Festive Christmas Dinner With Our Families

Some pictures I found from when we were dating...

 

07-11-2009

The day Shane and Sarah met.....

July 11, 2009~ The day we met was non other than a day of wondrous work by our God. 

Jonathan and Shelby were getting married and neither Shane or I wanted to go. My best friend from college had asked to to go along with her on her family vacation to New Orleans. I so wanted to go, but earlier on that month my Great-Aunt Nancy (Johnathon's mom) had asked if my cousin Lauren and I would videotape the wedding ceremony. My mom, being the cool mom that she is, agreed that I shouldn't pass up on a trip to New Orleans. So I called to talk to grandma about it. One thing that I could never do is disappoint my grandma. When I first brought up the wedding my grandma immediately told me how much she appreciated me being a sweet girl and filming their ceremony and that it meant a lot to Nancy (her sister-in-law) that my cousin and I help out at the wedding. That was all it took. I wasn't happy about it, but I couldn't go against my grandma's wishes and miss the wedding- I was stuck going.

Earlier on that day Shane had been golfing at Silverhorn. He and his parents had been invited to the wedding. Shane is distantly related to Nancy (Jonathan's mom) and I am related to Clarance (Jonathan's dad, he is my great uncle). Shane and Jonathan had grown up together and played soccer together since they were little. Shane had no desire to attend the wedding and previously told his parents to go on without him. As he was on his way back to his house from the golf course he stopped at a stop sign just as Jonathan and his groomsmen pulled up behind him. Jonathan called Shane and told that he better be coming to the wedding (the wedding that would be starting in just a few hours) And so Shane, not happy about it, couldn't tell Jonathan no- he was stuck going.

Shane got home and told his parents that he would go with them but that they weren't staying all night. His parents agreed, although insisted that they would at least be staying to see the Grand March and some of the dance.

Earlier that morning I drove in from college to go the wedding. I brought my landry home and went for a jog around our neighborhood. It was a beautiful day! I told my parents I wasn't staying all night at the reception because my high school friend Emily who resently got engaged was having their engagement party that evening and that I was to leave to go meet up with them. My mom, dad, brother and I got ready and got to the church early so we could help out and my cousins and I could get set up to videotape.

My cousing Lauren and I were in the back of the church with our video cameras trying to figure out how to work them. Our entire family was all sitting togther in the middle of the church. Lauren and I were walking from the back of the church over to our family to visit before the ceremony began~ Just as we walked around from the back of the church I glanced up from my camera and saw Shane for the very first time. He was the most handsome boy I had ever seen. He and he parents were just a arms length away as Lauren and I walked right by. (I thought to myself- I wonder what it would be like to date a boy like him...) And that was that. I quickly lost sight of him after that. Lauren and I went on having a great time cracking up with the family, the whole polish family was there. We then went about filming the ceremony at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma. I went to the right side of the alter and she stood to the left. The mass was beautiful and everyone was in the best of spirits as we headed over for the reception.

It is always a good time when the family gets together for a wedding and that's just happend that day. The kegs and margarita machines were in the back of the facility. You walked out of the hall and there was another room where the drinks were. As fait would have it Shane and his parents were seated to the table just diagonal from where my family was gathered.

My aunts caught notice of Shane right away. He was handsome as could be. And all dressed up in a suit.

"Sarah would you take a look at that!" "Ooo he is handsome" "You have got to meet him" "We should go talk to him" "He is just perfect for you"-my aunts carried on.

Shane was listening to all the same comments at his table about "The girl in the purple dress".

My aunts even went as far as to write a note on a napkin and pass it around the table to place in his chair. It read "Hi my name is Sarah I think you're hott" My aunts had been drinking you see and they can be quite a hoot- I reached across that big round table and snatched up that note as fast as I could. I was so embarrassed. I ripped the note and set it on our table. Our whole family was having an absolute blast as usual. 

