The Bobby and Maggie Chronicles: Valentine's Day

So, I'm now resuming our dating biography and slowly but surely, the entire story will come out and everyone will know the truth and there will be no more secrets to hide. A week or so after Bobby came to visit me around New Year's we met in Cambridge. Bobby had a surprise for me, so we sat in his car as he handed me a small red gift bag that had some candy in it and he asked me if I would be his valentine. I thought this a little odd as Valentine's Day was a month away. I guess he was just trying to cover all his bases, because I guess I could find another valentine in the meanwhile.

So the weeks passed and as Valentine's Day rolled around we decided I would spend the weekend at Bobby's since he had to study for tests. I spent the two weeks prior making my present for him. I put together a study kit that included snacks and games and some homemade chocolates (chocolate and caramel covered pretzels, chocolate covered oreos and cherry cordials). I didn't want to be too extravagent, because there still weren't any strings attached to anything in this relationship, but I did want him to feel like I did something a little special.

I arrived on Friday night and we got dressed up to go to a dance with his ward. It was fun because I finally got to meet his friends and talk with them and see more of his life. Everyone was very friendly and kind and I had a great time. Bobby had a great time because he got to show me off and let his friends see how lucky he thought he was. He was just a little buoyed up by the general two-thumbs-up he got for me. It was nice just to dance and be silly and laugh together.

Saturday, however, was a horse of a different color (name the movie...). Bobby had to study all day which meant that he was holed up in his little cave he called his office and I was left to my own devices. I call his office a cave, but really it was his whole house, because he has lovely windows throughout his home, but because of paranoia of being robbed (don't ask me why) he would NEVER open his curtains. Since moving in, I have made a habit of letting the sun shine in and being able to see what's actually going on in the world outside. Anyway, he studied and I did nothing. I watched TV for a little while, read for a little while, and just putzed around for a little while. It was horrible. It made me seriously question my interest in this man...because I get bored waaaay too easily and sitting around like that waiting for him was not my idea of fun.

But, I can be stubborn, so I stuck it out. Sunday was a little better; we went to church together and hung out for a little while. It was hard leaving him that evening because I felt more than a little cheated out of a wonderful, lovely, romantic Valentine's Day weekend. And it did make me question just a little if I would be able to handle having a serious relationship with a serious dental student, but I still really enjoyed him so I decided to give it more time. Besides, he was really starting to grow on me...

Morgantown Celebration

We got back from our honeymoon on a Thursday and then that Saturday we had a party for our friends in Morgantown. We had some of our church friends over and Bobby's friends from school. We ate good food (I spent most of the day cooking and prepping and by the time the day was over I was ready for bed!) and had fun talking and I had a great time meeting more of Bobby's friends.


Yeremi, his wife Amanda, Kwang and Josh...all friends from Dental School


Me, Bobby and Kwang


Johnny, his wife Sarah, me and Bobby. Johnny was Bobby's great friend before his mission and he and his wife were able to travel from North Carolina to come, so we invited them over to the house for awhile after the party. I had a great time getting to know them better.

We had such fun spending the evening with friends that we love.

The Honeymoon! Part 4

Our last day we stayed in Panama City in the Old City, which was the original colonized portion. It has a wonderful, charming feel and we loved wandering around and seeing whatever we saw, like this old monastery ruin:


Our hotel was so cute, we absolutely loved it. It was an apartment that had been renovated from one of the original buldings and Bobby fell in love with the architecture and style of it, and we agreed that when we come back (and we have firmly decided that we will) we want to stay there again.



We had such a great time buying souvenirs and discovering the ice cream shop exactly next door to our apartment that had some of the best ice cream ever and some unusual flavors. We had some ice cream that evening and then the next morning before we were picked up to go to the airport.

As we were driving out of Panama City and flying from the green, lush country we were sad to leave. We had such a wonderful time discovering this country, spending time together and falling more in love. Panama will definitely see more of us again!

The Honeymoon! Part 3

We were driven back to the Pacific side of Panama on a horrible car ride throught the country on roads to windy that I thought I was going to be sick so I put my head on Bobby's lap and tried my best to sleep. He toughed it out, but even his iron stomach had a hard time with the curves. However awful we felt though, I have to admit that Panama is a beautiful country. There are some lovely things to see driving through the varied landscape.

