Today's Memory Monday post comes to you courtesy of Shutterfly, the only place I had some of these epic photos saved!! Let's time-travel together back 15 years to Saturday, July 18, 2009... Chet Lee's very memorable 21st birthday party!!!
We started out with dinner at PF Chang's then went to Carl Brandvold's apartment for cake and fun line dancing practice... followed by our historic inaugural trip to the Caravan! #thefirstofmany
Group pic at dinner with the signature thumbs up pose + the famous Wanda's cake (it was excellent - sadly, she closed up shop a couple years later) + Chet mocking Natalie L's panic on their Colorado rafting trip! lol
Rachael LaJo, me, and Malori Riah + Chet Lee just across the table from us with his bday dessert from the restaurant + Natalie L. at Carl's apartment with the adorable bday balloon-man!
Nater-tot, Sarah S, and Chettles. lol
Above group in a 3rd pic + my giant bday card for Chet + line dancing practice with Chet and Sarah + our first trip to "the Van!"
Nathan, Kirsten, and Holly + Rach with her sad bowl of plain white rice lol + Chet excited to be old enough for the hand-stamp at the Caravan LOL + one more restaurant group pic - (Sarah H in her makeup-free, skirt-wearing Pentecostal days)!
Meeting JEM and learning the pretzel spin move and the ghetto line dance would all come later, but this was a really fun night and a good core LG memory! What stands out most and makes me laugh looking back is that this was 7 short months into my friendship with Chettles, and my family literally changed our summer vacation schedule so that I could be back in time for this much-anticipated party (which he had invited me to 7 months in advance). #worthit I'm guessing that decision helped to cement our friendship, and I love that the fam was flexible and that I had the gumption to even ask for that! Also love that Rach joined our group in Tulsa for Chet's 21st bday - I'm assuming I had talked up the friend group! =)
Although I'm guessing she didn't do a lot of dancing that weekend. lol ...Aww, memories of pushing her all over Disney World in that stupid wheelchair and getting to cut to the front of the lines for every ride! Rach, if you read this, remind me how your ankle was broken?? That was a State Farm reward trip, so yay SF! That bottom right pic of Rach and I at the SF banquet dinner was my screensaver for a while after this trip. =)
Love the wheelchair pic of Dad and Rach! It's kinda sad to me now that we didn't also get a family pic in front of the castle, but what can you do years after the fact!? It's always a hot mess crowd at that entrance, and I'm guessing I didn't want to annoy anyone. *Things like this = why I'm usually willing to annoy people and demand group photos now. lol I'm always so grateful to have them when I look back, and my guess is that others will be too!!
The park stuff all blurs together in my memory at this point - I know Rach and I did the Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster (intense winding ramps as we cut the line on that one) and Splash Mountain repeatedly, but that's about it. I believe this was our last family trip before Rach got married and had children - not sure I've been on another trip with her since. My three most vivid memories looking back are: 1) Feeling proud of myself for going to our resort's workout room a couple times to get in some extra miles, training for my first Half Marathon that November... 2) Getting a fun voicemail from Malori where she sang to cheer me up (we talked daily at the time and she knew I was over-worried about Mom, who was pretty sick and coughing through the night that week)... and 3) Everything feeling better as our fam gathered on our impressive hotel room balcony to watch the Epcot fireworks show at night - (staying at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort)!!
Anyway, looking back at the group pics from that party, Chet Lee, Sarah Elizabeth, and Rachael LaJo are the only people still in my life 15 years later. Just as it should be. Most friendships are for a season, but a few are for a lifetime. I'm so glad to be in the phase of life where it's a bit easier to tell the difference. lol Okay, to sum this up, I'm super grateful for these early memories and for ALLLL God has done in the 15 years since!! ❤
Happy 36th Birth-week to Chettles!
Happy Monday to everyone, and I hope you have a fantastic week ahead!!
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