Back Together Again!

I have to say that I was starting to seriously miss Charlessa. I dropped her off for her flight out to her family, and got to spend a wonderful day with her before she took off. But since then I haven't seen Charlessa. Talking on the phone just isn't the same. I was with my family for Christmas, and that helped, but walking out of the terminal it was SO good to see Charlessa and have a good hug!

Now I get to be with her all the time! It's good to be back!

New Job

Yep, it’s a blessing that Jesse has a new job so quickly.

But at the same time, it’ll bring about changes. Though I’ve tried to appreciate certain things for the past 4 months, I know I’ll appreciate them anew and miss them when they aren’t there.

One change will be not having lunch together during the week. We haven’t gotten together for lunch on a regular basis, but we have done it several times and it was nice to know the option was there. Whether lunch at PHC or going out to someplace in Purcellville, it seemed like a stolen hour of relaxation.

The proximity of our work places and homes, and the flexibility we each enjoyed in scheduling our work, allowed us to make many plans with little notice. That will all change with his job farther away. Or maybe it will mean that more plans will be spur of the moment.

Thursday

It's icing. It's snowing. Accumulation of less than an inch is expected. Still, with the ice, a very good day to stay at home and off the roads. Unfortunately, that isn't what's happening. Jesse is scheduled to make the hour-long drive down to Alexandria this afternoon for an interview. With God's blessing, the drive will be made safely and the interview will go well.

The Story: June

Yep. June was the month that things really began to change, though how much was evident to others was minimal, if at all. Jesse said that he made a decision at karate camp. That was the first week of June (Sun 5-Tues 7). The second week of June (Sun 12-Fri 17), I was in South Carolina for a library conference. The third week of June (Mon 20-Fri 24) was Western Loudoun Community Church’s Vacation Bible School.

From some notes for myself written shortly after we started dating and before I knew about Jesse’s decision at karate camp:

“WLCC Vacation Bible school. While Jesse is a co-leader for games, I only scrape together enough time and attention to show up on the actual nights and help with crafts. We spend hours each night after VBS visiting and wandering through Round Hill in the summer evenings. During VBS and our times afterward, I look up to catch Jesse watching me or staring at me. It would unnerve me a bit, but when I looked into his eyes, he never looked away, never apologized in word or deed. This is the week that I realized that there would have to be a decision point. So many times when my friendships with guys reached about this point, I could use some irrefutable reason--such as distance or wrong timing—to gently shove the relationship back firmly to the plane of “just friends” without significantly marring it. This time, I didn’t have any such excuse handy…and wasn’t sure I wanted to find one. I began to anticipate the Ireland trip as a chance for my parents to meet Jesse in an extended, but casual setting.”

Continue: The Story Restarted

Popping a couple buttons off!

I got to go to the PHC Christmas Party with the most beautiful woman there!

Ok, you can go back to whatever you were doing. I just had to get that off my chest!

;^)

Meeting more family

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet Jesse's maternal grandmother. She was visiting this area from her home in Arizona (I think I've got that right). What was really fun, was that her family homesteaded in Kansas, so she grew up about 2 hours north of where I grew up. While we knew a lot of places in common, we weren't able to immediately establish any common people. Still, it was fun to share. I hope someday I have the chance to hear more of her stories of growing up in Kansas and stories from the many other places she has lived!

The Story: Going On?

Big Grin!

Yeah, yeah. And she doesn't mention anything that she does for me, like cards and meals and movies and cheering me up! Some cards, bouquets or petals are the least I can do. It makes my day so much more enjoyable too when I can stop by. It's a monochrome, 2D day when I don't see her!

We've had a great time in PA for Thanksgiving. It was a meet-the-relatives time for her and she pulled it of so very well! Heck that's too tame - she was the picture of poise, grace and charm the whole time! None of the movie stuff from Meet the Parents! Charlessa already met and knew my mom and siblings, though she had never met my dad until shortly before Thanksgiving. It's always nerve-wracking to meet his/her parents for the first time, or going to their house for the holidays, but this went off without a hitch. Better than that, it was wonderful!

Now, lemme see, where were we? *rummages around through past posts* Aha! There we go.

From January on through the beginning of July nothing much happened that outside people would see, or at least I don't think much was showing through. Though I certainly had plenty spinning around through my head. Not to set Charlessa up on a pedestal (ok, well maybe a little bit!), but I had always loved the grace and wisdom with which she had always spoken. I tend to be too quickly harsh and it was always a blessing to me when I would get emails or talk with her. I'd be inspired by her ideas and reminded to extend Grace regardless of what I think of others.

So by the time I moved back down to Virginia in January I already had her on a pedestal of sorts. It quickly grew taller.

For six months I made up excuses to see or talk with Charlessa - clogging, helping in the library, plays, church, books, movies, Bible studies. You name it, I used it. But I still made every effort to appear casual and wouldn't say that I was attracted to Charlessa in that way.

We were just good friends.
I thought really highly of her.
I enjoyed her company.
We had lots of similarities and similar interests.
Nothing more!
(SU-U-U-URE!)

After a couple months those were sounding pretty thin, even to myself. My mom asked me about Charlessa a few times and I even had some friends ask me if something was happening. And so, around June (at karate camp to be precise) I finally caved. I couldn't go on in good conscience anyway. I'm only mildly telepathic, and so couldn't quite tell what Charlessa was thinking. :^) I hated to possibly be putting Charlessa into an unsure limbo. "Is Jesse looking toward something more serious than friends here or not? He spends a lot of time, but nothing definite?"

Shortly after July 4th, after a couple weeks of prayer and getting any input dad and mom had to offer, I jumped in!

I just didn't mention it to Charlessa.

( the big chicken that I am! )

Continue: The Story: June