Father and Son Reunion: Part II

Happy Thanksgiving all!  And boy, do we have a lot to be thankful for this year.
I understand that some of my followers are anxiously awaiting Part II.  Not everyone appreciates a good cliffhanger, hmm?   Patience is a virtue, my friends.
When we last left our hero, Kurt, he had just gotten the most fantastic voicemail ever.  From his Dad.  His real Dad.  Later that evening, there was a 2 hour phone call followed by many more phone calls and emails over the following weeks with Terry and his lovely wife Patricia.  We talked to our newfound family about everything from 'what have you been doing for the past 39 years' to the weather and of course all about Miss Sarah Beth.  Little does this sweet baby know that not only has she made Kurt a Daddy, but because of her, Kurt has found his own father.  She has brought a wonderful unexpected light into the lives of her new grandparents, who couldn't wait to meet her (and us), so a few weekends ago, they drove all the way from Texas to see us.
We thought it would be nice to cook a simple meal at home with plenty of wine available for this momentous occasion.  They called when they got into town and said they'd be over to our house as soon as they knocked off the road dust and freshened up.  I proceeded to stand at the window like a kid waiting for the ice cream truck.  I tried distracting myself but it was no use so I just stood there fogging up the panes until headlights lit up the driveway.  Kurt played it much cooler, watching TV and giving some love to Savannah Dog, but I'm almost certain he had no idea what show was on or what the characters were saying.  He was about to meet his Dad for the first time ever.   We'd talked to them so much on the phone and they had read all about us on our blog, we couldn't believe they were about to be in our kitchen in a matter of moments.
As soon as they pulled up we walked outside.  They were first greeted warmly by the doggy welcoming committee bellowing loudly from the backyard.  SB was still snoozing so Kurt and I met them halfway up the front walk and exchanged hugs and teary-eyed stares as we sized up Terry and Kurt.  There is absolutely no denying that Kurt is Terry's son.  It was the strangest thing to look into someone's eyes and see an older Kurt looking back at me.  The good news for me is that Terry is still a handsome man!  Kurt definitely got his thick hair and height from him.  Eyes, nose, mouth, chin...Kurt inherited it all from Terry.  See for yourself...here's a few from the photo shoot in our backyard:

See what I mean?  Later over the weekend, Terry and Patricia shared pictures of their wedding when Terry was in his mid-thirties, and I swear it was Kurt with sideburns in a groovy seventies white tuxedo.  Other similarities we noted:  they both married left-handed redheads.  They have the same speech patterns. They are interested in the same type of books and movies.  They both love pickled okra.  Coincidence?  Perhaps, but it sure would be an interesting study, wouldn't it? 
We had no idea how it would be, meeting them in person.  We figured there had to be some level of awkwardness and tension given the circumstances, but there wasn't.  It was strangely comfortable sitting at the dinner table with these folks, like we had known them for years.  Sarah Beth, of course, was the highlight of the weekend.  She dazzled her new grandparents with flirtatious smiles and was a perfect princess sitting in the lap of Grandpa Terry (aka Papa T.)  Good thing our Texas grandparents have such a big SUV because they needed it to haul all the cute new clothes they brought for our tiny fashionista.  Wait 'til you see the photo of her in her Ralph Lauren plaid dress. All her designer clothes come from grandparents.  Mommy and Daddy shop at Target.
The weekend flew by too quickly.  Friday night we enjoyed a wonderful meal at our favorite restaurant, Fiamma.  Everything was delcious from the Salmon Tartar to the complimentary Limoncello.  (If I haven't said it before, this is the finest establishment in Charlotte.  The food is incredible yet reasonably-priced and the people there are unpretentious.  Zagat's can quote me on that.) On Saturday, my parents came down for a meet-the-new-in-laws dinner and everyone hit it off splendidly.  Sunday afternoon we took a driving tour of Charlotte to show off all the changes since they had lived here last.  Along the way, we stopped in at Barbara's Canine Cafe for the super-duper special dog food we feed our mutts.  It was there that we learned about baby's fascination with ceiling fans.  They had quite a few in the store and she was mesmerized.  If our ceilings weren't so low we'd have bought one for her room already.  Sunday night was pizza and champagne (why not?) and great conversation before they headed back to Texas the next morning.  We all feel so lucky to have connected and have this second chance at being a family.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would turn out so wonderfully.  I knew Kurt's Dad had to be a good man based on how Kurt turned out, but who would've thought he and his wife would be so excited about us! We talk to Terry and Patricia at least a few times a week.  Let me tell you, it gives me chills to hear Kurt answer the phone and say "Hi Dad." Such simple words but a profound meaning.  This void in his life has been filled by a real father who is proud of him and loves him and his family.  They're an important part of our lives now and we feel so blessed to have them.

SB with Me-maw and Papa T

Family Photo!

Bonus shot of our little princess...ain't she sweet?!