we looked at the very intricately detailed model of the temple, a cute sister missionary came over to talk with us. She asked why we had decided to come to the temple that day. Imagine her delight when Jesse told her that we were there because he had proposed to me. She was so excited and enthusiastic in her congratulations. She even called her companion over as well and shared the news with her. We had a very sweet conversation about choosing to be married and what it means to us. I'll always remember this sister fondly.
We then headed back to my house and found my housemate LP waiting for us to arrive. I shared with her that Jesse was going to propose that Sunday while he was visiting and she was so excited. She met Jesse on his first night in town, and talked with him a little throughout the weekend. She would check in with me when Jesse wasn't around, and text me to see how things were going throughout the weekend. She even managed to talk with Jesse without me around when I was busy with something. She shared with me that she really liked him and felt like he was a good man .
LP was beside herself with excitement. It was great to come home from the temple to her joy at our joy. She made sure to take several photos of us and captured our first candlelight dinner together that Jesse ended up cooking because I wasn't feeling too well after all the excitement. She even got on the phone with my parents to tell them about Jesse when we called to tell them about our engagement.
We ended up spending a quiet Monday together resting and chatting before I took Jesse to the airport. I cried as I walked away from the security gates, because I felt so lonely and didn't know for sure when I would see Jesse again. And because I was engaged to marry the man I loved. Finally!
To be continued...
I was already settling into the window seat when Jesse walked up. He didn't say anything until after he put his bag in the overhead compartment, and then looked down at me and something along the lines of, "Looks like this is my seat." As he took his seat, he accidentally elbowed me. He didn't hurt me at all, but was so overly apologetic about it that I started laughing. And because I was laughing, he started laughing. So we started off on a good note, laughing.
I don't remember everything we talked abut, but I do remember how intently Jesse kept looking at me. Honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone whose gaze was so intense. It was like he could see who I truly am. At times I had to look away to the window, just to give myself a break. Looking back it's interesting to me how comfortable I felt with him and that I knew I could trust him.
Jesse told me that he always had a fantasy of meeting an attractive woman on a plane. He later told me his fantasy came true when he saw me on the plane (yay!). This thrilled me to no end!
During the month of January, we burned up the airways between us talking and getting to know one another. We began sharing more details of our lives and things that were happening to each of us. We were talking one evening about some things we were each going through in our lives, and how we could help and support each other. We set the intent to pray for each other and outlined specific things we would include in our prayers. I remember having a very tangible impression that although we were on separate paths, they were beginning to merge and we were becoming a team. I had never felt this before, and it was both exciting and scary.
Jesse is very creative and came up with a couple of games we could play while talking. For instance, we played the A-B-C game. We would share something about ourselves that started with each letter of the alphabet. For example, "A" is for that I like apples and Jesse served in the Army; "K" is that I like kisses, but not Hershey's kisses and Jesse likes to be a kid and do the fun things kids do; "Q" for me is quality time and for Jesse is quality of work and taking pride in it; and "T" for both of us is the temple. This was just one fun way for us to to get to know each other.
As January came to a close, I knew I was falling in love with Jesse. Yeah, I know I had only seen this man once... What was I thinking? I even ended a couple of dating relationships, telling them I had met someone else because of how sure I felt about Jesse. I even wrote my SIL TB, who was in Japan and wouldn't tell a soul other than my brother an email telling her how I was feeling to see how it felt to tell someone in my family I was in love and thinking about getting married.
In the meantime Valentine's Day snuck up on us. Jesse and I planned a video chat, and mailed off our gifts to each other. He sent me flowers, a card, some lotion and bath salts (not the kind you smoke) and a drawing of our paths merging and us walking on the path. It is the sweetest, best Valentine I've ever received. As we gazed longingly into each others eyes, talked about nothing at all, and grinned from ear to ear through the wonders of video chat, I knew for sure that I loved this guy!
