AJ

He had a contagious smile... Every memory that I have of Adam, whether is be from pre-K CCD class or running into him on Purdue's campus, he was smiling. And that is what I will remember most.

There are so many other wonderful memories that I have. They go way back to Mrs. Steven's kindergarten class. Adam definitely was the class clown and I have to admit, he was my first crush. But we grew up together and he became one of my closest friends. He became a lot of people's closest friends, that's just who he was. He knew how to listen to you, be there for you, but he especially knew how to tease you.

Adam was such a special person and was loved by so many because of his laid back attitude and absolute love of life. You couldn't be around him and be in a bad mood. He wouldn't allow it. He'd put his arm around your shoulder and cheer you up. That's why we can't be sad about losing him, he wouldn't want it that way.

I miss Adam already. I miss seeing him on Sunday mornings in CCD Class. Our class was quite the crew (I think we still hold the record for making the most teacher's/nun's cry) we were together since we were five year's old and I think it was Adam's sense of humor that got us through every Sunday morning.

I miss seeing him on soccer field and basketball court. I loved cheering for one of my best friends from the sidelines and I can only imagine what kind of teammate he was.

I miss running into him on campus. It could be a miserable, windy, pouring down rain kind of day, but there he would be, with that smile on his face, giving me a hug, calling me Tracy Lee because I shouted, "Hey AJ" across campus. He'd give me a hug, instantly make me feel better about everything, and we could always pick up right where we left off.

I miss Adam coming into Harry's on nights when I was working. He loved the green dragons and I just never understood how he could drink those. But, he always left with a smile, a hug, and a nice tip.

I'll miss seeing him around home. Selling ham tickets at the Fireman's Festival, sitting in church with his family, and drinking and us being obnoxious together like we had done so many times before.

I will just miss him. His smile. Him teasing me.

Adam was definitely one of the best people I've ever known and I don't know anyone that would say otherwise. He was the most loyal friend and we were all so lucky to have him in our lives. I'm sure everybody has that special memory of him, I have quite a few (The Eve of Senior Night at the Lion's Field having the biggest shaving cream/toilet paper fight, the time Joan woke up/picked up the entire CCD Class from my house after my birthday party so we could go collect canned goods for the needy, the ridiculous amount of parties we attended Freshman year of college, all the nights Adam made sure ManFace and I got home okay, and the nights we spend playing cards) I will treasure these memories forever.

He was always there for me. He was always there for all of us. I just wish I could have one more of his hugs... they were always my favorite.

It's Official...

... We're Getting Married!

Okay, I guess it's been official since Dan gave me a ring almost a year ago, but today it really felt really official because... Our Invitations Arrived!

With so much help from Aunt Betty I got my invitations ordered and delivered to my house so quickly! When I open the package I just got so excited and it suddenly felt so real to me. We're getting married!

Seeing the invitations was more of a reality for me than when I tried on my dress or picked out the cake. Seeing our families names and the date and time all written out made me more excited than when we picked out the song for our first dance or even tasted the delicious food that we are going to serve. It's really all coming together and the package that arrived today really got me excited about the wedding... 107 days to go before I become Tracy Hartman! AHHH!

The Sheets of Integrity

In the past couple of weeks I've decided that I work in one of the most unconventional offices in America... for two very important reasons.

1. Nobody, I mean nobody, in the office brings in Girl Scout Cookie order forms.
Now how is this possible you may ask? Probably because everybody that I work with lives for their jobs and there are only two people in the office that have kids... and they are boys. I actually had to search for Girl Scout Cookies this year, and happily found them at BP the weekend that I went home to visit Mom and Dad. God Love Booth Sales!

2. Nobody fills out NCAA Brackets. I just couldn't believe this, since Monday morning I was waiting for someone to go around and hand out brackets and ask for $20. I even made a special trip to the ATM on Monday morning so that I would have cash the enter into the pool. It just didn't happen. I was so disappointed and shocked. I think last year I was in three different pools. I guess working in a bar kind of lead me to all those brackets... but I honestly think it is more illegal to gamble in a bar than in an office building.

So since I didn't have an office pool to enter, Dan and I started our own, and since our favorite morning radio show is Mike and Mike, we followed their example and made our "SHEETS OF INTEGRITY." Now I don't know how they came up with this term for their brackets, but we love it. All week we've been following along with their sheets and after all the talk, I'm pretty happy with mine, even though only after a few games I've already got two picks wrong... and unfortunately I had Louisville going pretty far. We haven't decided what the winner gets yet, but I'll keep you updated on our progress!

So maybe next year I'll make it my project to put together an office pool, I think I might even be able to make that a first quarter goal of mine...nothing too exciting happens during the first quarter anyway!

2:00 am...

... And I have no idea why I am awake. Maybe it's because Dan is still sick and is snoring so loudly I had to evacuate from our bedroom. Maybe it's because this is the first night I have felt better and I didn't take any medicine to help me sleep. Maybe it's because I've heard more trains tonight than I have since I've moved here. Maybe it's because I don't have my clothes laid out for tomorrow. Maybe it's because my mind can't turn off tonight.

I'm sure every body has those nights when they just can't sleep and their mind is racing around so many things. I can't even get a grip on most of the things that are rolling around in there because they are all so silly. Most of them are wedding related and I can't believe that I'm this worked up about the tiniest things. Other things are work related, and when I think about those things I just think about how tired I am going to be at work tomorrow, but my mind just won't turn off.

