WHAT WOULD A FIRST DATE BE IF NOT AWKWARD

FIRST DATES ALWAYS HAVE SO MUCH PRESSURE ATTACHED TO THEM. THEY EITHER GO WELL AND YOU GET A CALL THE NEXT DAY...OR THEY CAN GO COMPLETELY WRONG. WELL OUR FIRST DATE WE LIKE TO JOKE ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST THAT AWKWARD. IT STARTED OUT I WAS HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIEND LUKE AND THEN HE WANTED TO GO SEE THE NEW PLANET OF THE APES MOVIE SO HE INVITED OUR FRIENDS AIMEE AND JOEY. I COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL A LITTLE AWKWARD RIGHT OFF THE BAT BECAUSE I CLEARLY SAW THAT AIMEE WAS LUKE'S DATE AND COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO SET JOEY AND I UP ON A DATE. WELL IN ANY SENSE WE WENT ALONG WITH IT AND HAD FUN. WE ALL DROVE TOGETHER IN LUKES CAR AND US GIRL PARTIED IN THE BACK SEAT TO JUSTIN BIEBER SONGS WHILE WEARING THE GUYS HATS TO LOOK "GANGSTER".

WE GOT TO THE MOVIE THEATER AND I SAT NEXT TO AIMEE AND JOEY. THE MOVIE STARTED AND I JUST FELT SO AWARE THAT JOEY WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME TRYING TO SHARE THE ARM REST, BUT I'LL ADMIT I'M A PRETTY TERRIBLE ARM REST HOG. SO SINCE I WAS TAKING OVER THE WHOLE ARM REST, POOR JOEY SAT THERE WITH HIS ARM HALFWAY ON THE REST HALFWAY OFF, NOT KNOWING WHETHER TO TAKE THE WHOLE THING OR PUT HIS ARM DOWN OR JUST TAKE MY HAND AND HOLD IT TO SHARE THE SPACE. SO I FELT HIS ARM MOVING SLIGHTLY WHILE HE TRIED TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO AND I REALIZED HOW MUCH I WAS HOGGING THE DARN REST. SO JUST AS I FEEL JOEY REACHING HIS ARM CLOSER TO MINE I TAKE MY ARM DOWN AND JUST FOLD MY ARMS. I FELT SO BAD FOR BOTH DENYING HIM THE PRIVILEGE OF HOLDING MY HAND AND HOGGING THE ARM REST FOR SO LONG. SO WE CONTINUED THROUGH THE MOVIE EVER SO AWKWARDLY. AT ONE POINT IN THE MOVIE JOEY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE AND ACTUALLY ASKED FOR MY PERMISSION TO HOLD MY HAND. I THOUGHT IS WAS THE SWEETEST THING! OF COURSE I TOLD HIM YES, WHY WOULD I SAY NO TO A CUTE REQUEST LIKE THAT?! NOW JOEY AND I WEREN'T LIKE "A COUPLE" OR ANYTHING YET AND WERE STILL GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER SO IT WAS STILL A LITTLE AWKWARD FOR ME TO HOLD HIS HAND BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID HE'D BE LIKE ANY OTHER GUY AND GET THE WRONG IDEA SO I COULDN'T HELP BUT LET OUT A SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER THE MOVIE WAS OVER. I HAD FELT SO INCREDIBLY AWKWARD THAT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO JUST SIT THERE TO WATCH THE MOVIE, YES I HAD TO TALK MYSELF THROUGH SIMPLY SITTING IN A