We shared our feelings for each other shortly after Valentine's Day. We had talked about love before and how we wanted it in our lives. We shared what we hoped it would be like and what we each felt we brought to the table. And then over the next couple of weeks, we started talking about getting married. Oh, and somewhere in all this we celebrated our birthdays which are two days apart in March.
So, what was I thinking? Here I was in a long distance relationship with a man I had only seen once for less than two hours, and I knew that I loved him. Somehow this was both scary and not scary all at the same time. Quite a contradiction I know, but honestly underneath my initial mix of excitement and fear was a quiet, deep calm that this was the right partner for me, and that if Jesse was who I wanted and chose all would be well. So, as I sorted through the fear and uncertainty with a lot of prayer and pondering, I began to hold onto that calm feeling more and more certain as I did that he was the right man for me. Jesse seemed to be certain right from the start, and each time I brought my doubts to the table, he listened and was reassuring. He didn't try to convince me either way. He simply let me work through what I was feeling and thinking until I made my decision.
Throughout the experience of falling in love with Jesse and deciding to marry him, I had the very distinct feeling that I was choosing someone to love and share with my life with. It's often said that you don't choose who you love, but in this case I very much chose who to love. I wasn't just being chosen, I got to choose also. All along the way, I kept feeling that Jesse was a choice and a good one, and that I was being guided to make this choice. I could have made the choice to not love Jesse, to simply be his friend, and it would have been an okay choice. When I chose to accept his love, and love him in return, I felt the goodness of this choice. And when I finally chose to marry Jesse and we talked it through, I knew it was the right choice. The peace I felt was undeniable and is still with me, as I recall this period of our courtship.
And then we started planning his first visit to Washington, DC. And finally on the last weekend in March Jesse arrived for the first time in Washington, DC. On Friday evening, I picked him up from Reagan National Airport, where we met for the second time. I had butterflies of excitement in my stomach but felt that calm deep inside that this was the right thing. It was so good to see him, and get a big hug from him right there in the terminal. And then to walk out to my car holding hands and looking at each other felt like the biggest moment of my life.
We headed out to the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite!!) where we looked out over the Tidal Basin, taking in the iconic panorama of the White House, the Washington Monument, the MLK Jr. memorial, the cherry trees with their leave and blossom buds, and the DC skyline. We even shared our first kiss in a private moment on the portico. It was so cold that night, but neither of us felt it.
We grabbed pizzas at 7th Hill and gelato from next door at Pitango, and headed back to my house to eat dinner and talk. It felt so comfortable to be with Jesse. I felt like I was talking with a longtime friend. We talked, and talked until pretty late. I then dropped him off at a friend's house who had a spare bedroom so he could sleep. I floated home and somehow feel asleep after telling my sister and housemate how things were going.
Saturday we ran over to Eastern Market for breakfast and did some food shopping for the weekend. The wind was blowing so hard and so cold, that we didn't do any walking for sightseeing, but drove the length of the National Mall instead so that we could stay warm. We spent the afternoon talking, and practicing dancing. You guys, Jesse loves to dance!!!!
That evening we met up with my friends O & M at a country bar to go dancing together. It was fun to have O meet Jesse, as she was the first person I told about him when she picked me up from the airport. It was really fun to dance and chat. We ran into several people from work, and had a fun evening! We didn't stay out too late, because Sunday was going to be a big day and we wanted to get some sleep.
We got up early for church the next morning. Jesse was a little nervous and understandably so. The Capitol Ward (congregation) is my home and family here in DC. Most of my closest friends are from this ward, and so taking Jesse to church was like taking him home to meet my family over Easter or Thanksgiving weekend. Everyone wanted to meet him!!! It was really cute, because as soon as the main service was over my girlfriends were lining to introduce themselves and meet Jesse. Poor Jesse the quiet introvert that he is handled all the attention well.
