2013

 2013... It was a banner year. We sang. We danced. We laughed. We cried. We reflected. We celebrated. We saw movies. We went to shows. We played dodgeball. We worked. We lived. We learned. We said hello to new family and friends that will enrich our lives in the years to come. We said goodbye to loved ones that will never leave our hearts. I watched my sister, Katelyn, and her husband, Mark, give birth to a beautiful baby girl named Olivia! I received news of another baby on the way from my brother, Matthew, and his wife, Maureen! I also saw my brother start his dodgeball career, which resulted in not one, but two championships in his rookie year! We should have won our 2nd consecutive BP Championship too, but those plans got interrupted. I went to the hospital. My mom, Patricia, went to the hospital. Sometimes you need a reality check to realize the important things in life. I love you, Mom! I don't know what I would do without you, and I hope I never have to find out. True love got a date with destiny! On June 27, 2013, I asked my best friend and the love of my life, Annie Marie Raczko, to marry me. I proposed on her golden birthday at the top of the Empire State Building as our families met for the first time. I gave her a ring and she gave me forever. That day will not only be remembered as my favorite day of 2013, but as one of the greatest days of my life. Some days you wish to remember. Some days you wish to forget. No matter what, you should be thankful for all of your days. I am. Thank you, 2013!