Where do you want to be in 5yrs?

If you had asked me that 5yrs ago I might have answered that I would like to be married but at that point I wouldn't have thought it was possible. Let alone having 2 kids! You see it was 4 years ago today that I met Casey. We had e-mailed online for about a week and decided to meet in person. I know kinda fast but I felt like it was safe enough and the way he talked in e-mail made me feel pretty safe about it.

We met at a bowling ally near my apartment for a game of bowling, many of you that know me really well know that I had dated 2 other guys before meeting Casey. The first one lasted almost 3 years kinda as he joined the Navy after we met and was away most of the time. The 2nd one well I knew from the beginning I wouldn't marry him but he was a fun photography buddy. Both relationships let me know what I did and didn't want in a guy. I wanted a guy that had a closer moral (and political) view point to myself like the 1st one I dated. But I wanted someone who wasn't so afraid of relationships and didn't wall himself off which was like the 2nd one. Casey turned out to be the perfect mix of both of the guys and the area's in them that I found attractive. We met in front of the bowling ally and he gave me some flowers. That right there was pretty impressive. Even while dating 2 other guys before that I had only gotten flowers once and that was from the first one after I wrote him a scathing letter because he hadn't sent me flowers for Valentines day. Haha
After introducing ourselves we went inside to bowl and get to know either other. Casey of course was doing a really good job, I on the other hand wasn't. Towards the end of the 2nd game that I was losing badly I mentioned I was never good at it and he suddenly started to do horribly as well. Finally the last frame I knew if he got a gutter ball I would barely win and I knew he knew that. I could see it in his face he was going to throw the game just because he was so sweet. I figured he had started doing poorly on purpose and so I said "Don't you throw the game!" Catching him mid stride he stops and comes back and starts again and then bowls a strike of course.

Here is the bowling ally we met at, we had a couple more dates after this and then he went with me to meet my family the following week. The funny story we always like to share is how I lived in apartments right across the street and behind some other apartments. I told him that I lived in "Yellow" apartments.

We had agreed to have him pick me up at my apartment for dinner the night before we were to go visit my dad and family. I had told him to call me when he was leaving his house and let me know he was on his way and I would give him directions....... He finally called at the time he was supposed to be there and said he was right outside the front of my building (pictured here). I couldn't believe it, what? How'd he find me? Ok so I know its not hard when the apartments are yellow but this is a huge complex so how'd he know MY building? Well his logic was that he just looked for my yellow car that had dolphins hanging from the rear view mirror.
My thinking when he found me like that was "Is he a stalker?" to make the story even greater was when I asked where we were going (supposed to be going to dinner) and he says "Village Inn" Ok so I didn't know there was a restaurant named "Village Inn" so of course I nearly jumped out of his moving truck! Good thing I didn't because when I said "Umm so they have a restaurant IN the Inn?" He laughs and says "No it IS a restaurant". Oh whew! The weekend after that went GREAT!

So to go to my Dad's in Columbia MO I picked him up at his house and got a glimpse of where he lived...

Yes that tiny house was his home his whole life! Can you believe at one time there was 4 people living in there? His grandparents, his Mom and himself. Now it could easily be done except for the fact that his mom and grandma are pack rats! Notice the shed in the back (blue) it is almost as big as their whole house! And yes it was full of JUNK.

For Thanksgiving later that month we went to my Dad's again. While there my mom sent all of us a text message saying not to plan anything for the last week of July through the first week of Aug. I decided to be cheeky and text her back saying "But I'm getting married that weekend!" I of course was joking! We hadn't even known each other a month yet. However I will confess that after our first date when I was telling my Dad how it went I had told him I had a feeling I'd be marring this guy.

Little did I know at the time when I was just being a smarty pants that about 4mo later on March 23 2008 that Casey would propose. Since we wanted to have the motorcycle as part of the wedding and wanted to do it at the church we were going to we had to settle for Aug 2 2008 which ended up being the weekend that my Mom had said not to make plans for back in Nov! It was to funny, but turns out the reason was because my younger siblings were going to be attending acting camp and as it turns out that Saturday was just the end fun talent show they do and as it turns out my siblings ended up not being able to attend camp anyway. So it all worked out.

If you had asked me 5yrs ago where I saw myself I wouldn't have said In Olathe KS, owning my own house with my husband. I wouldn't have said the house would be in a good neighborhood with a fenced yard (something I ALWAYS Wanted) with our 2 dogs. I wouldn't have said that I would be married to someone I didn't yet know, I wouldn't have said that I would have 1 child let alone 2. I wouldn't have said that I would have my photography business (A long time dream of mine) at least somewhat up and going. I wouldn't have been able to predict how much my life was going to change in just a few short years. If you would have told me where I would be I would have probably smiled at the thought but laughed at you for thinking you were crazy. So many of my dreams that I was starting to think would never happen have happened over the last 5 years. They have been WONDERFUL and I am so happy and thankful to a marvelous God who has finally said that I was done waiting and that it was time to say Yes to some things. Don't get me wrong, it took him saying No to several other things, but looking back on it I wouldn't change that for anything. The things I was begging him for 5yrs ago that he said No to I am so glad he did. Because then I wouldn't have what I have today. A life with the most amazing husband and wonderful kids. I really feel blessed so much and often think I don't deserve it all. God has been good to our family and he continues to be so now.

A little side note at the end of this, I started typing this up yesterday (Nov 3) but couldn't finish it till now. Haha