The Engagement

I had them re-enact the asking part for me to take a picture. Wanted a few close-ups of the ring too. They were all smiles that night. It was nice to see Cory so happy. He's had a lot of ups and downs with girls but I've always said that he is happiest when he has a girl at his side. He's meant to be married. I guess you could say that Stephanie helped him "find his smile" and that makes me happy. She has told me before How much she loves my son and I told her that has always been my wish for him to find someone that loves him as much as I do. I think she will be a good wife for him. She has her priorities in order and places Christian, wife and motherhood as her top priorities. That has impressed me from the start. Many girls her age now are all about getting that top career and being independent so it was refreshing for him to find someone who is going to be a dedicated wife and mother and who will work with him towards achieving a goal of heaven. Here are a few more pics from the night.

Here's Cory with his "what do I do now?" pose. And then a nice one of him hugging his girl. They make such a cute couple.
I guess this will be a busy winter with wedding plans in the works. Luckily most of that will fall to her family but I'm sure I'll be involved in some way too. They haven't set a date yet but they want to try to have it sometime in May or early June.

My Little Man is All Grown Up!

Wow, two posts in one day. It's a record for me. I thought it was important to document the "Big News" on the actual day. My son, Cory, has proposed to his girlfriend, Stephanie and they are now officially engaged. I'm really excited for him. He's had the ring since early summer but has been waiting for the right moment to pop the question. He took her to an expensive restaurant tonight and got on his knees and asked her. She said yes, of course, and now the plans are in motion for a wedding. They've been dating since last Christmas and it seemed like they hit it off from the start. I'm really happy for them. It's great to see new love blooming and growing. They came by here after their dinner out and I took a bunch of pictures of them. I told them to make sure to get pictures at the restaurant and of the outside of the restaurant so that we can make a good scrapbook page out of the deal. I think I have him trained up good. He even brought me the receipt from the meal and some brochures. They were all smiles tonight and I have to say it brought a smile to my face as well. Looks like I'll be gaining another daughter come summertime. I think she will fit into the family nicely.

Missing Russ

It's hard to put into words the feelings I have for my husband, Russ. We've known each other for 27 years and been married for 25. When we decided he should take the new job in Georgia, we knew it would be a challenging year. I don't think either one of us really realized how hard it would be to experience loneliness. He is stuck in an apartment until I can sell the house and for a man that is used to working in the yard and around the house as a hobby in his spare time, he's found himself with very little to keep himself busy. I thought that since I would still have two kids here that I would have the easier time but I'm feeling the pangs of loneliness as well. The kids are both working and involved with school activities so they are rarely home. I never listened to how quiet the house can be when it's just me. Russ and I share a very wonderful relationship. He's my best friend and confidant and we enjoy spending time together walking or hiking or visiting with friends. It's been hard for me to get out for a walk with him gone but the times that I have I really get that lonely feeling and I yearn to have him walking beside me. I totally hate the quiet of the night. The first month I don't think I slept much. I was so used to hearing him snore or stir at night and when it was totally quiet, I didn't know what to do. He's always been my strong rock. When things go wrong, I can always count on his calm way of handling things and easing my worries. I totally appreciate all he's always done for the family now that I'm trying to do everything myself. He always made it look so easy but I'm finding out that it is quite a stressful thing to be the "man of the house". I thank God daily for my husband. He is a rare jewel that somehow found me. I am so very lucky to wear the name of such a special guy. May this year fly by quickly so we can be back together full-time again. Until then, I'll be content to hear his voice on the phone each night, and to pack as much togetherness as I can in each monthly visit we get this year. I pray that God will keep him safe and happy while he is away from me.