Flashback Friday: "Official"

I'm going to drag this series out as long as I possibly can because I love it. Well maybe not as long as I possibly can—I don't hate you that much! But really, these were really great days, and I think back on them with a huge smile. Granted, I have no interest in going back to these days now! I am more than happy to be in a comfortable long-term relationship—no more of the questioning and second-guessing.

Nathan and I continued to hang out and see each other a few times a week, and of course text each other. A lot. Maybe the title of this post should have been Flashback Friday: We Love to Text. To be honest, that's still true today! Even when we're on the same campus, whenever we're not together my phone is essentially an extension of my hand. Neither of us are big on talking on the phone, but sending 15,000 text messages a month? Piece of cake.

In my family, my dad has a rule that before anyone can date one of his daughters (he has three), the guy has to call him and ask permission. No big deal right? Ahem. Apparently (at least according to Nathan and my sister's boyfriend) this is TERRIFYING. As in, my dad is the Scariest. Man. In. The. World. Really, he's just a nice guy who enjoys the outdoors and is lovingly protective of his family.

Personal photo. This is a great spot for a picture of my family. From left to right: my dad, my mom, my youngest sister Abigail, my next sister Emily, Emily's boyfriend Dillon, me, Nathan, and my brother David (the baby of the family). We love hiking!

Back to the story, though—Nathan finally mustered up the courage to call my dad and chat with him, which he did for about twenty minutes or so. After he hung up the phone, however, he realized he hadn't actually asked him if we could start dating, leading to the following conversation...

Me: "How did the conversation with my dad go?"
Nathan: "Good, except..."
Me: "Yes?"
Nathan: "I kinda didn't actually ask him if we could date..."
Me: "Are you serious?"
Nathan: "Can you just call him, and, you know, ask him if I have to call him again?"

Good news: everything was all fine and Nathan and I started "officially" dating the next Monday, after exactly five weeks of casually talking and going out on dates. And now—almost two years later—we're still together and planning our wedding! But I'll leave more on that for future posts.