Meanwhile I had been walking back and forth from the hall to the back room to get drinks for my grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Shane was back and forth from the keg as well. As I was filling up a beer for my grandpa my Uncle Ross was standing near by and I told him "Uncle Ross people are going to think I'm an alcoholic getting all this beer"..........Shane was filling up his beer at the keg next to where we were talking and he said "I don't think anyone'll think that "..........these were the first words he said to me.

He had been starring at me. As I'm sure I was doing the same.

Some time had passed and I thought he might ask me to dance the grand march. The time was getting closer to the dance starting, Shane walked by us hoping to ask me to dance but it was too late. My cousin John Pawelek had snatched me and we got in line to dance. Shane walked back by and went to his table.

The grand march was fun and after it ended I ventured away to the keg to get a beer, probably for grandpa-for he kept sending me to get him beer after beer. Shane walked up to the keg and stood in front on me. I finished pouring my beer and Shane stuck out his hand and said " Hi I'm Shane" I paused for a moment, shook his hand and said "Hi I'm Sarah".......... Not even a moment later (the family was trying find out more about Shane when my cousins decided not to wait and to interview him themselves) Shane and I were bombarded and separated by my cousins. David, Joe, Micheal, and John introduced themselves to Shane and started talking. Judy, Elizabeth and Casey came to visit me as this was going on........... And that was that.

As the music and dancing started Shane and the guys contiued to talk for a bit. I went inside the hall near where my whole family was gathered to fetch my purse which was under one of the tables. The tables had long linens that hung down to the floor. I squatted down to raise up the table cloth to find my purse...just as I found it I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and said "...What" thinking it was my mom. To my surprise as I turned around I saw Shane standing behind me. He just stood there for a moment, it seemed as though he was shocked by my response. ("Strawberry Wine" was playing at this time)

Then he said "I wanted to see if you would like to dance with me?"

"Sure" I responded.

"Well not to this song...", he said.

"Okay..." I said, not sure how to respond. (Thinking to myself why did you even come over here if you didn't want to dance to this song.

So I turned around to what I was doing (fetching lip gloss, or something in my purse under the table). He then turned and walked away.

It was a few songs later that I was walking back from talking in the back of the hall and stopped underneath a wedding arch (the same one that we would one day have at our wedding) to say hi to Daryl Pawelek, my mom's first cousin that has also known Shane since he was a little boy. He had just left a conversation with Shane about me.

And that's when Shane walked up to talked to me. The next thing I knew we were heading for the dance floor.

He was the best dancer I have ever met.

We literally danced the night away.

Twirling around the dance floor, heads back laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. It was an unforgettable evening that stopped both of us in our tracks...with both of our families watching, there was no denying we were falling in love. Our lives would never be the same.

The two of us had each not wanted to stay long at this wedding. Ha. This wedding on that amazing summer night turned into one of the most incredibly memorable, funnest nights of our lives.

Shane later on in the evening asked if he could call me.

I told him "Yes"

When I gave him my telephone number he thought that I had given him a fake number because it seemed too easy.

He memorized it right away.

Shane then said "You know, I will have to wait a week to call you"

I responded "Okay. We'll see about that."

He thought it humorous that I was so confident that he would be calling so soon.

He called the very next day...

At the end of the night we lined the hall and outside to where the limo awaited Jonathan and Shelby. We all grabbed bubbles and clapped and cheered as they made their exit. It seemed surreal the night we had had.

Back inside both of our families were still having a great time. All still drinking, carrying on, all while helping to clean up (and spying/cheering us on of course).

Shane and I were of the last few remaining. Both of our families had headed to their vehicles and were waiting for us.

We walked into the parking lot together and said goodbye. Both of our families watching from their cars.

As we walked away from one another Shane turned and said to me "I am going to call you tomorrow"

I turned and looked at him and just said "I know"

We both smiled at one another.

The Day We Met.....

July 7, 2009