30 Years in 30 Weeks - edition 22

This first picture is of my cousin Kelli, my PaPaw and me at The Lakehouse (and you can see my cousin, Laci, peeking through the door). We were all there celebrating Nanny & PaPaw's 50th wedding anniversary, which was just before my 21st birthday. The Lakehouse was always so much fun. I remember one summer when we were much younger, Kelli and I stayed there for several days and spent a lot of time fishing out in the backyard. Kelli went to step over a perch basket and fell into the water in her new white shoes. I remember she freaked out, but Nanny and I were laughing so hard at her. Thankfully, the water was low that summer and we finally managed to tell her that all she had to do was stand up and she would be okay. EVERYONE was welcome at The Lakehouse. Even though Sarah wasn't technically their granddaughter, Nanny and PaPaw always asked if she would be coming with me and often made sure she got a present from them at Christmas, too.



The second picture is just a random one that my friend, Amanda, took of me one night when we went to Austin before she moved back home to Utah. I chose to include it here because Chris said it was his favorite that I sent him while he was spending his time in Bosnia. He left in February, just a little over a month before my 21st birthday, and returned in mid-September. It was hard "dating" a guy that wasn't even on the same side of the world, but, looking back, I think it was good. He had (limited) access to email, we talked usually once a week on the phone and wrote LOTS and LOTS of letters. My mom even had some of her classes write letters and bake cookies to send to his entire unit. Chris was a good boy and had all of his buddies send thank you letters back, too. :) Since he wasn't here physically, we were almost forced to get to know each other on a deeper level. To most people, he doesn't appear to be a big sensitive guy, but he really is. I feel like I really got to know him through those letters...stuff it would have taken years to find out otherwise.



Like I mentioned earlier, Chris came back in September. He was HUGE. Besides pulling guard-duty, I think the only thing they had to do in Bosnia was work out. I couldn't even reach my arms all the way around his shoulders (and I'm not a petite girl)! Anyway, he came home and I tried my best to fit in time to see him while working 30 hours a week AND taking 21 hours that semester. That Christmas (well, technically one year to the day after we met), he asked me to marry him. We went to eat at Outback Steakhouse for dinner and then drove around looking at Christmas lights. Poor Chris was a nervous wreck the entire time and I was completely oblivious. We finally went back to my apartment to open presents from each other before he finally proposed. I called my friends and they all just said, "Yeah, we knew. Congratulations!" This last picture is us and my little sister, Sarah, in front of the Christmas tree at home. Hmmm...maybe I need to post that picture on the refrigerator for some weight-loss motivation.