MOVIE! PATHETIC RIGHT? WELL I FELT LIKE IT. AFTER THE MOVIE WE WENT TO LUKE'S HOUSE AND HUNG OUT THERE FOR A WHILE JUST TALKING AND JUST AS WE THOUGHT, LUKE AND AIMEE WERE TRYING TO HOOK US UP! THEY KEPT TEXTING ME SAYING WE WOULD LOOK SO CUTE TOGETHER OR WE SHOULD BE AN ITEM AND OTHER GOOFY THINGS LIKE THAT SO THE WHOLE TIME I SAT THERE BLUSHING AND POOR JOEY HAD NO IDEA WHY, HE PROBABLY JUST THOUGHT I WAS A NERDY GIRL THAT RANDOMLY TURNED RED! I FINALLY HAD ENOUGH AWKWARDNESS AND DECIDED I SHOULD HEAD HOME TO GET SOME SLEEP SO WHAT DOES JOEY DO? HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO HEAD HOME TOO AND WALKED ME OUTSIDE. WE TALKED A LITTLE MORE, YOU KNOW THAT AWKWARD RANDOM CHIT CHAT WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO SAY, YA AWKWARD! I NOTICED THAT WHILE WE WERE TALKING WE HAD MOVED CLOSER, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS CHILLY FOR A SUMMER NIGHT OR BECAUSE WE WERE WHISPERING OR IF IT WAS JUST WEIRD AWKWARD CLOSENESS, BUT IT FREAKED ME OUT SO I TOLD JOEY GOODNIGHT AND THAT I WAS HEADING HOME AND THEN THE SHOCK OF A LIFE TIME ARE YOU READY....HE LEANED IN TO KISS ME LIKE IT WAS OBVIOUS HE WAS GOING FOR A KISS AND I COMPLETELY DODGED IT AND TURNED IT TO A FRIENDLY HUG. POOR GUY GOT SHUT DOWN! I FELT SO BAD I GOT IN MY CAR AND CALLED LUKE AND IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE AND AIMEE JUST LAUGHED BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE WAS SOMETHING BETWEEN JOEY AND I AND IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE ADMITTED TO IT. I FELT NERVOUS, BUT GIDDY, YET ALSO GUILTY. I AVOIDED TEXTING HIM THE NEXT DAY WHICH I KNOW IS TOTALLY A BAD SIGN, BUT LUKE TOLD ME TO GET OVER IT AND JUST TALK TO JOEY SO I SUCKED IT UP AND TEXTED HIM AND HE PLAYED IT OFF LIKE HE DIDN'T MEAN FOR ME TO GET THE WRONG IDEA AND HE WAS JUST GOING TO HUG ME...HE LATER ADMITTED THAT HE WAS IN FACT TRYING TO KISS ME AND MADE A FOOL OF HIMSELF HAHA NOW AS A JOKE HE ASKS ME FOR PERMISSION BEFORE GIVING ME A KISS OR MAKES A JOKE ABOUT ME TURNING AWAY, AWKWARD FIRST DATES MAKE FOR GREAT EMBARRASSING STORIES TO TELL IN THE FUTURE ;)

MY SUPERSTAR SISTER

MY LITTLE SISTER, HANNAH, IS A USAG GYMNAST. SHE STARTED WHEN SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND IS NOW ON THE COMPETING USAG CERTIFIED TEAM AT GEM STATE GYMNASTICS ACADEMY IN BOISE. SHE IS CURRENTLY A LEVEL 5 AND IS TRYING OH SO HARD TO MAKE SCORES FOR LEVEL 6! WHEN HANNAH FIRST STARTED GYMNASTICS, AT AGE 3, WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING FUN FOR HER TO DO, BUT SHE QUICKLY GREW TO LOVE THE SPORT AND IS NOW A SERIOUS