We made it to Bocas Chica and took a boat taxi to our hotel, Cala Mia. This was by far my favorite place on our honeymoon. As we drove up to our hotel, we saw that there was absolutely nothing there but the hotel, it was completely secluded. Bobby saw that and was a little dismayed. I saw that and thought it was going to be great. Bobby's trepidation about not having enough to do was quickly put to rest as we found out how great it was to relax, do nothing and just enjoy each other.

The hotel was just individual bungalows...here's ours:


We loved spending time on the beach, Bobby's favorite thing to do was kayaking and mine was collecting shells.



We enjoyed spending the evenings reading in the hammock by the clubhouse.


We spent one morning hiking up a hill on the island and enjoyed the world around us and the beautiful view.


We really enjoyed Cala Mia, and since it was so isolated everyone came together as a community. We all ate dinner together in the evening and Bobby and I had a great time chatting with the other guests and getting to know some wonderful people.

Unfortunately, our stay there had to end and we flew back to Panama City to spend our last day there.

The Honeymoon! Part 2

We flew to the Caribbean side of Panama next and stayed in the town of Bocas Del Toro on the island Colon. It was a fun, relaxed town which felt very laid back and had a cool vibe. Our hotel was very charming (especially since the one we stayed at in Panama City was slightly disappointing).


We loved spending time wandering the streets and trying new food. We had some delicious seafood and fish, which would continue through our whole stay.

Our first day there we took a boat taxi to a smaller island to spend some time on the beach, which was quite nice. We laid on the sand, collected some shells and wandered along the beach for awhile and saw some cool rock formations and trees.


Then walked to a small restaurant and bar built over the ocean and waited for our ride back to Bocas.


Our second day we took a tour of some of the surrounding islands and beaches. The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time enjoying the water, beautiful sand and didn't think at all of the snow and cold in West Virginia.



Our favorite stop on the tour was Red Frog Beach. The inland portion of the island has poison dart frogs that live in the jungle, but the beach was the best part. Beautiful golden sand and clear, vibrant water with great waves made for a lot of fun.





We really had a great time at Bocas Del Toro, but we had to go somewhere else....where did we go? Stay tuned...

The Honeymoon!

Bobby planned a wonderful honeymoon to Panama. It was exciting, neither of us had been there before, and the weather had been so snowy and cold in Utah and Idaho that we were looking forward to warm, tropical sunshine.


Our first day we stayed in Panama City and took a tour with a wonderful guide named Giselle. It was fascinating seeing the city and all the architecture and learning about the history of the country.


We saw the canal, which is was incredible. Bobby and I just stood there for about an hour watching ships go through. It's amazing what those engineers and workers were able to accomplish.



The famous golden altar:



We enjoyed eating a lot of fresh seafood, and Ceviche became our favorite dish to eat while we were in Panama...we had it 4 times and being the dorky foodies that we are, had to analyze each one and decide which was the best.

Panama City was a lot of fun, but there was still a lot more to do! Stay tuned for the next installment...

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful this year! Of course it was wonderful...it was a celebration before the festivities and excitement of the wedding! Bobby and I flew to Utah on the Monday before and spent a few days with his mom and family. We had such a wonderful time eating good food and having lots of laughs. Mutti (mom in German) was a great hostess, always making sure we had full bellies and chasing the cats out of my room so I wouldn't have sneezing fits.


We had an early Christmas Eve since we would be spending that day with my family. We opened presents with Muttie and Xax and Shannon and had a wonderful time. I love Bobby's family so much...they've done so much for me and the love they've shown me has made me feel so welcome and like I've become part of the family--which I now have!

We drove up to Pocatello on Christmas Eve and spent the next couple days with my family. Christmas Eve we spent eating a lovely Christmas dinner and then, as tradition in my family, having a cream puff eating contest.




We opened presents and enjoyed spending time with family--isn't Lilly just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I could just chew on her for a while!. I hadn't been able to spend Christmas with my family for the last two years and it was wonderful sharing that time with them.

Bobby comes to Columbus

The weekend after New Years, Bobby decided he needed to see me again, desperately. I think the boy was really starting to like me...a lot...which I was a little concerned about because my feelings for him weren't that strong yet and I didn't want him to think I felt more than I actually did. I've always tried to be careful about that in relationships, because I really hate it when one party leads the other on and someone ends up getting their heart broken. And I didn't want to be the one breaking any hearts. Especially Bobby's since he seemed to be such a wonderful, nice guy.