After church we headed up to the Washington, DC Mormon Temple. Another favorite spot in this city! Again it was freezing cold, but Jesse and I walked the grounds talking and taking pictures. When got to the east side of the temple underneath the spire with the angel Moroni statue, Jesse stopped walking. He pulled me in close and we looked at up at the statue and chatted some more. He then turned me around to face and took both of my hands in his, and said that he had an important question to ask me.
He looked me in the eyes, and after telling me that he loved me, he simply asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! He then pulled a simple diamond ring from his pocket and placed it on my finger. I was all smiles as we kissed and sealed the deal.
As we pulled back from the kiss, I took Jesse's face in my hands and told him that I had a question for him too and needed his undivided attention. I then pulled a ring box out of my coat pocket and asked him to marry me. He wasn't even fazed, he smiled the biggest smile and said yes! I put the ring on this finger, and we kissed again.
I felt I was saying yes to marrying a man who looked me in the eye as his equal partner. I felt that we were on the same level with our spiritual commitment to God, the outlook we share on life and our desire to serve our church, community, and each other. It was such a good feeling!
After taking some photos, we continued our walk hand-in-hand around the temple. I took a moment to explain to Jesse that a few weeks ago I had this crazy thought that when he asked me to marry him, I should ask him to marry me. The thought didn't leave me, and as I considered what to do it felt right to ask him too. So I did! (Before meeting Jesse I had never considered actually proposing myself.) He was really pleased with my surprise proposal and the ring I chose for him. It was definitely the right choice.
We walked over to the Temple Visitors Center to warm up and look around before heading home to eat dinner. As we looked at the very intricately detailed model of the temple, a cute sister missionary came over to talk with us. She asked why we had decided to come to the temple that day. Imagine her delight when Jesse told her that we were there because he had proposed to me. She was so excited and enthusiastic in her congratulations. She even called her companion over as well and shared the news with her. We had a very sweet conversation about choosing to be married and what it means to us. I'll always remember this sister fondly.
We then headed back to my house and found my housemate LP waiting for us to arrive. I shared with her that Jesse was going to propose that Sunday while he was visiting and she was so excited. She met Jesse on his first night in town, and talked with him a little throughout the weekend. She would check in with me when Jesse wasn't around, and text me to see how things were going throughout the weekend. She even managed to talk with Jesse without me around when I was busy with something. She shared with me that she really liked him and felt like he was a good man .
LP was beside herself with excitement. It was great to come home from the temple to her joy at our joy. She made sure to take several photos of us and captured our first candlelight dinner together that Jesse ended up cooking because I wasn't feeling too well after all the excitement. She even got on the phone with my parents to tell them about Jesse when we called to tell them about our engagement.
We ended up spending a quiet Monday together resting and chatting before I took Jesse to the airport. I cried as I walked away from the security gates, because I felt so lonely and didn't know for sure when I would see Jesse again. And because I was engaged to marry the man I loved. Finally!
To be continued...
Sunday, August 2, 2015
j & c's story - part one
There is so much to write about in my life over the past seven months. So, you would think that I would be more actively blogging about all the news and goings on. Funny how time seems to run out and my thoughts and feelings are left inside my head.
I am in awe of how much has changed in my life. It's a testament to me that Heavenly Father truly has me in His hands, and is directing my life. I am so grateful.
First things first: You probably want to know how I met "the one." Well, get comfortable...
I flew to Idaho and visited my sister for Christmas. My parents even came up, so I got to see them as well. Flying in December is not easy. I got delayed twice (thanks United! but not really) leaving Dulles Airport and then had to switch planes, thus missing my connecting flight in Denver to Idaho Falls. My sister and mom ended up spending the night in a hotel in Idaho Falls. I called a long time Navy friend and begged a room for the night. She was gracious enough to pick me up at one o'clock in the morning with water and homemade muffins for a snack. I slept in a comfortable bed and caught up with friend SL for a while the next morning, and then was off to Idaho Falls.