COMPETITOR. HANNAH HAS COME SO FAR IN HER GYMNASTICS JOURNEY. SHE STARTED AT A GYM IN CALDWELL AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER GYM WHERE SHE ADVANCED SO QUICKLY. THE WAY SHE FLOATS SO SWIFTLY ON THE UNEVEN BARS IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE WAY SHE RUNS DOWN THAT VAULT LINE MAKES YOU FEEL THIS INSPIRING POWER WATCHING HER USE ALL HER MIGHT TO GET OVER THAT VAULT TABLE WHILE MAKING IT LOOK SO EFFORTLESS. THE BEAM IS HER PLATFORM TO SHOW HER GRACEFUL SKILLS OF BALANCE, AND THE WAY SHE MOVES SO EFFORTLESSLY ON HER FLOOR ROUTINE COULD MOVE YOU TO TEARS. I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT HANNAH EARLY IS, IN MY OPINION, THE BEST FLIPPIN’ GYMNAST OUT THERE BECAUSE OF HER MOTTO “I CAN ONLY GET BETTER FROM HERE.” SURE IT’S NICE TO PLACE HIGHLY, BUT TO HANNAH, RANK DOESN’T MATTER AS LONG AS SHE’S HAVING FUN AND CHALLENGING HERSELF. AS SHE GETS TO THE HIGHER LEVELS IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER FOR ME TO WATCH HER BECAUSE I’M SUCH A WORRYWART THAT I JUST CAN’T STAND TO LOOK SOMETIMES. SHE REASSURES ME THOUGH THAT SHE’LL BE FINE AND GOD IS TAKING CARE OF HER. HANNAH’S GYMNASTICS HEROS ARE NASTIA LIUKIN AND SHAWN JOHNSON. THIS SUMMER WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE SAN JOSE PRE-OLYMPIC TRIALS WHERE HANNAH GOT TO SEE NASTIA AND SHAWN UP CLOSE! OH BOY WAS SHE EXCITED! I WILL NEVER FORGET THE PRICELESS LOOK ON MY LITTLE SISTER’S FACE. IT WAS SO MOVING I HAD TO TRY NOT TO CRY BECAUSE SHE WOULD JUST THINK I WAS SUPER WEIRD. THEN OF COURSE THERE WAS THAT MOMENT WHEN NASTIA LIUKIN FELL FROM HER BARS ROUTINE AND THE ENTIRE STADIUM GASPED AND THEN WENT QUIET. OH MY HEART JUST STOPPED AND I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT HANNAH WHO’S FACE WAS JUST TORN SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHETHER TO REMAIN SHOCKED OR CRY. IT WAS SO HEARTBREAKING! UNFORTUNATELY NASTIA DIDN’T MAKE TEAM USA’S OLYMPIC TEAM, BUT HANNAH WAS OK, SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT AS GYMNASTS GET OLDER IT IS HARD TO KEEP COMPETING AND THEY SOMETIMES HAVE TO MOVE ON. HANNAH STILL ABSOLUTELY ADORES BOTH SHAWN AND NASTIA, BUT ALSO HAS NEW FAVORITE GYMNASTS, GABBY DOUGLAS, KYLA ROSS, AND MCKAYLA MARONEY. HANNAH AND HER FRIEND MADDI, WHO HAS BEEN IN GYMNASTICS WITH HANNAH SINCE THEY WERE 3, SAID THAT THEY WERE SHOOTING FOR THE 2014 OLYMPICS IN RIO. THEY’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE THEY GET THERE, BUT WITH ALL THEIR PERSEVERANCE WE KNOW THEY COULD DO IT IF THEY REALLY PUT THEIR MINDS TO IT. HANNAH EARLY AND MADDISON MOSS FUTURE GYMNASTS OF TEAM USA!!

