Subject: Weekend Update: October 30-November 1 ;-)
Date:    Mon 11/2/98  8:56am

Miranda came home for the weekend with some college friends who stayed
up late and slept in late.  It was fun to meet some of Mandy's new
friends and to get fresh perspectives (from Mandy's friend Cara) on
Miranda's developing relationship to a certain young man.

Yes, we finally got to meet the person I've been hinting at for the
past couple of updates. He couldn't make it for the weekend due to job
responsibilities that others would not cover.  But he did arrive at
church on Sunday and we brought him home for the afternoon.  An entire
weekend might have been too exausting on him to start things off.

Compared to other people's first meeting with the parents of the
daughter, I think he was fortunate that he wasn't strip-searched at
the door.  By his own father's account of his experience of meeting a
dad with a 12-gauge shot gun, I let this young man, his son, off real
easy.  Had I received his dad's email in time, the weekend might have
gone a little different, but I had my relationship to my daughter to
maintain during this rite of passage.

My Sunday School class offered to wear name tags that advertised
"Mandy's Mentor", "Mandy's Friend", and "Mandy's Protector."  Just as
they were about to leave to go back to school, "Mandy's Roommate"
(Kara White) pumped me with the all-important question: "Well, how did
you like him?"  I dodged the question at first but Kara was
persistent, so I offered, "Well, he survived." I then added that I had
invited him for a return visit.  He said he will return "if I don't
kick him out."

The young man's name is Ryan Flowers and he hails from Maryland.  To
quote his dad (Roy Flowers): "You know, in the dating game being the
boy's father is a bit easier, but being the girl's father can be much
more fun. ;-)"

Oh, we're having lots of fun, all right.  Go ahead and laugh.
;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) 8^o ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) :-( ;-) ;-) %^/ ;-)

Mark
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