Christmas was great fun. I brought matching flannel pajama bottoms for all the boys. And matching flannel nightgowns for my mom, sister and I--classic! We had fun opening presents, spending time with one another, cooking and eating good food, and talking with other family members. My favorite toy was nephew B's horse barn complete with brand new horses, and some dinosaurs. He left the whole thing unattended, and thanks to Grandpa and I those dinosaurs made quite a mess at the horse barn--carnage galore!
It was great to spend time with my sister. I'll always remember the morning we went for a walk to the grocery store when it was two degrees. We both walked outside, and stood for a minute to gauge the temperature. We then turned around, went back inside and put on another layer of clothing. On our walk we caught the sun rise. The town deer kept an eye on us for the whole walk but didn't run away. It was a really beautiful, cold morning. I love mountain winters.
My mom, sister and I went for lunch together at a new tea room that recently opened. We had fun exploring the premises and checking out all the tea cups and pots on display. Mom and I recognized some of the English china from our trip through England years earlier. We had stopped at the potteries in Stoke-on-Trent, and shopped the seconds stores for some of the biggest names in fine English china. Becky and I wished that the shop's handmade mugs were cheaper because we both wanted one to remember our trip. It was a fun outing.
We ended my trip by celebrating my nephew B's seventh birthday. (It's amazing to think that he was born right before I went to Afghanistan and that it's been seven years since I did that.) We partied with a sledding trip up in the mountains where it was 12 degrees. We had a much needed fire to help us stay warm, and filled up on hot chocolate, hot dogs and doughnuts. It was a perfect birthday-sledding party!
That evening I made nephew B's birthday cake, a chocolate cake with blue vanilla frosting topped with coconut. We had dinner with some family friends who were so excited to celebrate with us. We lit candles, sang happy birthday, demolished the cake and opened lots of birthday presents. That kid loves his horses!
Then the following day I flew out of Idaho Falls back into Denver. This time the flight was on time and there were no delays. An interesting man with a really nice smile sat in the seat next to me. He introduced himself as Jesse and we started talking. He was in town to take care of some personal business over the holidays and was heading back to work in Iowa.
We talked the whole flight and kept talking as we walked through the terminal to our departure gates. We talked about why we were in Idaho and where we lived now. We shared about our families, single life, and jobs (he's a welder/pipe fitter). We both told funny stories and enjoyed each others' company. After confirming that yes we wanted to stay in touch, I gave him my card with my contact information, and left the ball in his court. As we parted ways at his departure gate, I impulsively stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. I was kind of surprised by this, but it felt like the right thing to do.
I arrived back at Dulles right on time around one o'clock in the morning again, and another kind friend OS picked me up and took me home. When I got in her car, she asked how my flight was. I remember having a quiet feeling that something important had happened when I told her about the nice guy named Jesse who sat next next to me on the plane. OS asked if we were going to keep in touch. I said that I hoped so, but I honestly had no idea. I got home around three in the morning and went straight to bed.
When I finally woke up about eight hours later my first thought was, "I really hope Jesse contacts me." I was quite surprised by how much I really wanted this to happen. As the day went by I remember thinking several times how much I wanted him to contact me. I went to bed that night thinking about Jesse's nice smile, his kind eyes and how much I enjoyed talking with him.
The next morning Jesse emailed me (finally!!!!), and asked if it was okay that we started communicating. He also said that he didn't want to be an interruption to my life. I remember thinking to myself, "Silly man! Don't you know I want my life to be interrupted?" We emailed back and forth a couple of times and set a time for a phone call the next evening on New Year's Day.
Let's just say that once we got on the phone that we didn't run out of things to talk about for the next three months. It's a good thing that we both have the same phone cell phone carrier because otherwise our bills would have been in the thousands of dollars. (We also used Google Hangout to message each other during the day and for video chatting at least once a week. Technology is so amazing!)
