Married Hope

The only dates I will have in my future are date nights with my husband!

TubaDad and I were married in a private ceremony (and I do mean private! the two of us, the officiant and the photographer) at the Arboretum in Dallas.

It was a perfect day and a perfect weekend.

Thank you for following along this little blog and my dating adventures.

If you or a friend is out there looking for love, I'm here to tell you- You can have the love of your life!

Open your heart to the possibility.

Open your mind to know that no one is "perfect".

Live as if you are already with your soul mate and believe in your heart they are out there looking for you, too.

Your only job is to be ready to accept them into your life when you meet them.

There is so much you can learn about relationships and dating from some people that guided me. Arielle Ford,  Evan Marc Katz, Claire Zammit, Dr. John Gray, Dr. Gary Chapman and so many more.

Blessings, peace, and love to you all.

The end.

Meet the Fockers

Are you still following along with this little blog about my dating adventures? Blogging about dating sure does become boring when you're dating the same guy everyday. Boring in a good way!

Yesterday was the 14th- or 489th day of the best days of my life or 16 months since I met the love of my life.

On the 12th, TubaDad and I, along with my two boys, travelled to my parents home for my 25 year class reunion. The purpose of the trip was two fold.

1- I was going to spend quality time with my friends that I grew up with so many years ago.
2- TubaDad wanted to meet the Fockers- or better known as my parents.

While I ran around with my friends, TubaDad soaked in time with the Fockers. They got along perfectly fine on the 13th as we started the day at my parents ranch, line fishing for perch at the pond and just enjoying nature. TubaDad and Poppa Focker bonded as they cracked open their first Miller Lite at 10am.

Let the male bonding begin! I hear there was a lot of beer drinking and fire cracker popping.

Late afternoon, while I was still running around with friends, TubaDad told the Fockers that he was going to marry Hope- that's me! Poppa Focker said, "Well, you don't need to tell me. You need to tell her."

TubaDad said that he had told me and then told them that it would be before the end of the year to which Momma Focker replied, "Oh."

When I returned everyone seemed happy- or drunk, not sure which- but they were enjoying some good old Nascar racing so we procured some dinner and afterwards I left my crew to go drink and dance and be merry with friends.

It was a great weekend. I was spending time remembering my friends from the past looking forward to my future.

Within the next 78 days I will marry TubaDad and life has never felt so good.

14 months

I like the number 14 because I met my sweetheart on the 14th of June.

We have been dating for 14 months today.

Or, 428 days!

All is well in TubaLand.

TubaDad sold his house this month. The house he owned with the "prior administration".

Bribes had to be dealt out.

Stress was all about.

It made me want to shout!

Obscenities!

I did shout them.

But in the end, it only drew us closer together and we made out.

And life is still good.

Real Good.

Best 368 Days Ever!

It's official. 1 year, 1 day down and 1 more in progress.

It's been a fabulous year with TubaDad.

There has been a lot of eating out- I have the ten pounds to prove it.

There were two vacations. Both of them spectacular.

There have been a multitude of phone calls and text messages and hugs and kisses.

Savoring every moment that I have with this man.

He's a good catch.

Eleven.

336 days ago (or 11 months for those of you less tedious types) I met TubaDad.

Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp! Sing a long friends. Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp!

Happy 336 Days to us!

And, many more!!!


PS He took my boys shopping for Mother's Day and it was very sweet.

This is a public service announcement: Never fly Spirit Airlines.

It's April 30th and by the lack of me writing any posts you should have assumed that all is right in the world of TubaDad and Hope. And if that's what you have assumed although we all know that assuming makes and ass out of you and me, you would be correct.

Since my last post in February, TubaDad and I have been on two trips. The first to Mexico and the second to Key West.

The first trip presented some challenges for us. I'm sure a cosmic test to see how we would do under stress. Our flight left at 6:30am and we had both set our alarms for 4:30am. I'm not quite sure how to adults over the age of 40 BOTH set their alarms incorrectly but that's what we did and when I woke up at 5:06am the two of us were in fast forward motion throwing on our clothes, throwing stuff in our bags and throwing ourselves in the car.

