Dan and Shelley

I cannot tell you just how happy I was to be spending FOUR days with Dan and right after we just had a weekend together!  I’m completely spoiled now by him… well, even more so than before.  Dan had already asked the weekend before if he could have off Friday, putting him coming out here on Thursday night.  So I was all giddy on Thursday waiting for him, getting things together and all when he calls me about 45 minutes early saying he will be there shortly.  I was so happy to have him with me early, but I was also fretting because I was still in need of my shower and to get dinner started.  I was able to finish Shannon’s bath, put Nicky back to bed for the third time, jump into the shower and start dinner before he got there.  I have no idea how though truth be told.  I had made up some pirogi earlier and just had to drop them in the water and sauteed up some onions so it really took no time at all.  After we ate, we put the kids back into their beds again and were inseparable of course all night.

Friday morning after a slight interruption we got ready and went to the Carnegie Museum here in Oakland.  It was a rather lovely day to tell you the truth.  To be able to just walk around, look at everything we wanted to without stress… I know I had fun and I think they did as well.  We took some pictures and even some pictures of Shannon’s little green turtle “Turtlie” on some or near some of the different exhibits.  Afterward we all just went home and spent a nice evening together.

Saturday we slept in a little bit, Dan and Shannon more than Nicky and me, but that’s how it goes with Nicky.  We slowly got around and had a late breakfast then headed out to Frick park to where I am now calling our family spot.  Nicky of course came out soaking wet.  I do have to hand it to them, they are getting better at the hiking.  On the way back we stopped to pick up some movies and also some Guinness… we have found out that you cannot buy alcohol in PA with an OH license, just in case you were wondering.  So I went in and was immediately out of place and yes, I know you were laughing at me Dan… found out as well that they only sell cases.  Though apparently with Dan and I that is not much of a problem.  We waited for a neighbor kid to come out of Giant Eagle and rode him home as well.  We set up the hose for the kids, seeing as how the pool now has a hole in it.  I got Dan wet and then of course we were both wet.  We sat outside for a long time, drinking a beer and just having fun watching the kids play.  Later we went inside and got cleaned up and watched Twilight after the kids went to bed.

Sunday we woke up and after a little discussion Dan decided to stay home and catch up on his sleep while we went to church.  After church I stopped down at Michele’s house where Shannon wanted to stay for a bit, but Nicky wanted to come back and get his Daddy Dan.  I come home to find Dan up, showered, washed the dishes and was copying something for me on his computer.  Him and I had a little emotional talk and it turns out he had started a very sweet email to his parents about our engagement and moving.  We finally got around and picked up Shannon then took them to the mall to play because of the storm rolling through.  The lights did go out in the mall, but not all of them.  Before we left we did get some pretzels.  Again, we had a nice evening just being with each other and honestly we seem to have fallen into a little comfortable pattern that we all got used to quickly.

Monday we again slowly go around and I could tell that we both were dragging our feet just a little to go to my Mom’s house… we were going to tell her about the engagement and the move as were not sure how she was going to take it.  Shannon had her dibels test that morning then we eventually did go.  Before we left he sent the email he had wrote up to his parents.  Dan went ahead and took Henry over so it would be easier when he had to leave… though none of us wanted to part.  It took us till the time when he was about to leave for me to tell them what we came there to tell them and honestly they took it all rather well and I know they are happy for us.  They love Dan and honestly how could they not?  Dan’s Dad sent a very wonderful email to him that made us both very emotional… After Dan left I left a little bit later… the kids wanted to know where he was and when he was coming back… and it’s honestly really hard not to cry and be melancholy without him with me, but I trust him and I trust us that this will all work out.  I cannot wait until we can be together all the time.  I love you Dan, with all my heart and you will always have my heart.