We talked about everything. We told the good, bad and ugly stories, the funny, sad and not-so-great ones too. We had phone dates where we read poetry and stories to each other. A couple of times we even cooked dinner and ate together over the phone. I started reading Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls to him which we both really enjoy (we still have a ways to go to finish). We compared political ideologies, outlooks on life, interests and hobbies. We shared our testimonies of the gospel and hopes for the future.
We started finding all the things we have in common as well as our differences. Yes, he likes Star Trek, and Star Wars, and super hero movies. He hasn't met The Doctor yet, but an introduction is in the works. He appreciates my interest in space and my crushes on astronauts and the Mars Rover. (The nerd potential is strong with this one.) We are excited about camping and fishing together. We are both Mormons and actively participate in church. We both served in the military-he was active and reserve Army for several years, so he gets my reserve life. He's from Idaho and I'm from Utah, and both love the mountain west and being outdoors. He likes maps, and emergency preparedness. I like to crochet, and sew. He's teaching himself to play the violin, and I sing and play the piano. We are both generally happy people, optimistic about life. He's as hopeful a romantic as I am. And he really likes to dance!
My interest in Jesse was changing from mildly interested to highly interested as we talked and learned about each. I know that people sometimes will hold back and not show their true selves in dating situations. I feel like we were both able to be ourselves, and as our comfort and trust levels grew, the safer it felt to be completely open and honest. We even told each other about those not-so-great things we had done in our lives (you know, the things you're afraid if someone you like found out that they wouldn't like you any more). We were both able to share these things with each other despite our fears, and in returned feel un-judged, supported, and accepted.
Eventually, I shared my blog with Jesse. As he read it he shared with me things that he liked and asked for more details about my experiences or thoughts I shared. He reminded of things I had written where I expressed my faith and hope for good things in my life. It was interesting to see myself through his eyes as he got to know me through my blog.
Years earlier I swore never to do the long distance thing again in my life. Funny about those things you swear you're never gonna do--eventually you end up doing thing them and sometimes they turn out better than before. So, this time it was different (yes, I know so cliché, but really it was). I kept feeling hopeful and at peace all the while Jesse and I were talking. Most importantly, I was having fun! I also knew my feelings were deepening for Jesse, and I wasn't scared by this. Rather I was excited and hopeful, and very much looking forward to our next conversation.
I kept waiting for that feeling I knew all too well from previous dating experiences, that feeling of no-this-is-not-the-right-one-for-you-Christine. And I kept not feeling it. This was new for me, and I kept thinking, "Okay, I'm just going to keep going with this then." In fact, the feeling I was having was "This is a really good man, Christine. This is a really good man. Christine, this is a really good man" over and over. This feeling persisted even when I wasn't talking to Jesse. I remember sitting on my couch thinking about all this, when that same feeling almost overwhelmed me again. I finally looked up and said, "Okay, Father I hear you. I've got it. Jesse is a really good man."
To be continued....
I am in awe of how much has changed in my life. It's a testament to me that Heavenly Father truly has me in His hands, and is directing my life. I am so grateful.
First things first: You probably want to know how I met "the one." Well, get comfortable...
I flew to Idaho and visited my sister for Christmas. My parents even came up, so I got to see them as well. Flying in December is not easy. I got delayed twice (thanks United! but not really) leaving Dulles Airport and then had to switch planes, thus missing my connecting flight in Denver to Idaho Falls. My sister and mom ended up spending the night in a hotel in Idaho Falls. I called a long time Navy friend and begged a room for the night. She was gracious enough to pick me up at one o'clock in the morning with water and homemade muffins for a snack. I slept in a comfortable bed and caught up with friend SL for a while the next morning, and then was off to Idaho Falls.
Christmas was great fun. I brought matching flannel pajama bottoms for all the boys. And matching flannel nightgowns for my mom, sister and I--classic! We had fun opening presents, spending time with one another, cooking and eating good food, and talking with other family members. My favorite toy was nephew B's horse barn complete with brand new horses, and some dinosaurs. He left the whole thing unattended, and thanks to Grandpa and I those dinosaurs made quite a mess at the horse barn--carnage galore!