FAMILY REUNION

IN AUGUST 2012 WE HAD A HUGE FAMILY REUNION IN KLAMMATH FALLS, OREGON.  THERE WAS ABOUT 50 OF US ALTOGETHER. WE ARE ALL VERY CLOSE KNIT AND LOVE BEING TOGETHER SO IT WAS SUCH A BLAST HAVING JOEY GET TO KNOW MY FAMILY. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW MISSING FACES, THEY WERE REMEMBERED AND VERY MISSED BY ALL OF US, YES EVEN JOEY AND TY (MY SISTER’S FIANCE) WHO HAVE NEVER EVEN MET THEM. ON DAY 1 WE ARIVED TO THE CAMP SITE AND SET UP OUR TENT, WHICH I MIGHT ADD HALF OF OUR TENTS WERE LIKE THE SIZE OF HOTELS. OK NOT LITERALLY THAT LARGE, BUT THEY WEREN’T YOUR AVERAGE 5 PERSON TENTS.  IT WAS A FAIRLY LAX AFTERNOON AND WE ALL JUST HUNG OUT AROUND THE CAMPFIRE WAITING FOR THE WHOLE CLAN TO ARRIVE. INTRODUCTIONS WERE MADE AND YES THE BOYS WERE TESTED ON NAMING EVERY RELATIVE. :) WE ARE CRUEL LIKE THAT HAHA, BUT I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT JOEY NAMED EVERYONE WITHOUT STRUGGLE AND THEY WERE ALL SO IMPRESSED, GRANTED HE DID STUDY NAMES AND FACES BEFORE THE TRIP. DAY 2 CONSISTED OF HIKING AT CRATER LAKE, YES ALL DAY LONG! IT WAS A FUN EXPERIENCE HIKING WITH 40+ PEOPLE. WE SANG, WE DANCED, WE SHOUTED, WE TOOK SO MANY PICTURES, AND ATE A LOT OF SNACKS. REACHING THE TOP WAS SO REWARDING FOR BOTH MYSELF AND JOEY BECAUSE WELL LETS FACE IT WE WERE BOTH SO OUT OF SHAPE AND DIDN’T THINK WE’D LAST LONG. WELL I’M A PERSEVERING TYPE OF PERSON AND I KNEW I WOULDN’T HAVE GIVEN UP BECAUSE I JUST DON’T LIKE QUITTING, BUT I KNEW IF JOEY WANTED TO STOP I WOULD STOP WITH HIM. THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE HE WANTED TO GIVE UP, BUT MY HONEYBEAR KEPT ON TRUDGING ALONG AND I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM. LET ME TELL YA WE ALL SLEPT SO GOOD THAT NIGHT, NO REALLY, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE SNORING IT ECHOED AND I’M POSITIVE IT WAS THE SNORING THAT KEPT BEARS AWAY. DAY 3 WAS FUN IN THE SUN…AND WATER. YES RIVER RAFTING! A GROUP OF US WENT RAFTING IN A NEARBY RIVER AND PADDLED OUR WAY DOWN THROUGH STILL WATERS AS WELL AS CLASS 4 RAPIDS! OUR GROUP WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HIT THAT CLASS 4 RAPID, BUT OUR TOUR GUIDE WAS A LITTLE BUSY TELLING STORIES ABOUT GOLD MINERS AND TALKING SMACK TO THE OTHER TOUR GUIDES THAT HE DIDN’T SEE OUR TURN OFF IN TIME AND WELL LETS JUST SAY THAT WAS ONE OF THE BUMPIEST RIDES I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED. I THINK MY GROUP ALL LEFT WITH BRUISES IN ONE PLACE OR ANOTHER. DESPITE THE SCARY PART OF OUR RAFTING ADVENTURE IT WAS SO FUN AND EXHILARATING!  