A Little New Story - Part 4 Minnesota

First, some more of Puppy's Progress has been posted.

I went to Minnesota about a month after he had visited me. We had decided that if this was turning into what we thought that Minnesota would be home. He had the better job and he had just bought a home. His home was under 100K, if we tried to find something similar in Ca it would have cost us 500K. No rocket science here boy, I’ll tell ya.

He took me to the Minnesota zoo. They had a special temporary frog exhibit and he knew I loved frogs. We also went to Como Park and conservatory. It was absolutely beautiful. And we decided it was where we would be married.

We also visited the Mall of America, the Sculpture Gardens, and a few other local attractions. I quickly fell in love with the place and looked forward to calling it home.

When I got back to California I had to go to a manager’s meeting. The meeting was out in New Jersey. I even spent some extra time while I was out there to see my friend that I had grown up with. I had a million things going on in my mind about what I was jumping into. Could I really give up my career, my friends, and my family for this giant leap of faith? And was this really what I thought it was? I mean, my divorce had been final, what? A week? My brain was screaming at me. But my heart seemed completely sure. As I was sitting there on a bus contemplating my future they put in a movie for us to watch. It was Grumpy Old Men of all movies. A movie that takes place in Minnesota. As odd as it may sound I decided it was the sign I was looking for.

I mean everyone bases their future on a random movie played on a bus heading for a factory tour right??????

Next came the conversation with the folks. I talked to my dad and I said that I was moving to Minnesota because I had met the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. My dad was quiet for a moment and then he said “Honey, for a California girl who hates being cold to tell me that she wants to move to the coldest place in the US. I can only say I’m happy for you. And I know you have thought this through, and I know that you really have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.” “When do we get to meet him?”

Well, they got to meet him the weekend he came back out to pack me up and drive me away. It was a short and sweet introduction. But everyone seemed to get along just fine.

And just like when I was 9 years old I suddenly found myself leaving the warm, safe, and familiar life in California and heading out to the cold, snowy and unsure Midwest.

Since this story of Newt has gotten long and well, it’s gotten way too long. I’ll sum up:
We met in May 1998
I moved the end of August 1998 to Minnesota.

On the 6 month anniversary of our meeting the hubster proposed to me at our favorite restaurant Mama Maria’s in Hudson Wisconsin. It was perfect and romantic, and it was perfect.

We were married a little over a year after we met. June 1999. As we had agreed to long ago we got married at Como Conservatory. Wedding pic's here.

In August of 1999 my girlfriend I had taken the trip with married the grooms brother, G.

We get an anniversary card every year from W&T that just says: “You’re Welcome”