Playing House

22 Days and 11 Hours until our plane takes off for Ireland .... <3

At this point, I spend more time during the day and into the night staring at countdown apps that I have set for the time that we will be flying over the sea. It's amazing that I can find the ability to focus on anything else. The bad thing is, I had big plans for cleaning out my basement, a giant yard sale, mega diet/workout, and a perfected packing plan. These days I barely have the energy for half of that!  I am working hard in my two classes yet finding myself drifting off into daydreams. My suitcase is sitting at the end of my bed, begging to be packed. And my Pinterest is jam packed full of packing tips and breathtaking Irish scenery, oh -- and sheep. Lots of sheep.

This past weekend was mostly devoted to my daughter's 10th birthday and an annual historical event I play music for every year. Last week I painted for 12 hours straight as a side job for spending money, and I'm headed back there sometime tomorrow to finish up. Peppered in between are delicious Skype calls with my Irish honey, and although it's getting closer by the minute that we are going to finally be reunited, I am missing him even more than ever before. Even our Words with Friends games are getting steamy with little private messages sent back and forth after playing words.   While many Skype calls are full of us sharing the details of our day or passing along the goings on of our families, some calls just find us staring at each other, verbalizing our longing to be together and telling each other how hopelessly devoted we are to our togetherness and our shared future. It's heart wrenching to be apart but simply delicious to know that on at this moment a month from now, we will be sound asleep under the same roof!

Speaking of roofs: After some discussion with his sister and daddy, Aidan announced to me that they have managed to find a way for us to have our own place to stay right next door to his parents' house! The original plan was that Jillian and I would be staying with Aidan at his parents', but in order to give them, and us, some privacy, we are now able to use the empty house next door while I'm there. It's just so sweet to hear Aidan talking about he and his sister cleaning and preparing this house for our arrival. I can't imagine all of this! I keep telling Aidan that I didn't mean to make so much work for them with our visit, but he always shushes me and says they're all happy we're coming and so excited to get things ready for us. He's asking what snacks Jillian likes and what she likes to drink so he can have it all ready for her. He's so thoughtful and it's precious to hear him planning ahead for us and wanting everything to be just so.

I can't fathom that after being apart for so long, not only are we going to finally be together again, but we are going to have our own little space to share, too. (My sweet mom is worried that now I REALLY won't want to leave, we even have a house to live in already! lol) Sweet Aidan now messages me when he gets back from work to say, "Honey I'm Home! I can't wait to be able to say those words in person to you!" It melts me. He is such a sweet guy. Did I mention how much in love I am??

I know once I arrive and I'm finally with Aidan, I will no longer want to know what day it is or what time it is or see any countdown clock for any reason. I'm afraid that our seven weeks will fly by. I just want to savor every moment. The fun times, the quiet times, sightseeing, the sheep, meeting Aidan's wonderful family and friends, and just sitting there, doing absolutely nothing. Just breathing the same air as my true love. I miss him madly.

Only 22 more days ... or, as we used to say as kids, 22 more 'sleeps' until we go to the airport! And then ... finally ...
48 amazing days with Aidan. <3 And .... the beginning of our forever. <3

Final Countdown!

We are just about down to 27 days (and a few minutes) as I type this ... I cannot believe we are finally so close to being together once again!! I recently looked back through some photos and found a screenshot of our countdown clock, and it read 65 days. I remember thinking, "Wow! That's just over two months! So close!" and now, here we are, just a few more weeks to go and Aidan and I will FINALLY be together. I can't wait!!

Today was Aidan's birthday. I had sent off a box of goodies a couple weeks ago just to make sure it got there in time, but it was still fun to find birthday memes to send and post to Aidan's Facebook wall. Little Jillian took it upon herself to draw an adorable picture wishing Aidan a happy birthday, so I posted a photo of that for him, as well. OH it's so hard to be apart on such a special day, though!! Every time another special day happens, a birthday or holiday, especially our monthly anniversary, it is harder and harder to be so far away from him. I can't wait to spend all of these special days --- and all of the regular days --- together.