It was great to spend time with my sister. I'll always remember the morning we went for a walk to the grocery store when it was two degrees. We both walked outside, and stood for a minute to gauge the temperature. We then turned around, went back inside and put on another layer of clothing. On our walk we caught the sun rise. The town deer kept an eye on us for the whole walk but didn't run away. It was a really beautiful, cold morning. I love mountain winters.
My mom, sister and I went for lunch together at a new tea room that recently opened. We had fun exploring the premises and checking out all the tea cups and pots on display. Mom and I recognized some of the English china from our trip through England years earlier. We had stopped at the potteries in Stoke-on-Trent, and shopped the seconds stores for some of the biggest names in fine English china. Becky and I wished that the shop's handmade mugs were cheaper because we both wanted one to remember our trip. It was a fun outing.
We ended my trip by celebrating my nephew B's seventh birthday. (It's amazing to think that he was born right before I went to Afghanistan and that it's been seven years since I did that.) We partied with a sledding trip up in the mountains where it was 12 degrees. We had a much needed fire to help us stay warm, and filled up on hot chocolate, hot dogs and doughnuts. It was a perfect birthday-sledding party!
That evening I made nephew B's birthday cake, a chocolate cake with blue vanilla frosting topped with coconut. We had dinner with some family friends who were so excited to celebrate with us. We lit candles, sang happy birthday, demolished the cake and opened lots of birthday presents. That kid loves his horses!
Then the following day I flew out of Idaho Falls back into Denver. This time the flight was on time and there were no delays. An interesting man with a really nice smile sat in the seat next to me. He introduced himself as Jesse and we started talking. He was in town to take care of some personal business over the holidays and was heading back to work in Iowa.
We talked the whole flight and kept talking as we walked through the terminal to our departure gates. We talked about why we were in Idaho and where we lived now. We shared about our families, single life, and jobs (he's a welder/pipe fitter). We both told funny stories and enjoyed each others' company. After confirming that yes we wanted to stay in touch, I gave him my card with my contact information, and left the ball in his court. As we parted ways at his departure gate, I impulsively stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. I was kind of surprised by this, but it felt like the right thing to do.
I arrived back at Dulles right on time around one o'clock in the morning again, and another kind friend OS picked me up and took me home. When I got in her car, she asked how my flight was. I remember having a quiet feeling that something important had happened when I told her about the nice guy named Jesse who sat next next to me on the plane. OS asked if we were going to keep in touch. I said that I hoped so, but I honestly had no idea. I got home around three in the morning and went straight to bed.
When I finally woke up about eight hours later my first thought was, "I really hope Jesse contacts me." I was quite surprised by how much I really wanted this to happen. As the day went by I remember thinking several times how much I wanted him to contact me. I went to bed that night thinking about Jesse's nice smile, his kind eyes and how much I enjoyed talking with him.
The next morning Jesse emailed me (finally!!!!), and asked if it was okay that we started communicating. He also said that he didn't want to be an interruption to my life. I remember thinking to myself, "Silly man! Don't you know I want my life to be interrupted?" We emailed back and forth a couple of times and set a time for a phone call the next evening on New Year's Day.
Let's just say that once we got on the phone that we didn't run out of things to talk about for the next three months. It's a good thing that we both have the same phone cell phone carrier because otherwise our bills would have been in the thousands of dollars. (We also used Google Hangout to message each other during the day and for video chatting at least once a week. Technology is so amazing!)
We talked about everything. We told the good, bad and ugly stories, the funny, sad and not-so-great ones too. We had phone dates where we read poetry and stories to each other. A couple of times we even cooked dinner and ate together over the phone. I started reading Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls to him which we both really enjoy (we still have a ways to go to finish). We compared political ideologies, outlooks on life, interests and hobbies. We shared our testimonies of the gospel and hopes for the future.
