{She's Engaged!}

Yes---my baby, my firstborn is engaged to be married! If I KNEW the date, I'd tell you! This will be the first thing we must tackle and hopefully it will happen soon. I know the whole thing will happen too fast for mom and dad!

Caitlin and Carson both entered NC State as Freshman in the Fall of 2007. They both attend Providence College Ministry and met there. They hung out together with a large group of friends. Carson makes a great first impression on parents with his kind, polite Southern way---always being willing to help, doing the "yes Ma'am thing", and he is still making great impressions. I have a friend who grew up in the north and she finds "Yes ma'am" a bit condescending, but I LOVE it and hope all three of mine employ a healthy dose of it when encountering their elders. I asked Caitlin in the Spring of 2008 of her interest in Carson and she let me know that she wasn't interested---they were just friends! (I have said that, too!) In the summer of 2008 they went to Central Asia to help some overseas workers there. The team was split up into two groups and they were put in a group of four and sent to a different area. They were there for 5 weeks seeing each other all the time, working long, hard days together. When they came home---still friends, but definitely spending lots of time together. Before we knew it they were dating and the rest is history---ha! They will both graduate at the end of this year---a year early--that's what love does for you.....forces you to get out of school so you can marry! We are thrilled with the whole thing and look forward to watching their life unfold. We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for them as they follow his plan for them. OK---here's the engagement deets:

Carson had set it up with some of her friends to get her to the top of a trail here in NC---one of his favorite spots called Hanging Rock. It's actually a State Park here in North Carolina and you hike up to a rock that hangs OVER the edge---a "hanging rock"--thus the name---cool, huh? These are pictures that she took and that her friends then took after they got to the top---it's always more fun to tell a story if you have pictures! Here's a shot of the trail that Caitlin took long before she had any idea that something was up.

The plan was for her friends and her to get together and go on a hike (because one of the girls' needed to figure out if if would be a good "field trip" for her youth group to go on-yeah, right.)

But, Caitlin took the bait. The plan was for Carson to already be up there---which he was---and it was all supposed to happen around 6:00pm. But, the plan had a few variables and it took the girls a bit longer to get up the trail than they expected. He had put rose petals up the trail (how romantic!) and the girls wondered aloud if something "creepy" was going on! :) Those girls were great to help fool her!

Carson had it perfectly timed with the sun, but they were a bit late---they still got up there and all worked out! (Thank goodness for Photoshop---you wouldn't believe how dark these pics really are!) It's quite a story that I'll let HER tell you, but needless to say, Carson was waiting for her when she got to the top of the hike. She looked through the trees and thought she saw him and went to see if it was him.

When she got there and quit asking "what are you doing here"!?, he got down on his knee and asked her to marry him. Pretty sweet!

She said yes!!! :)

Enjoying the moment----what a precious day for her! October 30, 2009 will forever be a precious day!

You can sort of see the hanging rock from this angle---they are over on the left side of the photo~

OH, and the ring---it's a beauty!

Here's one more picture---here's the beginning of the best journey of their lives---as soon as I know when the ceremony is, I'll let everyone know---it will be fun---that's for sure!

After they got back into Raleigh, they met us and his parents at the Cheesecake Factory---one of their favorite places---and we were able to celebrate with them. That was so special to us---we are grateful that Caitlin will have such wonderful in-laws---I am so blessed to have great in-laws and I have prayed that for my children their entire lives. We look forward to sharing our lives and grandbabies (YIKES! ---someday!) with such a sweet family. Thanks for indulging me---what a great day for us!

Kathleen~