Yes, our next weekend together and we are celebrating another birthday.  This time mine.  Dan and I had went three weeks without seeing each other and honestly that is just way too long.  Any amount of time away is dreadful truthfully though.  Earlier that day I had received two dozen beautiful mixed roses in the mail from him and they made me cry when I saw them.  (I can still walk by them now or look up at them and they bring a smile to my face.)It took me a while to get them in the water and calm down enough to call Dan to let him know they were here.  Turns out he had received an email right after I got them saying they were delivered.  I could not wait for him to get out of work and back into my arms so I could thank him.  When he got here, I was still having a bit of fun getting the kids to realize that it was bedtime.  Nicky in particular was having one of those nights where he was simply rejecting my idea of bed.  He gave me my presents.  The one from him was the Seven Deadly Sins on DVD that the History channel did which I absolutely love and cannot wait to watch since I missed just about all of them in their entirety.  His Mom and Dad had sent a present as well, a huge candle from Yankee Candle that smells lovely.  Then we had pizza and just talked for a long time, spending the night inseparable from each other as usual.

Saturday we woke up and I cooked breakfast.  Then we headed down to Michele’s house with the kids.  Dan finally met everyone there.  Michele, Erik and Amy were taking the kids to the zoo giving Dan and I a bit of a free day which we used to go hiking in Boyce Park.  We hiked around in there for a good while, managing to get lost and find our way back without really trying too much.  It was a wonderfully secluded area.  All in all we saw three bikers and two of those were coming out as we went in.  We kinda called it a shorter day because of the threatening rain though so we left and after not being able to find the nature center we caught a small bite to eat at Wendy’s.  Right after we came home to load up our pictures and see how they turned out we got the call that the kids were back, but when I texted Kathy (where they were staying the night) she wasn’t quite ready so we finished the pictures then went down, got the kids and took them to her house.  Dan and I came back home, got dressed and went to see Angels and Demons.  The movie was excellent and Dan held me just about the entire time.  Afterwards we went to see if he could beat me in a racing game, but it ate my quarter and we will just have to see about that next time.  It was raining when we left so we played around just a little bit in the rain then went to Vincent’s for some pepperoni and hot pepper pizza.  We came home and had a nice evening together, just the two of us.

Sunday morning was supposed to be a day for sleeping in for us, but I got a text from the bio father at 0810 that the children were awake, Nicky was grumpy and to basically come and get them.  Dan and I got dressed and went to rescue the children.  Nobody had had breakfast so we stopped at Eat ‘N Park before going to the store to pick up a few things for dinner.  Honestly we just spent a fun relaxing day here at home.  He pretty much dominated at Blink, called it a draw in Checkers… Nicky was so very grumpy though but would not just fall asleep.  Too soon though it was time for Dan to leave, but I don’t think this time was as bad as others because we know we will be together again in four days… So, to sum up everything, it honestly was my best birthday ever and I owe it all to my sweet Dan.  Thank you so very much Dan and I will always be yours.  I love you completely.

This one took a little bit of prep and work, primarily just because I really wanted to surprise Dan this weekend.  It started back in February around his brother’s birthday.  Dan and I were talking and Dan had said something about not really wanting to have a birthday party this year like they usually have for him.  I had told his Mom this and me and her started talking.  I knew I wanted to surprise him by me and the children coming out so we went from there.  I went through the whole week leading up to it trying to make sure he thought I would be there on Saturday and not Friday and having the kids constantly ask when we would be able to go out there to him.  It was completely worth it though.

