How I Met Your Father

So I'm at the Staff retreat in '94 and so excited to be a part of Calvary Schools. For some reason, my MCA experiences are etched into my memory like no other and since leaving (my family had felt led to move-to a little place we affectionately call Mo Val-to be near family, have grandparents move in with us-whole other story-and because "they" said there would never be a high school) I had always desired to return. This new chapter in my life was, to say the least, refreshing, especially after "our time in the desert"-literally! In retrospect, I KNOW that the Lord's hand was in ALL of it. Sometimes, when I hear people question why were we here or there or why did God allow these years (and I mean the hour long discussion that goes nowhere, not our natural, finite mind expressing doubt) I just find myself thinking, "Yada, yada, yada, BUT GOD! Look at how it shaped us. Look at the people met and friendships formed. Romans 8:28" I'm so glad I was raised to "gird up my loins". Sometimes, you just have to, you know? And if we had stayed, I probably would have never dated a guy with my same last name and vice versa. As I was updating the other Neumanns on my family, Gary asks, "Soooo how old are you?...I have a son!" I wanted to run for the hills. I kept avoiding him and entered every meeting from the opposite door. Back down the hill at a staff luncheon, I'm eating (with all my mother's friends, had no social circle of my own yet-mind you I love those ladies) and what comes over my head, but a prom picture with a napkin covering his date. So all the ladies oohh and aahh over this wonderful (and handsome, I might add) Danny. I smiled, red faced and mumbled something like "Hmm... thank you... that's nice." I mean really... very awkward. So after 2 months of "Psst. He's here", I finally agreed to meet him and get it over with (knowing full well after hearing how shy he was and that he didn't like set-ups, so his own dad said-IRONIC-that this would be rough on him too). So off I go out to the lunch area where he was eating. He used to come by the kitchen (where his mom works) to grab lunch in between the beach and OCC. Gary taps him on the shoulder (mid bite mind you) and introduces us. So he stands and politely we engage in conversation. Really we were grasping at straws at what to talk about. So can you guess the topic? MCA and all its glories:) Makes me laugh to this day. Meanwhile, what made this more awkward, was that Gary, in his usual way, walks away after the introduction. Doesn't stay for that third party buffer. Instead goes and sits at the picnic table, legs stretched out, arms crossed, and tipping his head quite pleased with himself. He calls himself "Tevia", from Fiddler on the Roof and after a while into us dating would walk by humming the Matchmaker song. If you know Gary, this is all very easily pictured. But the kicker in this story is that it all occurred during JR HIGH LUNCH with Gary surrounded by gawking, giggling adolescents:) This maybe ten minute saga, that felt like forever, ended with me needing to get on the bus and the nice statement of "See you at church". And so we did! I love that we began with fellowship... which led to dating... which began our life in the bubble:)