March 3 is a special day :)

Hellooo world :)

Back to the grind...I only have 4 weeks left of work until I'm off with two kiddos for a year (assuming that I don't have the baby before 4 weeks - in which case, less time at work). See how I made that sound like a total piece of cake? That's what I'm trying to believe!! :)

We had a pretty good weekend in which we got a lot of little things done as well as some nice family time and some laughs with our silly little toddler. I would have loved to watch the Oscars, but just wasn't able to stay up late enough. I am looking forward to browsing the red carpet looks today online though and reading about the acceptance speeches!!

Yesterday, Molly was overjoyed when I used a beer box to attach a "trailer" to her little car so she could drive around with her doll and animals behind her. Cute, right?

We also took her swimming yesterday and she was soooo excited. We don't take her often enough and I'd like to start taking her more because she loves it SO much and it's a pretty inexpensive activity. She is going to be taking swimming lessons and soccer this summer, so I know she will get a lot out of that.

March 3, 2010 is the day that Brian and I had our very first date. AKA the first time we ever met in person. (We had talked online/on the phone for about a month prior to this). We drove to the restaurant separately, met there, and ate delicious Greek food. We had a great conversation over dinner. He told me (months later) that I was awkwardly fidgeting a bit and adjusting my shirt. I don't even remember feeling nervous. He seemed more laid back, which is funny because he is definitely more shy than I am. He told me a lot of stories about his family and his childhood, and we felt pretty comfortable.

When we were done eating, I drove with him across the street and we played glow-in-the-dark mini golf. It was great, and a nice way to extend the evening. I had also brought him a cupcake with a happy face on it ( I had made a big batch for my cousin's birthday), and I felt weird about it at the time, but he loved it, haha. Overall, there was very minimal awkwardness, and I remember thinking that I was SO happy about that. He "let me win" at mini-golf (I won fair and square) and he texted me as soon as I got home saying how much he enjoyed himself and wanted to get together again. So we did, a week later, and then a couple of days after that, and the rest is history :).

Here's where we sat at dinner (under the tree!)

(Via)

I remember a friend of mine wanted me to check in with her once or twice on the date & definitely when I left/got home because it can be a bit nerve-wracking meeting someone from the internet. That was a very smart idea, but I was lucky to have nothing to worry about. I have been asked many times since we met how I feel about the fact that we met online, and truthfully, I mostly feel lucky. I didn't have the typical "online dating" experience because I was very, very picky about talking to guys on MSN or meeting in person or anything like that. I only met one person before Brian, and he was nice enough but just wasn't my type. I think it is extremely important to be picky in online dating. If you don't even like talking to someone over the internet when they can edit everything they are saying, why would you like them in person? (this is a personal opinion - obviously some people might be better in person than online.)

I also consider myself lucky because Brian and I likely would never have met if we hadn't connected online. When I first sent him a message, his profile had a few questions for people to answer so he could get to know them better (which I really liked because it gave us something to talk about and we instantly learned that we had a few things in common). It helped that both of us were open to being in a relationship, but not desperately seeking one at the time. We are both relatively serious people who weren't looking for a fling online. It's just the way that it worked out for us at the time.

I will never forget March 3, 2010 and the way it made me feel. It was a special first date, and I've mentioned to Brian that we should re-create it sometime. :) We actually had our wedding rehearsal dinner at the same restaurant, and we've been back there a few times, but not lately! I am so grateful for the "fate" that brought us together four years ago and brought us to where we are today.

At a friend's wedding December 2012

It is also my beloved grandmother's 80th birthday today! She is an amazing woman who I had the privilege of living with for 2 years when I was studying at St. FX. She is one of the most active women I know, and participates in a lot of different community activities. She also travels frequently and spends a lot of time with all of our family. She is like a second mother to me, and I am thinking of her today!

Hope you all have a great Monday!!