On the morning of November 9th, 2013, Carrie rolled out of bed and set out to go duck hunting with her dog, Carper. On that same morning, Travis rolled out of bed looking to BTHO Mississippi State on Senior Night at Kyle Field in the last game at Kyle Field "as we knew it." In typical Carrie-fashion, she was running late to leave for College Station to attend the same football game Travis would score two touchdowns in. She left in a hurry with leaving her hunting boots on and old hoodie. Carrie sat with her sister Bonnie and her husband Adam at the game, and they mentioned that their friend Jake [Labhart], who had a brother on the team (of course I knew who Travis Labhart was), said we could meet up with them after the game and "probably meet some of the players." In 2013 when Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans are dominating the game of college football, you don't say no to a chance to maybe just see them. At least Carrie didn't. Good bull. Well Carrie didn't see the future first-round picks that night, but she did casually shake the hand of Travis Labhart #15. The handshake was quickly interrupted by Carrie running to get a picture with Cash Out King, Ben Malena, who was less than enthusiastic to take a picture. Besides a Mississippi State win and Kyle Field being instantly torn down, all that happened that night was a mere handshake between the two. Carrie drove home to San Marcos without any second thoughts, and Travis happened to cross paths again with Bonnie and Adam later that night at his house for his senior season celebration. The stories start to vary from this point on. Some say Travis began asking questions about Carrie to Bonnie and Adam, seemingly very interested. Some say Travis boldly claimed on the spot that he would take Carrie on a date that same week. While some say that was never said. And still some say he asked his dad who that girl was (that girl was Carrie.) Somehow over the next week, Travis was convinced by the overly eager Jake and Bonnie (who coincidentally taught across the hallway from each other) to ask Carrie out on a date. There was resistance from both parties that week, as Travis had no plans of dating during his senior season and only shot at furthering his football career and Carrie had no plans of dating Travis because she didn't want anyone to get in the way of adventure and certainly had no intentions of dating a football player who was probably a lot like, well, a football player. But love is a gamble, and through much convincing, both agreed to go. Carrie wanted to go and get it over with. Travis was a little more hopeful. The two met at Top Golf in Austin, TX (HISSSSSSSSS), Carrie an hour late and Travis an hour early. Carrie found his first golf swing more than impressive, and Travis taught Carrie how to hit the ball, thankfully not from directly behind whilst reaching around her. That would have been a deal breaker. Let's not give Carrie too little credit here, as she IS athletic and DID hit it in the furthest target. The conversation went well and was relatively easy. But the night was almost over and Carrie started faking back cramps so she could leave at a decent hour. She got it over with, at least she thought. As he walked her to her car he asked if she would like to go to the A&M vs LSU football game that weekend, in the safe company of her very own sister, Adam, and his family. How could Carrie ever turn down tickets in Death Valley? She couldn't. She wouldn't. She didn't.

After the LSU game, there was a quick turnaround for date #3 the next day in Houston at a Houston Texans game (ironic, dontcha think?) ((I hope it doesn't rain on our wedding day.)) After that, it was time for Travis to go into Carrie's territory. Carrie invited Travis to attend something she loved, Young Life. It was for the annual Mr. Christmas Tree pageant, and Carrie volunteered him to be the celebrity guest and to announce the winner of the pageant. Travis was more than nervous to do this, in front of hundreds of people that he didn't know. But it was somewhat of a test, and he passed! Date #4 flew by which consisted of dinner at Carrie's favorite Mexican restaurant, Herbert's, and Carrie being so nervous she threw up at dinner! Things were going great!

The Ags made it to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl that season, where Lad, Bonnie and Carrie took a road trip to Atlanta to see the Ags and Travis play! Carrie had told Travis that if he scored in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl game that he should do the Hunger Games salute to the crowd. Well the Ags were off to a slow start, and it didn't look like that would happen. In the midst of an upsetting game, the quarterback, I forget his name, connected with Travis Football for the first touchdown of the game for the Ags! In the excitement of the Aggies scoring and Travis being the one who did, Carrie completely forgot about the request to do the Hunger Games salute as a TD celebration. It was unlikely anyways. WRONG. Without skipping a beat, Travis turned around and did the Hunger Games salute straight at Carrie. It's unclear when exactly Travis knew he actually liked Carrie, but that is the definite moment Carrie knew Travis was a keeper.

What are the odds that Carrie and Travis would be in the same town of Colorado during the same week for a ski trip? I would say not likely, but it happened! In Breckenridge, CO a couple of months down the road, is where Travis told Carrie just how he felt, forgetting to clearly ask her out. So Carrie made an assessment and told him that she too was "in it to win it." And that's how Carvis came to be.

A little over a year after the first trip to Colorado, Travis took Carrie back to Breckenridge, CO to ski (snowboard in her case) again! Travis always spoke of summiting Keystone Peak, which was a decently difficult hike to make in the snow. Carvis and Travis' good friend Parker set out mid-week to hike up to the top of Keystone Peak. It was snowing, and Carrie was just about wanting to kill Travis, when atop the highest peak in Keystone, CO, at 13,000 ft, Travis got on one knee and said a bunch of words that neither of them remember, and eventually asked Carrie to marry him. To which she replied "if you can beat me down the mountain." Actually that didn't happen, but it should have. But then again they wouldn't be getting married, so maybe it's best that it didn't happen. Is it clear who wrote this yet? She said yes.

Story as told by Travis Labhart.