Cheers To A Lifetime Of Adventures Together!

My son was born 21 days early – very healthy but it was a big shock that he arrived so soon.  The nurses wanted him to stay in the nursery that first night, just to make sure that he was ok.  I kept getting out of my bed and would walk to the windows of the nursery and plaster my face against the window pane.  I just could not let him out of my sight.  Finally one of the nurses opened the door, pulled up a rocking chair and told me to sit down.  She then placed Dan in my arms.  I sat up the entire night holding him.  I thought to myself, “No one can ever love this little baby as much as I do.”

I held that thought throughout his toddler and little boy years.  And I was right – well, except for my husband (his Dad) and his Gram June.  I repeated those words through his middle and high school years.  I cried the entire drive home after dropping him off at college, lamenting, “No one will ever love and miss this young man like I do.”  Faster than I could blink my eyes, he was a young man – an extremely kind, thoughtful, funny, loving young man.  He rolls his eyes at me plenty of times and we can get snarky with each other but we are always there for each other.  He has been known to rescue me when I get into brawls in the mosh pit at Dropkick Murphys concerts. Surely, no one could ever love this young man like I do…

I was wrong.  Almost three years ago, Dan asked if he could bring a friend from college whom he had recently reconnected with to my Dad’s birthday dinner and Victoria (or V, as we all call her) entered our lives.  I liked her instantly – we all liked her instantly.

Dan was smitten and we suspected in love.  They are perfect for each other – they share the same warped, zany sense of humor!  Like Dan, V is kind, thoughtful, funny, and loving. They enjoy cooking together and fine dining.  V soon became a fan of Dropkick Murphys.  They go camping, hiking, browsing antique stores,  and traveling together.  After a rocky start, their dogs Jäger and Bear have become like brothers.

I sat and watched them when I thought they weren’t looking (they probably were because I was not very stealth in my staring).  What I saw was admiration and gasp! LOVE when they looked at each other -  there was handholding and sweet embraces when they thought no one was looking.  Soon I would overhear, “I love you” being said to one another.
“Could it be,” I pondered – “could V love Dan as much as I do?”  No, I was wrong, she loves him more – so much more than a Mother’s love. And that makes this Mom’s heart soar with joy and happiness.

Dan and V embarked on a trip to the coasts of Oregon and the Redwoods of California this past September.  Dan had an engagement ring hidden in his suitcase.  They spent 8 days hiking and camping out in nature.  He had plans to propose at the top of Crater Lake at sunset.  Mother Nature had other plans as fog enveloped the National Park and the temperature dropped to 37º!  Dan rolled with the punches and waited an extra day when the sun finally came out and the fog lifted.  On the afternoon of September 12th, they hiked up the trail to Crater Lake and on bended knee, he asked V to marry him.  Her reply? “Of course I will marry you!”

Dan’s post on his Facebook page summed it up best: “She said yes to being my adventure buddy forever, and we are so excited to plan what comes next. I love you, V!”

Congratulations D and V!  And welcome to our wild and crazy Clan, V!  We love both of you so very, very much!