People I run into often ask how Aidan and I met, and I happily share our unique iPhone Dating app story with them. A few weeks ago, someone stopped by to shop through my antiques, and we were discussing Aidan and I, and my upcoming visit to Ireland. Well, a few nights ago, I received a text from her inquiring about the site we used to meet on, because she was so inspired by our love story that she decided to try dating again, after several years of being alone. I was so touched to hear that Aidan and I have become an inspiration to someone else in this world. The love we have found is amazing, and I could only wish this kind of love for others, too.

My mom and I went on a mini shopping spree the other night. I have been looking desperately for a raincoat to take with me to the Emerald Isle that is oh so full of rainy days. Finally, I found one. I love it. It's very light, easily dressed up or dressed down, black (my favorite clothing color) with little ruffle details on the pockets and collar. However, we found out it was clearanced out so cheap that I just HAD to buy a second one -- in GREEN! Such a happy shade of green, too. I mentioned to Aidan that he'll have to help me decide which one to pack. Well, not long after, Aidan shared with me a conversation he'd had with his aunt about me packing and planning, finding my Wellies, and buying a raincoat. His aunt piped up and told him to tell me to bring TWO raincoats, one to wear, and the other to top that one! I was tickled about that conversation and decided it's just a sign, I must bring both coats. :-)

I have to admit, until now it's really seemed more like a dream, that Jillian and I are headed to be with Aidan; but now it's really really sinking in. I find myself barely being able to sit still these days. I'm dying to pack my suitcase and just go spend the next few weeks sitting at the airport because I can think of little else!! And I love that Aidan and I are so much on the same page....We talk about how wonderful it will be to be together, and he even shared how much he's looking forward to his work days, just so he can come back home and find me there waiting for him. Truly I must be dreaming. He makes me so happy!!!

I am so appreciative of the opportunity to see where Aidan grew up, to spend time with his family, and to meet his friends. I want to see photos of he and his siblings when they were little and hear them share stories of what it was like growing up together. All of this is priceless to me. I can't wait to play together with Aidan and his "wee" nephews. I have so enjoyed seeing them together on Skype! He's so good with kids. Jillian has heard me say this so many times that I can see how excited she is about getting to spend time with Aidan, too. That makes my heart happy.

Aidan's friends continue to warn him that once I set foot on that green soil, I may never want to leave. I chatted with one of my close friends last night, who out of no where announced that she'd already told her husband, should we decide to live in Ireland, that she's getting her passport and coming to visit. It's my mom's WORST fear, for me to want to stay there. And everyone else seems to just assume it! Regardless, we can be thankful that we are living in a time when the world is pretty small and accessible. 150 years ago, when people immigrated here to America, they almost never ever were able to return to their home country. Now, Aidan and I will be able to go back and forth. Granted, it's still pricey, but it's definitely doable.

I also can't begin to grasp what this experience will be like for my daughter. There are so many new things for her during this trip. Not only such a long flight for the first time in her life, but jet lag. She has no idea what that feels like. Another culture, dialect and accents, different foods, and activities. And over and above all of it, getting to know Aidan for the first time in person after all these months on Skype! I can't wait to see them together. I'm excited for both of them to get to know each other better. He has such a big heart and the fact that he's not only offering to share it with me, but with my children, is so precious. I'm also happy for her that she too will be getting to know Aidan's family, and that they are so warmly welcoming us there.

And as I continually dream about that first moment when we see each other in Dublin airport, getting to stare in each other's eyes once again and finally melt together in a much-longed for kiss, I think back to our first meeting last year in Charlotte, when I stared up at Aidan and got lost in his eyes, and felt his first kiss...Feeling as if the world had stopped spinning in that moment -- This love we'd found, frozen in time in that split second of new togetherness....I just want to feel that again. Soon soon soon!!!

Passing the Time

One month and twelve days. It's getting so close that I can almost taste it.

