Our first "official" meeting at the airport out of the way we trudge into a Thanksgiving weekend with the Grindahl's...not one to be scoffed at! Here goes...
Thursday, November 25th
Thanksgiving morning I prepped a salad to bring to dinner while Matt did his first ever bit of shoveling! It thought it was very sweet that he offered to shovel, but his first comment after having first stepped outside of "You call this a shovel?" had me a bit worried. At least it had only shoveled an inch or so. A light dusting of sorts we might call in MN. I finished the salad, Matt finished the shoveling...well, sort of...he shoveled from the back door, around the side of the house and the front sidewalk, but didn't do the sidewalk out the back to the garage or the driveway. Although Matt's first shoveling may not have been up to Minnesotan standards...he was shoveling, and I didn't have to do it! I was elated! After 41/2 years of caretaking and 2 years of living on my own there was someone else that can shovel...even if only that once...but he'll learn. It's not like it only snows once in Minnesota! :) It may have seemed like a little thing to him, shoveling the sidewalk, but it was huge in my book!
The "work" being done we headed over to my parents for a quick meet and greet of the immediate family before we threw him to the rest of the extended family later that afternoon. And I was nervous...I had never brought someone home to meet the family before, let alone someone who I had just literally met in person the day before. Whew! Heart racing, palms sweating, stomach lurching we got in the car and drove the 7 miles to my parents house. We got their just in time for my brother and sister-in-law to arrive with my sister and brother-in-law from the airport. It was a bit frenzied, but introductions out of the way we had a seat in the living room and just spent some time hanging out playing a little Wii bowling...which I do believe I won and had some general chatting. The family was very accepting! I felt at east and I think Matt did too.
AND...after 8 months, Hilary could finally hear his voice...silly, but true, every time I would talk on Skype to Matt and she would stop by she would make him stop talking or have me put him on mute because she "didn't want to hear his voice" until they met in person. We are still not sure as to why this was what she wanted, but there you go. So, after 8 months of silence, the voice was heard. I have a feeling it had something to do with his accent, but ok...and...
One of my favorite moments of the weekend was about to happen. My Aunt Sue and Uncle Dan were showing up with my grandparents at my parents house before the big meal at Deb's. When they came in it was introductions all around again and Matt sure was charming. You have to remember, if you've already forgotten, we haven't seen each other in social settings...anywho...he greeted my Uncle and Grandpa Omar with a nice handshake and gave my Aunt Sue and Grandma Ruby hugs with a kiss on the cheek...and here it is, one of my favorite moments...Grandma giggled and said "Oooo, I like him!" And gave me this knowing look, the look of raised eyebrows and a grin only a grandma can give.
Did some more bowling. Chatted a bit more and then back in the car and headed out to Deb's for the meal.
Poor Matt! My family is pretty big and we are very close. I think we just stood in the doorway making introductions for the first 10 minutes. I just told him, if you can't remember any of the guys names just call them Paul (as we have 3 Paul's - an uncle, and 2 cousins hubbies). All settled in, introductions done, food ready, we dug in and Matt enjoyed his first Thanksgiving meal. (I'll let him describe the food, cause being the Yank I'm used to the traditional Thanksgiving food etc. No biggie for me.)
As dinner came to a close one of my cousins passed around a list for people to sign up to go out and play some snow football. Oh...I should define that as "American" football. Both being things Matt had yet to experience..."American" football and playing in the snow. So, my brother, Nate, signed him up. Matt leaned over and asked me what he had just been signed up for. I told him he didn't have to go, especially because he has a bum knee, but he said he wanted to go....and go he did. The family got him outfitted with gloves and a hat etc and he trudged outside to play some ball.
Deb's house has this magnificent picture window looking out to the back yard where they were playing so a few of us settled into our front row, "heated" seats and watched as they all ran, passed, slipped and fell on the snow, which once trudged through reveled ice underneath. (And sorry to say it babe, but you were the best to watch. Not because I love you so, because I do, but because I think you were down as much as you were up. But boy did you try hard! And they even threw you the ball a few times too!) But unfortunately in one of those stumbles Matt twisted his bum knee again. It was at that time that my Aunt Sue turned to me and asked if we could start calling you limpy...welcome to the family! :) I was worried about Matt and his knee because it was only the first day and he was limping and awful lot, but refused to come in until it was over. I didn't want to go out there and ruin his fun so I just stayed inside. I figured that he was an adult and could make the decision about coming in on his own. Plus, it looked like he was enjoying himself. And I think he did.
It started getting dark and it was also getting close to the time for the movie to go on! Yep! We watch a movie...and can any of you guess what movie that might be? It's my all time favorite! The whole family knows it, because shortly after we arrived it was announced to me that we would be watching ELF later that evening on their screen. What fun! And Matt had never seen it! So we settled in to watch a movie I know all the words to! :) And it was great! Sitting next to Matt, surrounded by my family, watching Elf...what more could a girl want?
During the movie I was also introduced to the most addicting game...EVER! Yep! Angry Birds! I wasn't very good at it. Apparently catapulting angry little birds at greedy little green pigs is not one of my talents, but it sure is fun! And Matt is really good at it...so it was fun to have some lessons on killing the little piggies from an expert!
After the movie we ended up sitting at a table sharing our story and the details of our first meeting and official date the day before. There was also some conversation on the difference between English and American. One of mine and Matt's "favorite" topics. ;) But I will save some of those differences for another post. There are plenty...and some have caused laughter, some have caused confusion, while others have caused just plain frustration.
The evening wound down and we decided to head out because the next day we were heading up to Trout Lake Camp for the day and overnight for Thanksgiving with the Grindahl's.
And that was day 2...more to come!
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| Our first official photo together...Thanksgiving Day, 2011 |
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| My Grandparents - Omar & Ruby (and Grandma's little smile.) |
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| Nate & Heidi (all the way from Maine!) |