Anyway, he drove up on Saturday morning, which I was impressed with since it meant that he left home around 7 am. When he arrived we went to the Bodies Exhibit--a traveling exibit of preserved and dissected human bodies as well as other preserved human systems (nerve, blood, etc). Really quite interesting and Bobby really enjoyed it because he had just studied Gross Anatomy and had all this stuff rattling around in his brain. So we walked around and he showed off just a bit by demonstrating what he'd learned. Okay, he showed off more than a little bit. I could tell he was really trying to impress me. But all I could think about was how cute and funny he was about his excitement for this stuff.

We went back to my house and I made dinner. And I showed off a bit too...this man had cooked me a pretty good dinner just a few days ago and I wanted to show him that I was far superior in that field. His forte was at the Bodies Exhibit, mine was in the kitchen. We had roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash risotto and roasted asparagus. Absolutely delicious. And then if that hadn't sealed the deal already I made him coconut avocado ice cream (a favorite of his from the Philippines) with lemon cookies.

Then he learned what kind of a woman a really am as I proceeded to kick his butt in Mario Kart. Yes, I am a geek and I love to play video games and I don't think he was quite expecting that. After we decided to get married he asked me how I would feel if he invited the boys over to play video games. He started laughing and shook his head, "Who am I kidding, you'll play with us!"

We played video games for a little while, then sat down at the piano together and I played and we both sang, which was really fun and sweet. Bobby doesn't have the best voice in the world, but he LOVES to sing and does it with just about everything he's got and it makes me smile all the time.

Then we just snuggled and watched a movie and kissed. He left around 9 and as I shut the door I realized that I missed him. What?! I miss him?! He just left 10 seconds ago...can you really miss someone that soon? Absolutely.

New Year's Eve

I left work early on New Year's Eve, earlier than I had thought. I was supposed to get into Morgantown around 7 or 8 but I ended up leaving work around 2 which put me into Morgantown around 5. I called Bobby on the way and let him know and I could tell he went into panic mode. "Is it okay if I'm there that early?" "Oh yeah, of course!" (said quite frantically) I laughed to myself. "Is this going to screw up your dinner?" "No, no. You can come whenever you want." He had been bragging to me about how good of a cook he was, so I was eager to put him to the test. But, knowing what it's like to cook a nice dinner and have your timing get thrown off, I didn't want him to think he had to be totally ready by the time I got there.

When I arrived he was so excited to see me and his house smelled wonderful and he was bustling around the kitchen trying to make sure everything was perfect. He was really quite cute...frenetic, but cute. So I sat down and we chatted while he finished his preparations and we ate. Scallops for an appetizer. Yummy. And some sort of a curry coconut chicken dish. Really good (though I would find out that generally everything he makes is a curry variation. He needs to mix it up a bit more.) and it was very sweet that he went through all the trouble.

After dinner we went to the church for a party his ward was having. We hung out for a little while, played games and talked with some friends and went back to his house. By that time we just waited for midnight and kissed. Then just spent time talking, which was the best part of the night. We stayed up until 3 am learning more about each other. Finally realizing what time it was (and that we're old and can't handle staying up that late) we went to bed. He went and stayed in his mom's house and I slept in his bed. Which meant I didn't sleep very well because I never sleep well the first night I'm staying in a different bed.

The next morning we hung out and then went to a movie...I have no idea which one, but we had fun and then went to his mom's house and I got to meet her. I thought she was a sweet, funny, feisty little woman and it was nice to see her and Bobby interacting. She fed us and by then it was time for me to pack up and go home.

I was really impressed with his life in Morgantown. I had been curious to see how he lived and how abysmal his bachelorhood was, but I was pleasantly surprised. His house was clean (I've never really seen it in total disarray, because he's really good about cleaning before I come) and he seemed to be able to take care of himself. Major points for him there.

Hmmm...I think I'm starting to like this boy.

Date Number 3: Cambridge and the Kiss

After our Wheeling date, I was bound and determined not to see this boy again. There were no fireworks, no sparks, nothing that really made me feel anything more than friendship for him. But I liked our friendship a lot. He was easy to talk to, had a fun sense of humor and I liked how he made me feel about myself and the world. I hadn't enjoyed a friendship with a guy this much in a long time and it made me wonder if there could be more. Maybe I just had to give it a little time. Maybe Bobby was one of those personalities that could grow on me. I felt like I wanted it to be that way. Even though I thought our first two dates had been less than stellar, I realized I wanted to keep him in my life. Thus, date number three.