We started finding all the things we have in common as well as our differences. Yes, he likes Star Trek, and Star Wars, and super hero movies. He hasn't met The Doctor yet, but an introduction is in the works. He appreciates my interest in space and my crushes on astronauts and the Mars Rover. (The nerd potential is strong with this one.) We are excited about camping and fishing together. We are both Mormons and actively participate in church. We both served in the military-he was active and reserve Army for several years, so he gets my reserve life. He's from Idaho and I'm from Utah, and both love the mountain west and being outdoors. He likes maps, and emergency preparedness. I like to crochet, and sew. He's teaching himself to play the violin, and I sing and play the piano. We are both generally happy people, optimistic about life. He's as hopeful a romantic as I am. And he really likes to dance!
My interest in Jesse was changing from mildly interested to highly interested as we talked and learned about each. I know that people sometimes will hold back and not show their true selves in dating situations. I feel like we were both able to be ourselves, and as our comfort and trust levels grew, the safer it felt to be completely open and honest. We even told each other about those not-so-great things we had done in our lives (you know, the things you're afraid if someone you like found out that they wouldn't like you any more). We were both able to share these things with each other despite our fears, and in returned feel un-judged, supported, and accepted.
Eventually, I shared my blog with Jesse. As he read it he shared with me things that he liked and asked for more details about my experiences or thoughts I shared. He reminded of things I had written where I expressed my faith and hope for good things in my life. It was interesting to see myself through his eyes as he got to know me through my blog.
Years earlier I swore never to do the long distance thing again in my life. Funny about those things you swear you're never gonna do--eventually you end up doing thing them and sometimes they turn out better than before. So, this time it was different (yes, I know so cliché, but really it was). I kept feeling hopeful and at peace all the while Jesse and I were talking. Most importantly, I was having fun! I also knew my feelings were deepening for Jesse, and I wasn't scared by this. Rather I was excited and hopeful, and very much looking forward to our next conversation.
I kept waiting for that feeling I knew all too well from previous dating experiences, that feeling of no-this-is-not-the-right-one-for-you-Christine. And I kept not feeling it. This was new for me, and I kept thinking, "Okay, I'm just going to keep going with this then." In fact, the feeling I was having was "This is a really good man, Christine. This is a really good man. Christine, this is a really good man" over and over. This feeling persisted even when I wasn't talking to Jesse. I remember sitting on my couch thinking about all this, when that same feeling almost overwhelmed me again. I finally looked up and said, "Okay, Father I hear you. I've got it. Jesse is a really good man."
To be continued....
Saturday, January 31, 2015
what made me smile in january
* the first phone call of many phone calls.
* the answer to a prayer that came right as something new was starting in my life. thus opening the way for what i really, truly wanted to come into my life.
* my nephews not wanting to talk to me on the phone when i was because they didn't want to get sick with my cold. silly boys!
* a feeling, a tangible and very real feeling, of being supported and loved.
* snow flurries and flakes that accumulated just a bit. i love snow.
* daffodils, hyacinths, and dark chocolate from Trader Joe's.
* my mom talked to me about this article from elder scott and asked me to read it. i've been reading, pondering, and even listening to it a few times. i'm being taught some of the things that i need.
* playing the piano. singing. cooking. baking. bacon. cheese. cold, clean water. cups of tea. sleeping late on saturday mornings. organizing. laundry. sewing.
* my sister's birthday is in january. i sure do love my becky-doodles. sis, you are such an amazing, righteous and strong woman. i hope that i can be more like you. love you!
* my brother R1 is doing his final semester of law school in tokyo with his entire family. it's so fun to hear their adventures and follow along on their blog. i so wish that i could go and visit him.