DAY 4 WAS PACK UP AND LEAVE DAY. WE ALL GOT UP AND STARTED BREAKING DOWN CAMP AND THEN SPENT A GOOD HOUR TAKING PICTURES. YES WE ARE A VERY PHOTOGENIC FAMILY AND HAD TO HAVE EVERY SHOT IMMAGINABLE. NOW YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT THE PHOTO SESSION WAS WITH 50 OF US. IT WAS CHAOTIC, YET FUN AT THE SAME TIME. THUS BEGAN THE GOODBYES WHICH FOR US ACHANZARS IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT. EVER SINCE MY GRANDPA PASSED AWAY IN 2002 AND MY FAMILY MOVED SO FAR AWAY IT’S BEEN SUCH A DIFFICULT THING TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR COUSINS WHOM WE GREW UP WITH AND WERE OUR FIRST BEST FRIENDS. SO THERE WERE PLENTY OF TEARS AND REALLY CORNY JOKES MADE AND FINALLY WE ALL WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS. AFTER LEAVING THE CAMP SITE WE HEADED TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO MEET MY DAD’S SISTER FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE HAD A COZY LITTLE CABIN NEXT TO THE WATER. SHE SHOWED US HOW AFTER YEARS OF WEATHERING ABOUT 100 FEET OF THE CLIFF JUST DROPPED OFF AND THE BEACH IS GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HER CABIN. WE ROAMED THE CHILLY BEACH, BUT DIDN’T DARE GET IN THE WATER BECAUSE OF THE LARGE RIPTIDES AND NOT TO MENTION THERE WAS A 100 FOOT DROP OFF A FEW YARDS INTO THE WATER! JOEY AND I HAD OUR LITTLE SCARE WHILE PLAYING CLOSE TO THE WATER AND TESTING MY JUDGEMENT OF WHEN THE WAVE WOULD HIT US. WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY, JOEY DISTRACTED ME AND A STRONG WAVE CAUGHT OUR FEET AND I SWEAR I HAVE NEVER MOVED FASTER IN MY LIFE! WHILE RUNNING FROM THE WAVE, HOWEVER, MY SANDLE GOT TAKEN BY THE WAVE AND OUT OF INSTINCT I RAN AFTER IT AND GRABBED IT AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AND GOT AWAY FROM A SECOND WAVE HEADED MY WAY. AFTER THAT MY HEART WAS POUNDING SO FAST I DIDN’T WANT TO GO NEAR THE SHORE LINE! SO WE HEADED TO A LAGOON AREA AND HAD FUN OVER THERE WATCHING TADPOLES AND WADING (ONLY TO OUR CALVES) INTO THE WATER. HANNAH HAD SO MUCH FUN PLAYING WITH OUR AUNT’S DOG AND THE LOOK ON MY DAD’S FACE TALKING TO HIS SISTER WAS PRICELESS! FAMILY IS A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE AND ANYTIME I CAN SEE THEM HAPPY MAKES ME HAPPY AND THE FACT THAT I GOT TO SHARE THAT WITH JOEY WAS ABSOLUTELY REWARDING IN EVERY WAY.

FROM SILLY JOKE TO RELATIONSHIP BLISS

ON AUGUST 4, 2012 JOEY AND I WERE CASUALLY CHATTING OVER THE FACEBOOK MESSENGER APPLICATION. I WAS ON MY WAY TO GO LOOK FOR A WEDDING PRESENT FOR MY SISTER’S FRIEND, CAMILLE. BEING THE GOOF THAT HE IS, JOEY ASKED ME WHAT I WAS GETTING HIM AND I RETORTED “PSH YOU’RE NOT GETTING MARRIED” AND HE SO GOOFILY REPLIED “SURE I AM” AND ME BEING THE SMART ALEC THAT I AM ASKED “OH YA TO WHO?” AND HE COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED ME IN SAYING “YOU I’LL MARRY YOU SO THERE BUY ME A GIFT” SO THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED AS FOLLOWS: CHLOE: HAHA YOU’LL MARRY ME? JOEY: ACTUALLY YOU’LL MARRY ME CHLOE: I’LL MARRY YOU? WHO SAYS HAHA JOEY: YOU JUST DID LOL CHLOE: I DID? JOEY: YUP CHLOE OH…WAIT WHEN? JOEY: JUST NOW CHLOE: NO I DIDN’T JOEY: DANG WELL THANKS FOR TURNING DOWN MY PROPOSAL CHLOE: HEY YOU DID NOT PROPOSE HAHA YOU SIMPLY SAID ‘YOU’LL MARRY ME’ THAT IS SO NOT A PROPOSAL JOEY: WILL YOU MARRY ME CHLOE: YOU BETCHA JOEY: HAHA CHLOE: GOOF

