My 24th Year Retrospective

Here we are, September 18th and I am turning another year older.  My 24th year on earth was one with highs and low but I think that it is one that I will remember for a long time.  So here is 10 of the things that were a part of my life this past year:

1. ARISE Together in Christ Group

In the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese our Bishop started this small faith sharing community group initiative that brings people together in your church and talk about the Faith through scripture, life and challenges.  Travis was the leader for the young adults at St. Aloysius and I joined him.  By the end of the first season we had made this wonderful group of young adults (mostly our friends from IPFW, but not all).

I am so grateful for this small group because after college and leaving the Newman group at IPFW, I missed having that Catholic fellowship.  Sometimes we don't always stay on topic, but it is a wonderful time to grow in friendship and be there for others when needed. Learn more about Arise from an article in Today's Catholic that features yours truly!

2. Engagement / Wedding Planning

Looking on this past year, this was a huge part of it.  While we got engaged in August, the real planning took place this past year.  What a roller coaster of things to do.  Some were great like meeting with Fr. Tom for Marriage prep at St. Jude. But, some of the other things were just crazy (I am not a hugely social person that plans huge parties focused on me and Travis)

While I am glad that the season of engagement is over in my life, I truly took back on that time fondly.  It was a wonderful time where you are preparing yourself for a wonderful and beautiful vocation.

3. Saying goodbye to the Overby's

I think that growing up we had the world's best neighbors!  It is hard for anyone to get close to Marge and Dave.  Marge and I were birthday buddies and growing up we (my sisters and I) would receive a hand drawn birthday card with a Disney character on it.  Marge would 'happen' to make an extra cake and bring it over, or she wanted to try a recipe and Dave couldn't eat it because of his diabetes so she would bring it over.  They were wonderful neighbors that were called away from this earth.

Marge passed away on Christmas Eve and Dave passed away 10 days latter.  That was a bit hard because they were like grandparents to me, but I hold on to the good memories.  I could reflect on these wonderful neighbors for hours, but on a day like today I just say, rest in peace Birthday Buddy!

4. Florida Trip

Mom, Dad, Angela and I took a trip to visit our Aunt and Uncle in Florida on January 1st.  It was crazy to be driving to Dayton in snow and arriving in Tampa in 80 degree weather.  Dad kept on saying: " It is January 1st and I am in shorts!" "It is January Second and I and sitting on the beach!"

Me, Dad, Mom, and Ang

While we were there I believe that it got to about zero Fahrenheit... So it was nice to be warm!  It was a perfect last family trip with us four!  This was a wonderful time to celebrate family!

5.  Two New Nephews

Luke was just making the same face as me!

I was lucky to have Two nephews born this past year! Luke James was born March 29th and Thatcher Dennis was born September 9th.  How can you not be excited about babies in the family!?!

6. Being Brooklynn's Sponsor

Travis' niece (now my niece as well!) asked me to be her sponsor for confirmation.  I was really excited that she asked me and I love being a part of sacraments.  While we were already engaged, I felt even more part of the family after being asked.

Brooklynn, Bishop Rhoades and Me

She really tested me and my memory skills though because she picked a saint that I has never heard of before: St. Marcella patron saint of Nobel women.  But it was wonderful to be a part of this with her!

7. The year of two Popes

It was a crazy beginning of the year with Pope Benedict retiring and Pope Francis becoming Pope.  But is has been exciting to see all of the spirit that seems to have been brought into the church. A renewed sense of Love.

I saw a post ones that Pope John Paul II was all about Hope and what we went through with World War II and the cold war, he showed the church and world love.  Benedict was the scholar that educated us about the faith.  Now, Pope Francis is showing the love the the faith can offer.  It is a trifecta of Popes in my lifetime!

8. Renting House

Travis and I become renters.  He moved into the house in April and I am still working at unpacking boxes...  I will eventually be all moved it... eventually... But it has been a wonderful experience.  We live right across the street from St. Jude so we never have to worry about parking for Mass, we just have to walk!

While we aren't going to be there forever, it is a great first place to make a home!

9.  Changing my last name

Marrying my best friend has been a highlight of this past year.  Changing last name a bit harder and a tedious process.  You don't realize how many places have your information until you see how many places you need to change your address and name (still an ongoing process).  But I love the Day I become a Mrs.  it is crazy to think that it has been 2 months already!