I remember the day I realized we could say "I'll see you in less than two months!" and how ecstatic that made me feel after having endured so many months apart. When May arrived, I couldn't wait to say "I'll see you NEXT MONTH!" This morning I decided it sounded better to say "one month and twelve days" than 'almost seven weeks'. Sappy and trivial, yes. But I can't help it.

The other night I was so engrossed in imagining Aidan and I reuniting in Dublin airport that I actually found myself searching YouTube for airport reunion videos. (There are a zillion.) I then stumbled upon long distance relationship stories that ended up in airport settings. Funny how it was somehow comforting to know we aren't the only hopelessly-in-love-yet-separated-by-1000s-of-miles couples around.

Aidan and I talk about how these last several weeks apart may seem to drag, yet we both know how fast seven weeks together in Ireland will go by. Our weekend together back in November seemed to be over in a blink of an eye. The only thing that I find soothing about the thought of seven weeks flying by is that Aidan will be coming back to the States in August, too. We have so much to look forward to, time in Ireland, time in Michigan, time in North Carolina ... most of all, just realizing that we will be together no matter where we end up is the amazing part of it.

Today marks six months that Aidan and I have been together, and it's hard to imagine that the majority of that time we have been on different sides of the ocean. So many times during the day I find myself daydreaming about Aidan being here with me, working on the house, running the kids around, going out to dinner. Then I chat with him on Skype and he tells me the same thing, how he was at work and found himself thinking about he and I being out to eat together, or walking hand in hand outside or just cuddling up in front of the TV. I don't think I've ever hungered to just be breathing the same air as another person so badly as I do to be with Aidan. We can't wait to share everything with each other.

This past weekend, my brother, Dan, came to Michigan from New York. I hadn't seen him since Christmas. I was so excited for my brother to be able to meet Aidan over Skype. I'm very close to Danny and he has heard me pine over Aidan all these months, it was important for me to get to chat with both of them together at the same time, finally. It's funny -- now Aidan is "real" to my brother. He's so happy for us. It means a lot to me to hear that. On top of that, our lives are slowly intertwining. I'm getting to know Aidan's sister-in-law now over Facebook, too, and he's become 'friends' on Facebook with my mom. All of these little things mean so much to me, because it's not so easy to share everything from such a distance.

I have to laugh. When Aidan and I started Skyping, I remember before we'd chat, I'd look in the mirror, fix my makeup, try to look 'put together' for my sweetheart. These days I rarely have the chance. As of late, Aidan's had a few early mornings that he's off to work, so he calls me before he leaves, which I LOVE. But early mornings for Aidan in Ireland means the middle of the night for me here in the States. More often than not, I'm answering the phone  - on video - out of a sound sleep and God knows what THAT can look like. I made a comment to him a while ago apologizing for my messed up self and he said, "We might as well get used to it! You'll be waking up next to me, won't ye?" OH I love this man. I just love him.

As much as I would rather focus completely on counting days and planning what to pack, I still have college work on my plate. It's getting harder and harder to keep my mind on it -- I'm glad there are only nine more days of my current class. However, I have two new classes beginning next week, both of which don't finish until June 25th, AFTER I arrive in Ireland. I'm crossing my fingers that the instructors will allow me to finish my work before I leave. I'd rather not have to haul books with me. I am so looking forward to having the summer off of school -- I studied straight through last year. I had considered studying (online) while I'm staying with Aidan, but quickly decided I wanted the freedom to enjoy every second and not have to stress about my work.

And so it goes. Days are passing by, filled with schoolwork, running kids, making packing notes, and delicious Skype calls with Aidan. One of the last things he shares with me every night before we get off the phone, is that the three children and I are prayed for. Those words are precious to me. I love Aidan's heart, and the fact that he puts God first in his life. I am beyond thankful that he cherishes not only me, but also my three children, none of which he's ever been in the same room with yet, enough to continually pray for all of us. Aidan is such a blessing in our lives. I look forward to being able to go to God together in prayer, hand in hand.

Soon, my love. Soon.