So, just before Christmas it was my turn to pick location and activity, so I did some research and found Cambridge, Ohio. A cute little town only an hour and fifteen minutes from me. Ha! Take that, Bobby! He would have to drive farther than me this time! I found a site online about Cambridge and discovered that every year they have their own Dickins Village where they have figures dressed in Dickins era clothes and spread in vignettes along the main street. Sounded charming.

We met for lunch and went to Theo's and had a good meal and some delicious pie. I was thoroughly happy by this point. There are few things in this world that can make me more satisfied than good dessert. We wandered around the main street for a while looking in shops and checking out the Dickins characters. They were more creepy than anything, and we had a good laugh. After walking we decided to do something else and went to the park.

We spent some time swinging and playing on the jungle gyms and then went back to the swings. While we were swinging we started jumping off the swings and seeing how far we could go. Bobby made a bet: whoever could jump the farthest won something. I asked what and immediately he said a kiss. "Great," I thought, "he's doing this because he knows he's going to win, there's no fairness in making a bet you know you're going to win!" But, I have to admit, I was warming up at this point, and the thought of kissing him didn't bother me. I had been truly having fun with him and I realized this was the first time that I had felt totally comfortable and enjoying a date with him. So we jumped, and yes, he won. And yes, he kissed me. Just a quick kiss, no big deal. But goodness, it changed something in him, because after that he wouldn't stop holding my hand (first time for that too) and kissing me on the cheek. He was really pretty cute about it.

Then a movie. I don't remember at all what we saw. I just remember that we sat down in the theater and he leaned over with this big goofy grin and kissed me on the cheek. And I thought, "Gosh, he's really excited to be here with me. This guy likes me a lot. I need to try a little harder." Because, really, I liked spending time with him. So I broached the subject of New Year's. "So, I have New Year's Day off and was wandering if you would want me to come see you for New Year's Eve?" He smiled, "That would be great!"

Realization: I want to go out with this boy again.

Date Number 2: Wheeling

Bobby called a couple days later and said that he had been really nervous on our date. Hmmm...that could explain some of the weirdness. Maybe I could give him a second chance. I wasn't quite willing to give up the friendship we had made over the last couple months. I had enjoyed emailing him and talking to him on the phone. I thought he was honest, sincere, slightly silly and had a nice outlook on life and the world. Plus, he was in dental school, which meant that he had a goal and was willing to work exceptionally hard to achieve it. All very good qualities in a man.

After Thanksgiving we decided that we would drive and meet half way between Columbus and Morgantown. Bobby was in charge of finding the place and activity and he picked Wheeling, West Virginia. I Map Quested it and, what!? A two hour drive!? In the middle was supposed to be an hour and a half, and now he was getting the better end of the deal. What is this? I was half tempted to call him back and tell him no thank you. But I suppose I realized I was being selfish; he had driven 3 hours to see me, surely I could drive 2?

We met at a Chinese restaraunt in Wheeling and had a yummy dinner...Bobby has since come to adore this place and often stops on his way back from seeing me to get some take out. Still slightly awkward, but a lot better than the first date. We were able to talk more openly and freely about ourselves and our lives. Bobby had a beard at this point, which threw me off a bit, I like a little scruff, but he was getting pretty grizzly. After dinner we went to Dairy Queen and had some ice cream, which earned him points, since I love ice cream, and then the evening got veeeerrrry interesting. I wanted to go to Oglebay Park. A friend at work told me that they have wonderful Christmas light displays, so we tried that, but the traffic was abominable. So Bobby called a friend who told him we needed to go to Cabela's.

If you haven't been on a date to Cabela's, consider yourself lucky. Cabela's is a wonderful mecca, only for those who like to kill things. It's a delight for the avid sportsman, fisherman and hunter types who love guns and all things outdoors. These souls make the pilgrimage to Cabela's from miles around. Now, I love the outdoors, I grew up fishing with my grandpa and dad, but this was not my idea of a fun date activity. Cabela's is NOT a romantic setting, it does NOT make for intimate conversation and a budding relationship. Cabela's is full of DEAD animals and all the implements to make them that way. In short, I was wondering what this man was thinking bringing me here.

We wandered for awhile and then, then Bobby had the smashing idea of making me try on orange hunting garb and taking pictures. The nerve of this man! I was barely enjoying myself, and he thought it was going to be great fun documenting our fabulous date by dressing me up in hunting gear and recording this moment for all time. Hmmph.

We finally went back to my car and he gave me a kiss on the cheek with his scruffy beard and I told him that he needed to shave. All I thought as I drove away was, "Great, now he's going to think I want to kiss him."

For the record, I did NOT want to go out with him again.