But Becoming Mrs. has been wonderful and sometimes I still look around and ask if it is real, because it just seems so natural now.  I love coming home to Travis (well, I usually beat him home...)  but it has all been a blessing!

10.  Starting a new Life 

While this past year has been filled with its ups and downs it is always wonderful to look back ans see how blessed I truly am.  I have a wonderful husband, family, and friends! I couldn't ask for more!  Thank you all for what you have done to my life and I am forever grateful!  Please continue to keep Travis and I in your prayers as we begin this new journey of life together.

Now onto being 24!!

Rest in Peace Birthday Buddy

Marge and her husband Dave were my next door neighbors my whole life up till earlier this year.  And they were the best neighbors that any young girl growing up could possibly have. I still look across the way sometimes and forget that they aren't there anymore.  It is one of those things that I never thought would actually happen.  But alas we all grow up and things just don't stay they same.

I have so many memories growing up with Marge and Dave in them.  They would always take care of the mail when my family was on vacation and we always knew the weather each day on the little post-it that Marge left on top of the mail.  Marge and Dave had a dog Barney when I was younger and my sisters and I would love to feed him.  I remember Marge was the type of person that would always tend to have "too many desserts" and bring them over to us because Dave couldn't eat them due to his Diabetes.

I could go on and on about the memories that I have about Marge, but there is only one more that I think that I should share.  The thing that Marge and I had in common was that we were birthday buddies.  Now that really didn't entail much, but it was that fun connection that made my birthday  bit more special.  We would take over flowers of a card to her and share a few moments of our birthday together.

Marge was Like an adopted grandparent to me and my sisters.  With me only even knowing my mothers parents, and my Grandpa and Grandma Sherburne being called away from this world before I was here, she was the best adopted Grandmother that I could ever know.  We never said the word grandparent with them, but When talking briefly to Dave at the Funeral Home he said we always felt like relation. It was just one of those unspoken things with all of us.

The world lost the greatest neighbor anyone could ask for on Christmas Eve.  And I will always compare any of my future neighbors to the Overby's.  One of God's many gifts to my family.  Rest in Peace, my birthday buddy, Marge.


Marge's Obituary

A New Page Turning

I feel like this week is going to be one of those weeks where things are just going to be changing.

I don't know what it really is, because on one hand it is exciting and yet on another it is the unknown.  My next door neighbors are moving to assisted living this week. and that is getting to be one of those inevitable things that I knew would come, but I never totally grasped it.  They have been like second grandparents for me and my sisters while we have grown up.

They would make us cookies, and random cakes.  They would send us birthday cards (when she arthritis wasn't bad she would draw us cards with Disney characters on them).  They had our spare key if we were ever locked out.  and they were always there.  Having them there, it taught me, while growing up, that you don't have to see eye to eye, to find one playing field that you are on an even field.

Over the past few years, they have been both been getting older. Him with diabetes, and her with a stroke that has left he not talking for over a year.  But, while their bodies are beginning to fail them, they are still the same neighbors that have been next door since we moved there before I was born.

My mother last year was helping our neighbor get a birthday gift for her husband.  She did it with my mother so it would be a surprise for him. Over his birthday she ended up being in the hospital again, but yet my mom brought the gift so she would be able to give it  to him.  Here she was a woman who couldn't speak, giving her husband a birthday gift.  My mom expressed the interaction as a strong man in spirit who has never cried much had tears in his eyes as his wife gave him a simple birthday gift.  Something so simple can change everything.

With them moving in the next few days it is making me realize how things will be so drastically different once their house is empty and then when someone else moves in. But I know that they will be better off when there are there.  They will have someone watching over them, and everything will be safer. But things will never be the same.

But that's okay  :-)

because no matter what changes in this world, the sun will rise and set. The coffee will brew in the morning, and the world will keep on spinning.  We are all on a journey our choices that we make in our every day lives will take us forward.  It is up to us (and God) to figure out where that forward will take us.

So Marge and Dave, may God bless you on your next journey and may you never forget your neighbors who will always be here, helping you through. Because you will always be our neighbors. Love always