AND THUS IT WAS A JOKE THAT FINALLY BEGAN OUR RELATIONSHIP (I WAS STILL A LITTLE ON MY GUARD ABOUT JOEY SEEING AS WE DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL SO WHEN I SAY “RELATIONSHIP” I MEAN WE HUNG OUT AND GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER AND EVENTUALLY ENDED UP FALLING IN LOVE, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY) <3

THE NIGHT IT ALL BEGAN

JULY 23, 2011

IT ALL STARTED ONE WARM SUMMER NIGHT IN GOOD OL’ IDAHO. MY FRIEND, LUKE, AND I WERE GOING TO WATCH THE MOVIE, CAPTAIN AMERICA. I’M A HUGE SUPERHERO FAN SO I WAS EXTREMELY EXCITED AND GIDDY ABOUT SEEING THIS MOVIE. LUKE PICKED ME UP ON OUR FRIEND, BULMARO’S, BIKE AND WE HEADED TO THE EDWARDS THEATER IN NAMPA. WHEN WE GOT THERE LUKE’S FRIEND, JOEY, WAS THERE TO MEET US. WE PROCEEDED INTO THE THEATER TO WATCH THE MOVIE. NOW I’M THE TYPE OF GIRL WHO GETS ALONG BETTER WITH GUYS AS OPPOSED TO GIRLS, SO I FELT COMFORTABLE AROUND LUKE WHICH MADE HIM A GREAT BEST FRIEND. BEST FRIENDS HAVE 3 JOBS IN LIFE: 1.WIPE YOUR BEST FRIENDS TEARS. 2.BEAT UP WHOEVER IS MESSING WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND 3.GET YOUR BEST FRIEND EITHER IN OR OUT OF TROUBLE AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND 4.EMBARRASS THE CRAP OUT OF YOUR BEST FRIEND ANYTIME YOU SEE THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES. NOW LUKE WAS GREAT AT ALL 4, BUT EXCELLED AT THE FOURTH. DURING THE MOVIE THE CHARACTER OF CAPTAIN AMERICA MISINTERPRETS THE MEANING OF A CERTAIN CONVERSATION AND THINKS THE TERM “FONDUE” IS SOME SEXUAL TERM AND ME BEING THE SHY GAL THAT I AM STARTED BLUSHING AND HOW ON EARTH LUKE COULD SEE THAT IN THE DARK THEATER I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BUT IN ANY SENSE HE SEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMBARRASS ME AND DECIDES TO SAY QUITE LOUDLY “HEY CHLOE YOU LIKE TO FONDUE” AND PEOPLE IN THE ROW BEHIND US DECIDE THEY SHOULD SNICKER AT THIS COMMENT WHICH MAKES MY SLIGHT BLUSH TURN INTO A FULL ON TOMATO RED FACED BLUSH. I SAT THROUGH THE REST OF THE MOVIE SO EMBARRASSED OF THE THOUGHT OF LEAVING THE THEATER AND EVERYONE BEING ABLE TO SEE THIS BRIGHT TOMATO RED FACED BLUSH AND KNOW IT WAS  MY FRIEND THAT MADE THE COMMENT.  WHILST LEAVING THE THEATER LOW AND BEHOLD NOBODY LAUGHED AT ME! WELL BESIDES LUKE AND HIS BUDDY JOEY THAT IS. SINCE LUKE FELT BAD FOR EMBARRASSING ME HE OFFERED TO TAKE ME TO RED ROBIN FOR DINNER. JOEY HOWEVER DID NOT JOIN US. WHILE AT RED ROBIN, LUKE GOT A CALL FROM HIS BUDDY HECTOR, WHO INVITED US TO A BONFIRE OUT IN NOTUS. IT WAS FAIRLY EARLY FOR A SATURDAY SUMMER NIGHT SO WE DECIDED TO GO HAVE SOME FUN. WE MET UP WITH JOEY AGAIN AND FOLLOWED HIM DOWN TO THE RIVER