I'm getting pretty exciting for our upcoming trip to Lake Winnipesaukee. The picture above is from August of 2003 when Craig and I had just started to THINK about dating.
He had invited me and a few friends up to the lake house for the weekend. When the weekend was over, we went down to Boston and stayed at his house before my trip back to NY the next morning. Craig and his family were heading back up to the lake for family week the next day. The night before, we stayed up late talking with his parents. I remember thinking how great they were.
More than once that night, they invited me to come back up to the lake that week and hang out with the family. I declined--I really wanted to, but I did not want to intrude on family time (growing up- and still-my mom was a little crazy about protecting our "family time". we all joke that we would rather have just 6 of the 7 kids home at once so that we can tell her it's not officially family time. Don't even think about calling or knocking on door during family time.)
Anyhow, I just didn't want to get in the way... I was just a friend, not even Craig's girlfriend at that point. the next morning, my bags were packed and I was ready to hop the chinatown bus back to NY. Ann had left a note on counter for Craig saying that she was headed to the statehouse to ride with Mitt and the state troopers up to NH (he was governor at the time) and "was Mary sure she couldn't come back up to the lake with everyone?" Between that and Craig (who I was really really starting to like) telling me it was FINE and that they really wanted me there, I decided to go.
The rest is history. :)
At the end of that trip, summer was over. Craig flew back to UT for school, I headed back to NY. We still hadn't even had out first kiss. BUT I had definitely fallen for him. And I expected big things in our future. Without that extra week to solidify our relationship, who knows if we would have even started dating. (as it was, he kissed me when he surprised me and flew to NY the next weekend).
so that is the story of why I attribute us getting together partially to Mitt and Ann (and to Lake Winni!!).