Friday I had everything packed up (actually all our bags had been packed on Thursday) and in the car with me and the children on the road by noon.  Anxious to be there wouldn’t quite describe how I was feeling.  The trip out was uneventful, but we did get there early so I stopped at Burger King to let the kids have a stretch and eat something.  They hadn’t had really anything to eat from being excited and I knew that the earliest they would eat would most likely be around 1800.  We got to his Mom’s house to find his Mom and Dad there.  There was much talking about where we should go… we had had his brother Tim and his girlfriend Devon talk him into going out to dinner with them two that night.  Though, the way it worked out because of Tim’s schedule was that we just had Dan come out to his Mom’s house.  Me and the kids were trying to wait patiently in the living room and his Dad took the car to a neighbor’s house while we waited.  Next thing I knew I heard Dan coming down the little hall saying hey… I got up and went to him where we just stayed for a few moments.  After that his Dad came back and they ordered pizza which he went to get.  When dinner was finished I got the kids ready for bed while Dan went and got his clothes… we had tried to hint that maybe he could bring them with him, but that didn’t work obviously.  We just spent the night talking and being inseparable.

Saturday we woke up, got dressed and headed out to Hocking Hills in Henry.  It’s was simply beautiful and wonderful at the same time.  I have seen all his lovely pictures from there, but to see it myself made it all the more special.  The kids and I loved the hiking, though it’s going to take a bit for them to really get used to it I think… especially Nicky, but he will.  I took some nice pictures, though not nearly as pretty as his.  We stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch and went back to his parents house.  He changed the oil in Henry, but the wind was blowing so much that the oil did go a bit wild and all over him.  The kids and I played outside for a while before taking them inside at Nicky’s request to get washed up in the ‘big tub’.  Dan got Nicky dressed and he fell asleep shortly after dinner truthfully.  The wind finally calmed down enough so Dan could make up a rather nice bonfire using the oil splattered cardboard and the old oil as a starter.  I know, it goes against everything I know as well, but it worked well.  Shannon loved it and we even made some smores.. not many, but some.  I took Shannon to bed and Dan’s Mom went to bed, leaving us out there for a bit by ourselves.  It honestly was quite nice.  I wish we would have thought about taking a blanket out and just laying there, but it was still a nice evening.  We did drink maybe one too many beers though…

Sunday we woke up and got dressed for church.  I let Dan drive the Mazda to show him just how bad it really was, which I was correct by the way.  He didn’t like it.  It’s slow even for a 4 cylinder.  My Ella has more power to it.  Church was fine then we went to Wendy’s with his Mom because she wanted to take us to get a bite to eat.  After that we went to a park, but it was closed so we went to another one that was quite nice.  Honestly we had beautiful weather this whole weekend.  The kids loved the park.  After we went to Mejier’s to get the kids some medicine and then to a little ice cream parlor.  Now, the line was quite long and the kids were  a bit hard to control but the ice cream was completely worth it.  We went back to his parent’s house and played outside for a bit.  I gave him a decent massage and he laid in the grass for a bit.  Again, Nicky wanted to go in early so we repeated the ‘big tub’ procedure.  Dan’s Dad cooked out on the grill and the food was excellent.  Nicky went to bed early again… poor thing was exhausted.  We all then went outside while Tim and Devon did a bit of archery and Dan even tried once and was rather good at it.  Of couse, him and I started playing around and wound up wrestling in the grass.  I would call it a draw between us… believe it or not we are pretty evenly matched or I would say well matched in everything about us.  Honestly though, he’s a scrappy thing… It was really fun though.  Shortly then Shannon went to bed and we both cleaned up a bit and I packed up the car.  We knew it was our last night together and neither one of us liked it.  We talked for a while and then decided to just head on up to bed.

Monday is Dan’s early day and he had to be up and out the door quickly.  I was up with him and we said our goodbyes… promising not to cry and for me to trust him.  (I kept my promise Dan.)  After he left, slowly his entire family did and I did with the kids shortly after.  The kids complained, whined and cried about wanting to stay.  Not that I could say much, I wanted to stay as well and felt like doing the same thing.  Besides us being tired and missing Dan I suppose we are fine.  If it was possible I know we would be packing now to go back.  It was a wonderful weekend and we cannot wait to be able to be there everyday.  Dan, I honestly cannot wait until we can spend every night in each others arms and though I know we will be together forever, forever cannot come fast enough.  I will always love you.