IN NOTUS. I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING TO BE THERE SO I CLUNG VERY CLOSELY TO LUKE AS A SHIELD. ONCE WE GOT DOWN TO THE RIVER AND GOT THE FIRE STARTED I STARTED TO LOSEN UP A BIT AND TALK TO PEOPLE. SINCE WE HAD JUST WATCHED THE MOVIE AND LUKE HAD EMBARRASSED ME, HE AND JOEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO KEEP BRINGING UP THE NOW “INSIDE JOKE”. NOBODY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT A FEW DECIDED TO JOIN IN AS WELL SEEING AS THE REACTION FROM MYSELF WAS SO COMICAL TO THEM.  I DECIDED TO TRY MY BEST AND IGNORE IT, THAT WAS HARD! I DECIDED TO SIT ON THE TAILGATE OF ONE OF THE TRUCKS AND TRY TO LISTEN TO CONVERSATION AROUND ME AND JUST TAKE EVERYTHING IN. WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE ONE OF THE GUYS, HIS NAME WAS NICK, DECIDED TO SIT NEXT TO ME AND HE LOOKED MY DIRECTION AND STARTED TALKING TO ME THEN I BRUSHED A PIECE OF MY HAIR BACK BEHIND MY EAR AND HE SAW MY GRANDMA’S RING ON MY LEFT RING FINGER AND HIS EYES GOT SO WIDE AND HE ASKED ME “OH IS THAT A PROMISE RING?” I THEN CHUCKLED AND TOLD HIM NO AND BEFORE I COULD EXPLAIN HE SAID VERY SURPRISED “WAIT YOU’RE ENGAGED?!” LUKE AND I JUST LAUGHED AND LAUGHED AND I TOLD NICK, “NO, ME BEING ENGAGED IS ALMOST A JOKE, NOBODY WANTS TO MARRY ME, THIS IS MY GRANDMAS RING SHE GAVE ME FOR VALENTINES DAY THE YEAR SHE PASSED AWAY”. I DON’T THINK HE KNEW QUITE WHAT TO SAY AFTER THAT SO HE LEFT TO GO MINGLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE. SINCE HE LEFT I DECIDED TO GO TALK TO LUKES FRIENDS JOEY AND TYLER SINCE THEY SEEMED PRETTY COOL. WHILE WE WERE TALKING WE FOUND OUT WE ACTUALLY DID KNOW EACH OTHER FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT WHO OUR COMMON FRIENDS WERE. WELL A CERTAIN PERSON CAME UP IN CONVERSATION AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT THIS GUY HAD A HUGE CRUSH ON ME AND WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF A STALKER. SO JOEY SAW IT FIT TO POKE A LITTLE FUN AT ME WHICH CONTINUED JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE NIGHT! EVEN THOUGH JOEY WAS GIVING ME A HARD TIME ABOUT THIS GUY, PART OF ME KIND OF THOUGHT IT WAS CUTE BECAUSE IN A WAY IT SEEMED LIKE A DESCREET WAY OF FLIRTING. I COULDN’T HELP BUT TELL MYSELF “OK YA THIS GUY IS CUTE, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW HIM FROM ADAM SO JUST PLAY IT COOL AND DON’T LET THAT FLIRTING GET TO YOU”.  WELL THAT DID VERY VERY LITTLE GOOD BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY JOEY SENT ME A MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK AND WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY I GAVE HIM MY PHONE NUMBER WHICH I USUALLY NEVER DO. WE BEGAN TALKING AND JOKING AND THAT VOICE INSIDE MY HEAD THAT TOLD ME TO KEEP MY GUARD UP FINALLY SAID “WELL TOO LATE LOOKS LIKE YOU LIKE THE GUY”. AND THAT IS HOW IT ALL STARTED <3