Lucky for us we only live 5 minutes from the airport, if that. As I read the itinerary a little uh-oh bubbles up out of my mouth as I announce that our flight actually leaves at 6:10am. TubaDad applies more gas and I'm holding on for dear life.

Since I'm an over packer, he throws me out at the curb with my suitcase as he goes to park the car. I'm running (and I use the term loosely as it's not really possible to run wearing flip flops and dragging a huge suitcase behind me) to the gate and when I get there I go to the youngest guy there and say to him, "We are going to miss this flight if you don't help me!" So, he sees my unruly hair from only being awake for 15 minutes and the sand in the corner of my eyes and takes pity on me. We get checked in, some we make it through security, walk briskly to our gate, right on to the airplane and whew! We made it. And, then... there we sat for another hour.

The airlines finally realized they couldn't hold us any longer as we were all getting hot and restless and they released us back to the airport. This was actually a nice reprieve for us as we were able to grab some coffee, spend some time in the restrooms and exhale a sigh of relief.

Of course, we did not follow instructions given to remain at the gate and we lounged in the big comfy chairs with the gate still in view but out of ear shot. After awhile TubaDad went over to check on the progress of our flight and he returns in a jog with a whistle saying, "We gotta go!"

They had been calling our names to change airlines because we wouldn't make our connection in Ft. Lauderdale and on to Cancun so we grabbed my over packed bag and hurried over to another terminal with two other couples.

As we were walking up to the ticket counter, TubaDad gets a phone call from one of his bosses. One of the big bosses- let's call him Bob. They were talking about change and how the big boss wanted to bring a new guy over to the shop and so on. TubaDad tells him he would love to be there but he was about to board a plane to Mexico. TubaDad is assuming that the new guy is replacing an employee that had recently quit. TubaDad gets on the phone with the boss under the big boss- let's call him Greg - asking about the new guy and wham! Greg tells TubaDad that Bob had just fired Greg and the new guy was TubaDad's new boss and it was a whole new situation. If that makes any sense at all. He spent the next 30 or so minutes on the phone with his shop, etc. preparing them for what was going on.

Needless to say, at this point we both needed a drink.

We got to Mexico fine on Sun Country. We got to our little bus and purchased some beers. And ah! We were on vacation. We got to the resort about an hour later and in to our room that had a great little balcony. We could see the pool and the ocean. The rest of the trip was walking around, sitting on the beach, relaxing and eating. No schedule. No worries. No kids.  It was wonderful.

It was so wonderful that trials of flying home couldn't even ruin it. I'll try not bore you with all the details but getting through customs and through security was not easy an easy task causing us to miss our connection. While getting through customs my phone is blowing up because my ex didn't remember that he had to pick our kids up. That all worked out fine though and we were scheduled to get on the 9:50pm flight. Which turned into the 12:30am flight. Which turned into the 12:50am flight. Which turned into the 1:20am flight. And then 1:50. And then 2:10... you get the picture. That plane was not leaving.

Somewhere in the one o'clock hour, TubaDad looks at me and says, "Get your stuff. We're not going to do this." Being a good girlfriend, I gathered my stuff and simply asked, "What are we going to do?"

We got a hotel room. He purchased two new tickets on American Airlines departing at 10:00AM the next day. And we went to sleep. We made it home the next day around 12:30. He went to work. I went and got a pedicure.

So, needless to say we passed the cosmic tests of traveling together. Key West was less adventurous but just as much fun. And, don't forget. Never fly Spirit Airlines. Unless you just love hanging out in airports.

Oh, Meatballs! A Valentine's Day Report

It's our first Valentine's Day Report.

Are you ready for this romantic, mushy, gushy, do the gag move? Well, if that's what you're looking for then you're not going to find here on this report.

Last Thursday, I asked TubaDad if he wanted to come have dinner with me and the boys on Valentine's Day. I would cook dinner.


Okay- stop. You know I'm in love if I'm cooking for the man.

Okay- resume.

He, of course, said yes and told me and the boys to decide on what to cook.

