I would like to apologize for not blogging since last October! To be honest, there hasn't been a whole lot new going on until recently.
First, I will update on mine and Blake’s engagement!
In July my family (Blake and I, mom and dad,
Weston, Hailey and Ty, grandparents, aunt and uncle, cousins) went on vacation
to northern Michigan. We rented a house in Glen Arbor that was able to house
all of us and it was so nice to all be together for the week. This vacation was
planned almost a year in advance and we were all looking so forward to it!
Hailey, Ty, Blake, and I got to Michigan late on Friday night and went straight
to bed when we got to the house. Saturday we hung out at the house, ate some
lunch at the fabulous Cherry Republic, played on the tire swing, and went to
Sleeping Bear Dunes, which are sand dunes that overlook one of the lakes in
Michigan. Sunday we went sailing on beautiful Lake Michigan and had a blast
relaxing on the boat!
Plane ride to Michigan
Blake and I at Cherry Republic
The view from our house
So blessed that they are best buds
Blake on the tire swing
Ty on the tire swing
W and Blake running up the dunes
Blake and I at one of the outlooks over Lake Michigan
Seriously…look how steep it is
Me and sister :)
One of the best things about Michigan…beautiful sunsets
Dad driving the sail boat
Sunday afternoon I stepped on a red wasp and had a bad
reaction to the sting. I was in terrible pain for about 24 hours. You would
never think that a bee sting could cause that much pain, but I was ready to
have my foot amputated. I didn't get any sleep on Sunday night. Fast forward to
Monday...I went to the doctor and got some good pain meds and some steroids in
hopes to start feeling better and ease the pain. My mom, Mammaw, and I got back
to the house at about 2:00 in the afternoon and I laid down on the couch to try
to get some sleep. Meanwhile Hailey, Ty, Blake, Weston,
my dad, and all the Gilbert clan (mom's sister's family) were out on the lake
having fun. Everyone got home from the lake around 3:30 to get ready to go to
dinner that night. When they got home my dad came and asked me if I was still
feeling up for going to dinner, and of course I didn't want to miss out, so I
said yes and went to go get ready. Pre-vacation my dad's friend had told him
about this great seafood restaurant in one of the nearby towns that we just
haaaad to go to, so we had already planned one night of dressing up and going
out to a nice dinner as a big family. We arrived at the restaurant around 5:30
or 6:00 and ended up having to wait for a table for an hour and a half. We were
glad to wait, however, because the weather outside was perfect and the tables
out by the lake made for a beautiful view! Once we got seated dinner started
off great! Blake and I shared an appetizer cup of shrimp and lobster bisque
soup and ate lots of bread with some yummy dipping sauce! When our main entrée
came out Blake all of a sudden started feeling very sick! His hands and
forehead were clammy and he felt like his head was spinning, but more than
anything he just became very lethargic. It's unlike Blake to leave a steak
untouched, but that's exactly what happened. So mid-dinner Blake and I got up
to go outside and get some fresh air. I, of course, thought he was about to
die, and everyone else in the restaurant was laughing because they knew it was
just nerves. Blake spent the rest of the meal either outside or in the bathroom since he was so miserable and I went back to the table to eat my dinner.
Blake and I at dinner
Eventually we left the restaurant and went to go take family pictures (family pictures had already been planned since we were going to be dressed up). I, however, thought we were going back to the house to put Blake to bed since he was feeling so bad. Blake rode with my parents and grandparents when we left the restaurant because they were driving my parent’s truck and he was afraid of getting car sick (our rental car was a small Toyota corolla.) I was surprised when we arrived at the place we were taking pictures, but I figured Blake must have been feeling better and we would take a few quick pictures. The place we took pictures at was called Old Settlers Picnic Ground and it is such a beautiful setting. We made our way down to the boat dock so that we could have some pictures with the sunset in the background. Hailey and Ty took their pictures first, so Hailey asked Blake to hold her purse. The ring had been in Hailey's purse the whole time, so somehow Blake was able to get the ring out of her purse without me noticing. Next, Hailey and I took a picture together, and then it was mine and Blake's turn. We took our picture together then I started to walk away for someone else to take their turn, but I realized that everyone was just standing there looking at me, so I kind of walked back towards Blake and that's when he pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. He asked me to marry him and I said yes! After hugging and kissing I turned around and to my surprise Blake's parents were there! I'm still so shocked that they made the trip to Michigan for our engagement, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way! Afterwards we took more pics then went back to the house and ate wonderful pies and ice cream! Blake's parents spent the rest of the night with us, and the next day all the guys went to play golf while all the girls just hung out and shopped. We had a great time! And we are so happy! We can’t wait to be married. Our wedding date is set for January 3rd, 2015 at The Grove at Denton Valley right outside of Abilene. 
The proposal! I was telling him "now I know why you were feeling so bad!"
  
Blake's mom
Blake's dad
The ring :)
The wedding venue…The Grove at Denton Valley
In other news, Hailey and Ty are moving to Austin :( Ty got a job as the new Associate Tech Director at Gateway Church in Cedar Park. Ty's new job is a great opportunity for he and Hailey. The church has two campuses (one in north Austin and one in south Austin) with an average of 7,000 members in attendance on a Sunday morning. Ty's first day at his new job was August 19th, and he is already living there while Hailey finishes out the month at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene. Hailey has, however, accepted a job at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center on their PCU unit. This will be a great transition for Hailey and her work will only be about 3 minutes from their new house. We are sad that Hailey and Ty will be moving to Austin, but we know that this will be a great opportunity for them and hope that they will come back to Abilene soon! 
Hailey and Ty's new house! More pics to come when they officially move in!
Living area
Kitchen
More kitchen…looking out into the living room
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