I haven't had this problem in a long, long time. I used to not be able to sleep and I would watch the Home Shopping Network. Dan caught me buying things at ungodly times in the middle of the night and made me promise I would quit watching those shows... I did, the things I bought were so ridiculous anyway...except for that jewelry storage contraption.

So here I am at 2:00 am typing away about absolutely nothing. But I knew that this would make me feel better, and it did. Or maybe it's the glare of the computer screen putting a strain on my eyes and that is what's making me sleepy... there I go again with the mind racing. Okay, Okay, I'm going to stop. Hopefully I can get a good night's (or four hours) sleep out here in my little nest I created on the couch... and hopefully Dan quits snoring so loudly.

~Good Night

Blinded By The Light

Okay, Okay, yes I love this song. It takes me back to Spring Break '06 with Kaitlin driving my mom's car around Destin, Florida and the rest of the girls trying to figure out exactly what the lyrics were...

... anyway, today I literally was blinded by the light when I stepped out of my building on the way home from work. I made my way through the revolving door and HELLO, the sun was still out. I've never been more excited. Yes, I precisely remember turning my clocks forward the day before but it took me until today at 5:30 to realize what it really meant.

So to me, this is what daylight savings time really means...

Grilling out
Flip Flops Opposed to the Ugg Boots That Have Been Affixed to My Body Since Mid- November (I better schedule a pedicure)
Walks and Bike Rides on the Bike Trail
Sitting on the Porch
Hearing Birds Chirp in the Morning
Sun Tans
Cuter Clothes Than These Sweaters
Getting to Hang Out Downstairs Without Having to Wear Slippers on the Stone Floors
Realistic Wedding Planning (I feel like up until a week ago it's all just been pretend)
The Sight of Grass (The last of the snow melted yesterday!)
Outdoor Get-Togethers
And Really, Just A Happier Me!

So I'm thrilled that I moved my clocks forward this weekend, and I'll enjoy my walk home from work now IN THE LIGHT!

We're Having A Party

I love going home. I really can't think of many things that are better than pulling into my parents driveway and walking into the most comfortable home I've ever stepped into. Seeing my parents and John and Jill and little Dillon is absolutely one of my favorite things. So after driving for four hours through pouring down rain I was so happy to be home last Friday night. What a weekend we all had!

It was a very productive weekend. We got so many things done for the wedding. I heard the most wonderful news at my dress fitting, "You can't loose a pound before the wedding." I could have kissed the lady when she told me that... Jill was quick to remind me I couldn't gain a pound either. We picked out the flower girl's dress... Macy looks darling, we got all of our undergarments and shoes, and we got the invitations ordered (honest to god, the most over-whelming task I've ever had to do). It's actually all coming together.

But we also had a very, very fun weekend. Full of good food and wine and laughter and DANCING! I haven't danced so much in such a long time, my body actually still kind of hurts from all of the high kicks we did along to "Hot Legs." Yes, hot legs, one of my favorite songs by Rod Stewart... but not my most favorite. That spot is reserved for "We're Having a Party!"

We listened to this song on repeat at least 4 times and just danced... wedding reception style. Mom, Dad, Bert, Dave, Janet, Aunt Betty, Jill, Kenna, Grant, Dillon, and myself were unstoppable. We were all up swinging our beers and glasses of wine in the air, taking turns dancing in the middle of the circle, and singing along. At one point Jill was winning a hula-hoop contest and Kenna and Grant were holding a crutch so that we could do the limbo... Dad is still pretty impressive at the limbo. I had so much fun I didn't want the song to end. That's probably why I kept pushing repeat as soon as it was over. It really was such a fun evening.

But the best part was when we got home John had a heaping stack of pancakes for us! Now if you know me at all, or have read any of my blogs you know that John is quite the pancake chef and he is always willing to make them for me when I've had too many drinks. The pancakes are just so fantastic and nobody can make them like he does.

So I've never been happier than to share my pancakes with my family, and especially Dillon. Saturday night was the first night I had drunken pancakes with a little guy in a booster seat sitting next to me. He loved Uncle Johnny's pancakes too.

What a weekend. I had such a great time with the family and I can't wait to see them all again soon so that we can have another dance party in Bert and Dave's basement and create more funny and wonderful memmories.

Love you all!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

I've always loved Dr. Seuss books. Probably because I'm a sucker for rhymes, or maybe because they were easy to memorize and I could convince my family members that I was really reading, when all I was really doing was reciting from memory what I made either my mom or sister read over and over to me.

But what I really loved was celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday! In elementary school we'd always have people come and read stories to us and my favorite was when we actually had green eggs and ham for lunch! In high school we'd always go and read to the students. I always chose to read Oh, The Places You'll Go! I love that book!

And since today is the day... Dr. Seuss's Birthday, and Dan wouldn't let us have green eggs and ham for dinner, I thought I would celebrate by sharing with you some of my favorite quotes from the man himself! Enjoy!

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose."
~From my favorite book~

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”
~So, so true. I'm especially feeling this right now as I realize that 4 months from tomorrow... I'm getting married. I feel like I just got engaged!~

"From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!"
~I somehow can find funny things all around me, it makes my life more enjoyable, I think!~

"I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song, seems like we just got started and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone."
~Dr. Seuss always had a lesson, but this is probably one of the greatest. Never take time with people you love for granted~

"When he worked,he really worked.
but when he played,he really PLAYED."
~My Motto~

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities."
~As much as I love things to be in their homes and in order, I thrive when things are crazy. The nonsense really does wake up the brain cells~

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."
~And this is my favorite. I find it more true than anything that Dr. Seuss ever said. I'm just thrilled that I found someone whose weirdness is compatible with my weirdness~