Well...I've officially broken down and started a blog.
I thought I would begin this journey with...a brief autobiography. And for those of you who know me, by "brief" I mean really long! :-)
I was born on December 30, 1982. That makes me a Capricorn. A sea goat.
As the second child, my big sister, Amy, has been my rock from day one. Although we had our little spats here and there, we really did get along very well! Our bond only grew as we got older. She taught me how to ride a bike. We used to entertain ourselves by recording random songs, "talk shows," and other hilarious skits into our tape recorder. (We recently listened to them for the first time in years...and let me tell you...it was HILARIOUS!) Our Christmas Eve tradition was spending the night together in her room. We'd stay up for hours giggling and talking...and sometimes we'd ruin the surprise for one or two presents. I can always go to my sister for help, advice, or just a good laugh. It was a no-brainer for her to stand by my side on my wedding day as my Maid of Honor. She keeps me sane. Words cannot express how much she means to me...or how much I appreciate her constant love and wisdom.
I've always been close with my parents. Supportive without stepping over boundries. Encouraging without pushing. Loving without smothering. My mother was always great at appeasing me when I was little. If I got so much as a bump, I would require a band-aid. My mom always came through. She even found it in herself to sit on the living room floor with me and play Barbies. I was Daddy's little girl. Any time we were out, I would sit high atop his shoulders. He was the best mode of transportation. We spent many evenings on the living room floor. He'd be stretched out on his back watching the news, and I would lay my pillow against him and relax with him. I sincerely hope that Andy & I can be half the parents they have been to me.
As much as I owe a huge part of myself to my sister and parents...I also owe a part of myself to my two best friends from high school (Teresa & Kevin). Who knows what I would have gotten involved in or where I would have ended up without remarkable friends like these two. Our idea of fun may not have been exactly what other kids our age thought was fun...but that's what made of so great together.
Kevin and I met in 5th grade. I still vaguely remember the day that my group of friends were playing with our Troll dolls (the ones with the jewel in the belly) at recess when Kevin approached. He had a red-headed Troll doll named HONKEY DOREY. He wanted to play with us. ...and so he did. Like my little brother, my protective instincts swelled the older we got. If you messed with Kevin, you messed with me! I'll never forget the day he came out. Teresa & I were waiting for it...we pretty much already knew. He told us via a letter. I remember crying. He was nervous to tell us because he thought we would reject him. Quite the opposite...we felt like we could embrace him even more!! We were like Will & Grace. He was the Yin to my Yang. He proudly stood on my side on the day of my wedding...as my "bridesman." To this day, even though he's in DC and I'm in Lancaster, I know he has my back.
Then there's Teresa. I first really got to know her in 7th grade. We had homeroom together. Our deep friendship really didn't blossom until our senior year in high school. ...and it ignited! She could complete my sentences and know exactly what I was thinking. It was odd yet refreshing. Known to be a bit indecisive, Teresa was my "decision maker." Any time I had problems deciding something, I would look at her and ask, "what are we doing?" It's interesting because parts of us are like twins (identical in so many ways) but just opposite enough to balance each other. I used to LOVE confusing people with our odd affection towards one another. It was NOTHING for me to grab her boob or call her "slut." Yes, I know it sounds horrible, but we share this twisted sense of humor. It was this "sick" bond that made it insanely hard to say goodbye to her after high school when she went to study at Purdue University. I still remember crying myself to sleep the night she left. Although I knew that she was always just a phone call away, it was tough to say "until next time." She was one of the first people I called when I got engaged. I'm pretty sure I woke her up that morning...but her scream of delight proved to me that she didn't care. She accepted, without hesitation, to be my bridesmaid. To this day, I'm like a little kid when I know I'm going to see her. Giddy with excitement!!
In college, I met Andy. For those of you who don't know...our first year teacher, Mr. Adams, played Cupid. I had known Mr. Adams since I was six. One day in class, I asked him who the "hot guy" was in the second year class. He informed me that it was Andy...and that he was a great guy. The next day, Mr. Adams got the ball rolling. Andy was interested...and passed along his phone number to me. That night, I called him, and we talked for three hours. We've been inseparable ever since. He can make me laugh like no one else. He has the most delightful goofy side that only comes out around me...and I LOVE that about him. It's almost like our little "secret." We express our feelings by saying "UV OO" (which is our "quick" way of saying "I love you"). He proposed on my 22nd birthday. A cake was presented to me which read "Will you marry me" in icing on top. He got down on one knee, and I said "YES" right away. We were married a little over a year and a half later on September 9, 2006. It was a perfect day!
Because of Andy's best friend, Damen, I met my bestest, Katie. After having a MAJOR fall out with a dear friend back in 2003, I was left heartbroken. This friend and I had been together since preschool, and I watched our bond disintegrate in front of me. It was painful and hard to rebound from. I swore that I would NEVER befriend another girl. Girl's were evil, catty bitches! Then Katie came along. Like me in so many ways, I resisted her at first. She was just the girlfriend of my boyfriend's best friend. Whatever. She was nice, so I could tolerate her. But the more we hung out, the closer we became. We started vacationing together...going to Royals hockey games...and hanging out on Saturday nights. I VERY PROUDLY stood as her Maid of Honor on her wedding day back in October. I didn't cry at my own wedding, but I was a ball of emotions at hers. I'm so thankful I could get over the hurt that I experienced to develop such a strong bond with a great girl!
Now I'm expecting my first child. I'm rounding out my first trimester, and I'm due in August. I can't wait.
So...this is me. This is my blog. Stay tuned if you want to learn more...have a good laugh...or just come back because you have nothing better to do!
Until then...
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