Names to Faces

These faces and names will be appearing a lot in my posts so in order to keep them all straight and to find out more about them, here’s a little cheat sheet…

Bern and Big Mike: The mom and dad

My Mom and Dad have been two of the most amazing parents a girl could ask for while growing up and still today.  They have been my biggest supporters and encouragers throughout my education, my professional career, my basketball career and now my running endeavors.  There is nothing they wouldn’t do for my sister and me and I could never thank them enough for their love and guidance over the years!!

Katie and Brian: The sister and brother-in-law

Katie is my older sister by 3 years (someone hit the 30 year marker last summer….) and has been one of my best friends throughout my entire life.  When we were young, elementary/middle school young, we got along but I wouldn’t have ever admitted to her being my friend, even more so one of my best friends.  However, once I got to high school and she was a big senior on campus our relationship started to really change.  I’m not sure if it was the daily commutes to and from school together or our first season of being on the same basketball team again (the last time being at the ages of 5 and 8 ) or maybe it was a combination of both but somewhere along the way we had the became close enough for me to call her one of my best friends.  I remember being so sad when she graduated and I had to go back to face sophomore year of high school without her and her group of friends, which I had joined by association.  Regardless, ever since we have remained close and we rarely go more than a day without talking, texting or emailing each other.  I’m lucky enough that after she married my brother-in-law, Brian, they remained in the same area as the rest of the family and that what was once floor space between our twin beds in our shared room that separated us and then was a hallway when Katie was “too old” to share a room is now only a short 15 minute drive.

As for my brother-in-law, Brian.  He was officially added to the family on August 16, 2008 and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.  When Katie and Brian first started dating back in February of 2004 I remember not being so sure of him.  However, I couldn’t have been more wrong!!!  Brian is awesome.  There is really no other word to describe him.  He fits in perfectly with our family and he treats my sister like gold (which is NOT an easy task…) and I couldn’t ask for a better significant other for her!!

Brian (B): The Husband

B and I met back in 2008 through a mutual friend.  It was one of those “nice to meet you, nice to hang out with you tonight” things and to be honest after going home for the night I didn’t really give “our relationship” another thought.  After about a year absence we randomly ran into one another again and that time it was one of those “hey, how ya been?” things.  We chatted for a few minutes and before the awkward, “well it was nice seeing you…” moment and goodbye he asked for my number so we could get together at some point.  After a few blown off attempts (by me I may add) we finally got together for a drink one evening at the start of fall 2009.  We had a good time talking and found we had a lot in common and enjoyed each others company.  We started spending a lot of time together but unfortunately not long after this, B moved pretty far away…like 5 states away (after a short stint across the country)!  We continued talking and saw each other when we could but it was nothing “serious”.  As weird and cliche as it sounds, this whole time I was so comfortable and at ease with our relationship as it stood because I knew we would eventually figure it out and be together in a committed relationship.  Finally, after a year of doing the “talking” and “we’re just friends” bit we decided to take it to the next level.  We have been officially dating since the fall of 2010 and I could not ask for a better boyfriend or best friend!!  We click on so many levels that there is not doubt we are perfect together.  I know for sure that the year prior to us finally making the decision to be together gave us a great foundation for a solid, successful relationship.

Jeremy: The essential best friend

Jeremy and I met our freshman year of college on the basketball court.  We both were basketball players and were in the gym shooting around prior to our dreaded first college pre-season started.  Our coach at the time introduced us to one another so that we could get to know each other before our season started.  It turned out she lived a floor below me in our dorm building which ended up being a pretty convenient starting point for a friendship.  I won’t go into the story of how we actually “became friends”…it involves alcohol and me biting her shoulder – weird – exactly why I’m leaving it out….but needless to say we did become friends and were pretty much inseparable throughout the rest of our 4 years in college.  After college we lived together for another 4 years (total of 7 including our last 3 years of school – wow!) until I moved closer to my job last fall.  Even though it was an adjustment not living together and seeing each other daily to gossip and fill each other in on our lives, we are still as close as ever…and the daily gossiping and life updates still take place…they aren’t just always face to face!