I had just seen an episode of Guy's Big Bites and I wanted to make Hunter's Hoagies except not on Hoagies. On pasta.

I made the list of all the ingredients on Saturday.

I did the shopping for all the ingredients on Sunday.



 

We cooked hot dogs on Sunday evening and discussed Tuesday's menu.

Monday evening after working all day, picking up kids and feeding them cereal and macaroni and cheese (One had cereal. The other had mac and cheese. I know. Mother of the Year) I started preparing Tuesday nights meal.

First I started the sauce. I chopped onions. Okay- I put them in the little chopper.

I crushed garlic. I chopped basil and oregano. I cooked a beautiful sauce.

I obviously got the wrong cans of tomatoes. I purchased the puree while I think I was supposed to get whole tomatoes because the recipe says it yields 3 cups when I had 6 cups.

The reason I don't cook. I suck at it.

Second, I started the meatballs.

I chopped onions. By hand. Not the little chopper. I crushed garlic. I chopped red bell peppers. Okay- I put those in the little chopper, too.

I sauteed those three items.

I minced basil and oregano.

I soaked bread in milk.

I mixed all the ingredients together- the raw meat, the sauteed vegetables, the soaked bread, the raw egg and formed it all into the most beautiful meatballs you have ever seen.

I put the sauce and the raw meatballs in the refrigerator ready for Valentine's Day Dinner preparation.

I broke out the dessert. I washed strawberries. I dried strawberries. I hand dipped them in chocolate. I even melted some white chocolate to make them pretty.

I finished wrapping the beautiful strawberries on a plate and put them in the refrigerator.

Ah. Ready for the best, first Valentine's day ever.

TubaDad calls me not long after I had finished cleaning the kitchen and we were discussing all the great things I had accomplished in preparation for our very first Valentine's Day which, by the way, also falls on our 8 month (or 246 days) anniversary when all of a sudden he starts saying, "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" over and over again. I think he through in fiddle fart and I can't believe this. All of which are big tip offs that Valentine's day is ruined!

Bless his surprised heart.

You know how when you put two moments in time together and realize that you over committed yourself and you can't do both things? That's where he was.

He had training in Houston on Wednesday and Thursday which clearly were not on Valentine's Day but he had to drive down on Tuesday night to be there bright and early.

Did you just here the "Wha-wha-wha" game show loser sound?

I felt bad for him because he kept saying, Are you mad? I'm so dumb. How could I have done this? I'll make it up to you. I promise.

I was disappointed that we wouldn't be together and a little sad about that too but I wasn't mad because in the grand scheme of things- it's our first Valentine's Day and I know that I am loved because I feel his love in my heart everyday. This is just the first Valentine's Day that we will be together (or share at a distance). There will be so many more. And, I think the whole situation punctuates the fact that I am the BEST girlfriend in the whole world!

And, most importantly, it's hilarious and makes a really good blog post.

Hope your Valentine's Day was as wonderful as mine.

I cooked the dinner anyway and shared it with my boys as planned. I also got some gorgeous roses with the kindest note ever and all is well in TubaLand.

Love, Hope

So, what did you get for Christmas? Do you want to know what I got?

Can you say:

M E X I C O !

I can!

I guess all of our conversations about running away together and shirking all responsibility said something to TubaDad. We won't really run away but it could totally happen in 8 years.

Poor thing. All he got was a Buccee's t-shirt, candied jalapenos, a deck of semi-pornographic but artsy cards, a candle, and Polo pullover. 

We opened up presents on Christmas Eve night and my monsters got bikes for Christmas. If you want to know how you can fall more in love with a man- watch him help your boys with their bikes in the street at 11:00 at night on Christmas Eve. Patient and kind and helpful. There's your "Ah!" moment of the day.

In other news, we spent New Year's Eve together and it was so perfect. He and his TubaPlayer came over and ran around with my two monsters. We baked pizza, they acted like boys, they shot off party poppers and fireworks and we all toasted in 2012 together at midnight. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. (Well, we were short a daughter but she was having fun on her own the way it should be.)

Oh, and the man of my dreams now lives .08 of a mile away from me in a rent house. 

It's awesome.