Newlywed Love (#66)

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June 3, 1970

Toby #2As Nate and I got ready for this special day, we were both excited about welcoming someone new into our relationship. I was anticipating Nate’s happy expression when he met our new puppy, and Nate was pleased to know we would soon have our very own doggie.

Since it was the last week of school for me, and Nate’s classes had already ended, he came to Danville with me. My students were thrilled to meet “Mr. Nyman,” and he brought new energy to every part of our school day… especially on the playground as he pushed swings and spun the merry-go-round.

Burger and fries.The two of us went out to lunch together, a very special treat. And as we munched on burgers and fries, we talked about a name for our puppy.

“I think he just has to be Toby,” I said, “since he’s a twin to Toby #1.”

“Not necessarily,” Nate said. “He might want his own special name.”

“Like what?”

“Something powerful… like King or Duke.”

“But he’ll only be a medium-sized dog. Aren’t those names for big dogs?”

“I suppose. But we could scale it down and call him Prince or Baron.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But I bet when you see him, you’ll see a Toby #2.”

Puppies...The afternoon passed quickly, and soon we were kneeling in front of a box of squirming 6-week-old puppies, each making an effort to get to us.

“There he is!” I said, pointing to our little guy.

When Nate reached in and lifted him up, his broad grin told me I’d picked the right one. “He’s so soft,” he said, stroking his back.

While he and “Toby” cuddled, I gave the other pups a little attention. My student’s mom watched us, probably grateful to find a home for at least one of their 8 dogs.

“Will our puppy suffer,” I said, “being taken away from his mother and siblings?”

“Oh no,” she said. “He’s ready to go. In a day or two he’ll forget all about them.”

“They’re so adorable,” I said. “I wish we could take them all.”

Nate’s head made a quick turn toward me when he heard that, and he said, “OK, let’s not get crazy now.” Then he paused. “But maybe we could take just one more?”

I couldn’t believe it! “Really? A second puppy?”

“It might be easier for them to adjust if they have a buddy.”

This was astounding… and the best idea ever!

Puppies drinking milkIt didn’t take long to choose a friend for our little guy, another black and white male. And as we drove back to Champaign, thrilled with our new babies, Nate summed it all up well. “Now we have Toby #2 and… the Baron!”

“For everything there is a season… a time to love.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1&8)

Newlywed Love (#65)

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May 29, 1970

As our 6 month anniversary arrived, there were still lots of question marks in our future plans, but one thing was certain: Nate and I were still crazy about each other.

From my journal:

Reading the BibleWhen I consider our marriage thus far, I am pleased pink. Not any area has been a disappointment. We do some things regularly that hold great meaning. For example, we read Scripture daily and have a bedtime prayer time daily as well. We seem to be more deeply interested in each other’s problems because of the subject matter of the prayer times.

We had to admit we’d learned a great deal about each other since we’d met, and had learned at high speed since we’d gotten married. So we wondered together how much more there would be to know about each other. “Do you think,” I said, “we’ll keeping learning new things all the way to the end?”

Kisses“Maybe so,” he said, “but so far 99% of it has been good.”

“Only 99%?” I said.

“Well, maybe 99.9%.” I loved the smile he wore when he said it.

The journal continues:

Another fabulous time is in the morning when we have a chance to cuddle. We set the alarm 20 minutes early so we can look at each other all mussed up from sleeping and swollen-eyed and pink-cheeked. It’s so neat to have some pre-workday “snestling” while it’s warm and cuddly beneath the blankets. The mood seems so soft and comfortable.

Meg's journal

What a perfect way to start off every day, caressing and saying the tenderest of words. It’s the most precious 20 minutes of the whole day. I think of that time all day long, and when I see Nate in the evening, it seems like we pick up in closeness right where we left off.

Since Nate’s last exam took place on our anniversary, it was fitting we celebrate our special milestone by going out to eat. It was extra special that for the first time in many months, he had no studies hanging over his head, no academic pressure. This made for jubilant dinner conversation, and he kindly approved of the goofy poem I’d written for the occasion. 

Meg's card

There once was a fellow named Nate

Who had many a wonderful trait.

He could often create

At a fabulous rate,

So his readers he’d all stimulate.

The silly sentiment continued for 3 stanzas, 15 lines all rhyming with the word “Nate.” Later that night I expounded further praise for my husband in my journal:

It seems unbelievably great that we’re going to get to live together and sleep together another day and another week and for years and years!

New cookie jarNate gave me a cookie jar of orange glass (on the table behind me) which I loved and promised to fill as soon as I got a chance to bake.

And his touching letter elevated the whole day to a wonderfully high level:

I’ll love you forever. Our marriage is truly in harmony with the Divine Scheme. Let us always keep it that way.    Love forever, Nate

Nate's letter

“Live peacefully with each other.” (1 Thessalonians 5:13)

Newlywed Love (#64)

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May 26, 1970

With only 7 days of the school year left for me and even fewer for Nate, we were anxious to leap into summer. I would be student teaching and attending summer school. Nate would be working full time (we hoped), though we didn’t know at what.

SchoolroomAs I began emptying my classroom a little each day, thoughts of teaching kindergarten in the fall were front-and-center in my mind. I was confident I could teach them well and, thanks to my 1st grade year, now had a thorough knowledge of what we were shooting for.

My mind filled with happy scenes of marching around the room in a rhythm band and singing songs at the start of each day.

Linda and Judy, my carpool buddies, wouldn’t be commuting to Danville anymore, so the long drive would be a solitary one for me, come fall. But I could play music and sing along, a different kind of enjoyment.

As I cleaned out my classroom desk, I also thought of Principal Scarce having lost 3 of his 7 teachers simultaneously. He didn’t seem to hold any ill will toward us and invited us all to his home for a bar-b-q on the last day of school, June 5th.

As for Nate, he was burrowing in on the books for another round of grueling finals, hoping to find a summer job that might let his brain rest a little. He had his eye on construction work, maybe holding a stop-and-go sign or sweeping up debris.

An ad in the local paper sounded promising. Young men would show up to a local parking lot early each morning to sign up for road construction crews. When their names were called, they’d be assigned to a specific project and then trained at the site. The pay was good, and the work was physical. And I thought of another advantage: a nice sun tan.

As we planned our summer we were excited about something else, too – getting a dog! One of my students had a mama-dog who’d given birth to 8 puppies about a month earlier. She had begged me to come to her house to see them, and I had, taking Linda and Judy along on our way back to Champaign.

The old Toby.In 10 seconds I’d fallen in love with a puppy who was a dead-ringer for Toby, our family’s dog as we were growing up (left).

The minute I saw this miniature look-alike I was committed to him and couldn’t wait to introduce him to Nate.

“Not till after finals,” he said, though he did share my enthusiasm. “It’ll be perfect timing to train him, too, with summer weather and all.” We hadn’t discussed who would be making those frequent potty-trips outside, up and down to the 3rd floor, but we knew having a new Toby was going to be great fun.

The new TobyOur little guy would be ready to come home with us the week school ended, when he’d be 6 weeks old – and there would be no charge. This was going to be the best summer ever, as we became a family of three.

“You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.” (Psalm 36:6)