We went to Chloe in Redmond that Friday night. Actually, we were early for our reservation, so first we drove through Dutch Brothers and then sat in the WalMart parking lot and watched the sky change colors with the sunset. Then we went to Chloe. The restaurant was empty except for a table full of older ladies laughing and gossiping. We were seated in the booth right next to them of course.
Our table was the biggest one ever created. Sitting across from each other, I had to stretch to reach Danny--we tried because I wasn't sure I could do it, but our hands could meet in the middle. We ended up scooting to the other end and sitting at a right angle to each other so that we could hear each other over the booth next to us. Our waitress had to practice her gymnastics moves to refill the water and hand us our food. I felt almost bad...but then again, there were plenty of other tables they could have sat us at!
I looked very nice, if I do say so myself...well, and Danny said it too. It was a special night so I had dressed up. Danny had too. It was fun to be talking again and we caught up on the last 9 and a half weeks over our meals.
We finished before the table next to us and headed back to my house. Everyone had already gone to bed so we sat in the living room talking some more. How do you bring the conversation around to, "So, what are we going to do now?"
I finally just told him the conclusion I had come to: I did want to date him again, if that was still what he wanted. He did. And so then we were dating again.
There were a lot of fun dates in the months ahead. There were also some frustrating times of course as there are in any relationship. We knew we weren't just dating frivolously. We were dating to see if we were going to get married. I was the wishy-washy of the two. Sometimes I was a resounding, definite "YES!" and other times I was a, "I just don't know." Danny always knew though. That's why he had come back. Why he had waited so patiently for me to come up with an answer. And why he was waiting for just the right time to ask me to marry him...but that's another story.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Answer--Sort Of
I had a 30 x 30 list. A list of 30 things I wanted to do before I turned 30 years old. (You can read about it on "Jenna's Jottings.") Anyway, Danny was determined to help me finish the list--like any good friend, or not quite boyfriend, or...what were we anyway?!
Hiking Smith Rock for the first time was on my list, so on January 8, 2011 we set out. It was a beautiful and slightly crisp day and there were still traces of snow on the sides of some of the paths. We were going to hike Misery Ridge. I always thought that they should rename that if they really wanted people to come. Having now hiked it, I think they should leave the name exactly as it is. People should be warned! (Plus, as a side note, why do they have a steep hike just to get back to street level? By that point people should be allowed to walk downhill!).
Danny was great to hike with. He was patient and stopped to let me rest without me even asking. He made sure I knew where to step so I wouldn't slip. He carried the backpack with our water. He had even brought snacks, but I couldn't eat them because I thought I was going to throw up. As we rested at the top and looked at the beautiful view, we started talking about our relationship. I had been praying about it and seeking counsel and thought we should take a break from each other (much like the previous break) for about three months.
I thought he was going to choke and fall off the rock. He had been thinking it would be for about a week again. But I needed to sort through some things. He said that since it had been his fault, he would wait...however long it took me to decide.
A few days later we set the exact dates. He wanted to be there for Lauren's birthday on the 11th, so we would start on the 12th. We wanted to end before Spring Break because if we decided to date again we would be going to Northern California together to visit my friend. The grand total was 9 and a half weeks of separation.
On our last night together (Lauren's birthday) I assured him that I would let him know as soon as I had a definite answer.
We had a farm class together once a week, so we did see each other, and we did talk in class, but only about generalities like we would with our other classmates. And he did call the house a couple of times to talk to my mom about some farming something or other and I answered, and then quickly handed over the phone. Once, I called him because I had some pressing relationship questions. They were the kind that depending on his answers would determine whether we needed to continue our fast or I could just tell him then that it wouldn't work. He passed and we went back to no contact.
On March 18th the fast ended. It was the Friday evening that Spring Break started. He came to pick me up to take me to dinner and I gave him my answer...but that's another story.
Hiking Smith Rock for the first time was on my list, so on January 8, 2011 we set out. It was a beautiful and slightly crisp day and there were still traces of snow on the sides of some of the paths. We were going to hike Misery Ridge. I always thought that they should rename that if they really wanted people to come. Having now hiked it, I think they should leave the name exactly as it is. People should be warned! (Plus, as a side note, why do they have a steep hike just to get back to street level? By that point people should be allowed to walk downhill!).
Danny was great to hike with. He was patient and stopped to let me rest without me even asking. He made sure I knew where to step so I wouldn't slip. He carried the backpack with our water. He had even brought snacks, but I couldn't eat them because I thought I was going to throw up. As we rested at the top and looked at the beautiful view, we started talking about our relationship. I had been praying about it and seeking counsel and thought we should take a break from each other (much like the previous break) for about three months.
I thought he was going to choke and fall off the rock. He had been thinking it would be for about a week again. But I needed to sort through some things. He said that since it had been his fault, he would wait...however long it took me to decide.
A few days later we set the exact dates. He wanted to be there for Lauren's birthday on the 11th, so we would start on the 12th. We wanted to end before Spring Break because if we decided to date again we would be going to Northern California together to visit my friend. The grand total was 9 and a half weeks of separation.
On our last night together (Lauren's birthday) I assured him that I would let him know as soon as I had a definite answer.
We had a farm class together once a week, so we did see each other, and we did talk in class, but only about generalities like we would with our other classmates. And he did call the house a couple of times to talk to my mom about some farming something or other and I answered, and then quickly handed over the phone. Once, I called him because I had some pressing relationship questions. They were the kind that depending on his answers would determine whether we needed to continue our fast or I could just tell him then that it wouldn't work. He passed and we went back to no contact.
On March 18th the fast ended. It was the Friday evening that Spring Break started. He came to pick me up to take me to dinner and I gave him my answer...but that's another story.
Smith Rock:
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