Every couple has a love story. One of our favorite things is to hear all about our couple’s love stories. How and where they met. How long it took them to fall in love. How the proposal went. All the little details in between. Sometimes they are super romantic. Sometimes very funny. No matter what they are, all are unique and special.
We realized that we have never shared our love story. We want to do that now. Over the next several weeks we will share a piece of our story. It may not be dramatic. It may not be earth shattering. But it is special. It is ours.
Part Three: Still Just Friends
PART NINE - GETTING TO KNOW THE FAMILIES
Since Ryan was living at his family’s home, he and Amberly spent quite a bit of time with them. It was a great way for Amberly to get to know his family and for them to get to know her. Amberly’s parents, on the other hand, lived in Idaho and had only met Ryan once.
Every year, Amberly’s family gathered for Spring break in Black Butte, Oregon, at an uncle’s cabin. Black Butte Ranch is a private resort community where there are endless opportunities for adventures. Usually, several cousins, aunts, uncles, and her grandpa would also go. Ryan, meet boiling pot! Trapped in a cabin, packed full of Amberly’s relatives, forced to see the good, the bad, the weird and to get questioned beyond belief (mostly by Amberly’s mom, who may or may not be a CIA interrogator), was pretty intense.
For Amberly, who was looking forward to sharing with Ryan her favorite memories and typical activities such as tennis, midnight runs to the driving range to collect golf balls and bike riding through the mud puddles, the drifts of snow were a big surprise. But there was still plenty to do! They swam, gambled with candy, and had snowball fights; there were cards, board games, and movie nights. It was the perfect way to get to know Amberly’s family.
Notable events:
Ryan was scarred (in all ways) by Amberly’s uncle during a game of water basketball. Somehow, this uncle thought it would be a good idea to use his foot in a defensive move to hold Ryan at bay. Yes, Ryan literally has a toenail scratch scar on his stomach to remind him of that fateful game.
Amberly’s dad got his eye poked during a different water basketball game (Ryan is learning that Amberly’s family is soo competitive) and wore a homemade eye patch, complete with sparkly tape and everything.
The crew spent hours shoveling snow off a tennis court in hopes that it would dry out, only to be disappointed by fresh snow that erased all their efforts.
Amberly’s Granda cursed every time someone left the front door open. If this doesn’t tickle your funny bone, hopefully you can meet a delightfully grumpy old man someday, and soon!
Basically, Amberly’s family is crazy in so many ways, and luckily Ryan was a good sport throughout it all. They both laugh about the Black Butte trip to this day. It was the perfect way for Ryan to get to know Amberly’s family.
Although Amberly had many opportunities to spend with Ryan’s family, their trip to Yellowstone provided days of family time. Just like the trip to Black Butte, this trip to Yellowstone was full of cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles. They were once again crammed into one cabin all together. This time the setting was in Island Park, Idaho and unlike Black Butte, they were surrounded by warm summer sunshine instead of the cold wet snow.
The days were spent playing in the water, biking, enjoying Yellowstone’s beauty and playing at the sand dunes. The nights were spent with late night visiting, games and trying not to get eaten by a grizzly bear…but that is a story all of it’s own for another time.
Of course there were a few awkward moments as well. No toenails this time, thank goodness, but Ryan’s little niece innocently asked Amberly if she was going to someday be her aunt. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer that one, especially in front of some of Ryan’s family.
These trips not only were super fun but also provided a perfect way to get to know each other’s families better. They may have had their interesting moments, but that is how the best memories are made!
