This week has been an extra special one. Not because we are preparing for a holiday to Lake Powell or because Chad had his annual Microsoft review, (which wasn’t all that stressful after all), nor because we harvested about a billion tomatoes, but because last year on September 14th Chad and I had our first introdution at a little get-together affectionately known as The Cereal Party.

I had hoped I would be able to have a testosterone-free evening with some girls I had just met. So I cancelled a date, dressed down a bit, and brought my offering of Cocoa Pebbles. After getting comfortable, much to my dismay, a male arrived—with granola as his cereal of choice! It was unthinkable. Granola isn’t all that bad. But recently Elisa has convinced me of the merits of Chocolate Lucky Charms. Shortly he became the center of attention for the hungry ladies. I had wondered if he might know the hunky guy I knew he went to church with. I did, but Elisa never got the chance to meet him because she and I were dating within a few weeks.

The unexpected male (Chad) and I began to discuss our views on staying spiritually active in our lives. In trying to explain my point of view I might have been a bit unclear. Chad questioned me and I tried to explain myself. We ended the conversation and I was entirely certain that Chad thought I was completely self-righteous. I remembered such a different version of events. Now that we know both sides of the story we think that it’s pretty amazing that we ever got together. I remember telling Elisa that I didn’t agree with what she had said. She gave me a look that clearly showed that she had understood my concern and had already taken it into account. So I realized we both pretty much agreed with each other on the subject. And I didn’t think anymore about it, ever. I was so upset that I could come across so negatively, especially with a topic I felt so deeply about. So I went home and cried. This supported my theory on how important it is to make a big impression with someone when you meet them. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a good impression, just a big impression. 🙂

That was the first chapter in how Chad and I met. To celebrate that joyous occasion we had our 2nd Annual Cereal Party. This time we were packing last minute for Lake Powell and my Grandma Sophie, who took us to the airport early the next morning, joined us. The menu was Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp and Vanilla Milk, however we ran out and had to mix up some powdered milk to make up the difference. I thought the sugar cereal in the vanilla-sweetened milk was a good idea, because our cereal tasted more like a dessert by that point. I doubt our year-old wedding cake will be that good when we get around to eating it next April.

Overall it was much better than the first time around, though Chad insists that making me cry is a vital part of the tradition. Well, the fact that Elisa cried was what made the story memorable. 🙂 I threatened to pluck her nose hairs if that’s what it took to draw tears. But Elisa peremptorily shed some happy tears at the beginning of the evening.