On the Same Note...

Keeping up with the sappy "things happen for a reason" theme...
I have to admit my belief of the long chain of events that brought Matt and I together. :)

It all started over 16 years ago.
When I was only 8 years old, my parents dropped a bomb on my brother and I that my dad was being transferred (job-wise) to Fort Worth and that we were going to be moving to Midlothian. (We are originally from a small town on Cedar Creek Lake). Like any normal 8 and 11-year-old, we were bummed, mad, and dang-near devastated. Reluctantly (as if we had any other choice), we moved to a house in a neighborhood called Lakegrove next door to the nicest family anyone could imagine, the Gaithers.
While I was always pretty shy growing up, my brother's personality was and still is that "never meet a stranger" type. So before long, he got to know the incredible girl next door, Lisa, and she quickly became part of our family. She was always at our house and acted as if she were our big sister. We were/are so lucky!

After a couple of years, my dad decided he wanted bigger house, so even though we stayed in Midlothian, we moved away from Lisa and her family. Over the next few years, we moved a few times within the town and although Lisa did not live next door, she stayed a constant part of our lives.
On my brother's sixteenth birthday, we threw him a surprise party. Lisa was, of course, in attendance and brought her new boyfriend, Greg Houchin... A guy she had been crazy about for a couple of years. It was the first time I remember ever meeting him and I thought he was the cutest and coolest thing ever. :) They continued to date for several years and got married in 2001.

In 2003, I graduated high school, moved down to San Marcos, got sick, got hurt, grew a pair, broke it off, decided to go to DBU and moved back to Dallas. From '04 to '06, I got well, dated again, got my pride crushed, picked a new major, did away with bad habits, made new friends, lost my mind, found my soul, broke a heart (or two), went to therapy, found my inner passion, learned from my mistakes, got hurt all over again and learned some more. Whew.

Meanwhile, Lisa and Greg moved to Weatherford for a while, then moved back. Lisa and I reconnected, and in 2006, she and Greg introduced me to his cousin, Matt.

So, long story short...
If we hadn't moved to Midlothian and next door to the Gaithers, if Lisa hadn't met and married Greg, if I hadn't come back from San Marcos, if the Houchins hadn't moved back from Weatherford, if I hadn't stopped my disastrous path and ended toxic relationships, if I hadn't learned from past mistakes, if I had given up on all relationships, I would have never met the love of my life.

Funny how it all works out... How can anyone say that God doesn't have a plan for our lives? I know He does for mine and He's been showing me for at least 16 years. :)