* a couple of years ago the relief society (the women's ministry from my church) from my congregation made hats for the oncology ward at children's hospital here in dc. we had a goal of 500 and we ended up donating over 1100 hats. they recently contacted us again, to ask if we would be willing to make more because they were out of hats. so we are starting to make hats again, and i'm teaching people how to make them on knitting looms or crocheting. i'm really excited about this. one of these days i need to learn to how to knit though. if you're interested, please leave a comment below and i'll get in touch with you about how to help.
* the answer to a prayer that came right as something new was starting in my life. thus opening the way for what i really, truly wanted to come into my life.
* my nephews not wanting to talk to me on the phone when i was because they didn't want to get sick with my cold. silly boys!
* a feeling, a tangible and very real feeling, of being supported and loved.
* snow flurries and flakes that accumulated just a bit. i love snow.
* daffodils, hyacinths, and dark chocolate from Trader Joe's.
* my mom talked to me about this article from elder scott and asked me to read it. i've been reading, pondering, and even listening to it a few times. i'm being taught some of the things that i need.
* playing the piano. singing. cooking. baking. bacon. cheese. cold, clean water. cups of tea. sleeping late on saturday mornings. organizing. laundry. sewing.
* my sister's birthday is in january. i sure do love my becky-doodles. sis, you are such an amazing, righteous and strong woman. i hope that i can be more like you. love you!
* my brother R1 is doing his final semester of law school in tokyo with his entire family. it's so fun to hear their adventures and follow along on their blog. i so wish that i could go and visit him.
* a couple of years ago the relief society (the women's ministry from my church) from my congregation made hats for the oncology ward at children's hospital here in dc. we had a goal of 500 and we ended up donating over 1100 hats. they recently contacted us again, to ask if we would be willing to make more because they were out of hats. so we are starting to make hats again, and i'm teaching people how to make them on knitting looms or crocheting. i'm really excited about this. one of these days i need to learn to how to knit though. if you're interested, please leave a comment below and i'll get in touch with you about how to help.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
2014 in review
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Friday, January 2, 2015
new
Happy New Year!
It's so strange to my head that it's 2015 already... and we are already 1.5 days into it. I must say that this year is definitely off to a much more intriguing start than last year. Woop woop!
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want. Selfish, I know, but I realized that it's a really important and big question for me. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas and I didn't have an answer. I honestly didn't know. A friend recently asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" and again I didn't know. So it feels right that I start this new year off by asking myself what do I want. I hope to figure it out this year.
Things I'm going to do this year:
1. Be the biggest loser and get my butt to bed earlier
2. Keep the Sabbath day holy
3. Learn how to create and follow a budget, and then do it!
4. Read more books, watch less stuff
5. Read the Book of Mormon again with real intent
6. Set a retirement date from the Navy Reserve and begin planning it
7. Call more and text less
8. Forgive myself, and trust God more
9. Sing and play the piano more
10. Be open and available to answer the call
11. Answer the question "What do I want?"
12. Be the hopeful romantic
This all feels do-able.
It's so strange to my head that it's 2015 already... and we are already 1.5 days into it. I must say that this year is definitely off to a much more intriguing start than last year. Woop woop!
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want. Selfish, I know, but I realized that it's a really important and big question for me. I was asked what I wanted for Christmas and I didn't have an answer. I honestly didn't know. A friend recently asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" and again I didn't know. So it feels right that I start this new year off by asking myself what do I want. I hope to figure it out this year.
Things I'm going to do this year:
1. Be the biggest loser and get my butt to bed earlier
2. Keep the Sabbath day holy
3. Learn how to create and follow a budget, and then do it!
4. Read more books, watch less stuff
5. Read the Book of Mormon again with real intent
6. Set a retirement date from the Navy Reserve and begin planning it
7. Call more and text less
8. Forgive myself, and trust God more
9. Sing and play the piano more
10. Be open and available to answer the call
11. Answer the question "What do I want?"
12. Be the hopeful romantic
This all feels do-able.
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