The Wedding/Tracey Page

March 8, 2003:  The Wedding

What a difference a year makes.  I can hardly believe my luck.  Our wedding day was a dream and we truly enjoyed ourselves.  Tracey was beautiful, we were surrounded by loving friends and family, the minister and music were simply perfect and best of all, we're married now. 

One of the last cold days, but gorgeous and clear.  Tracey got black on her dress from the lanterns lining the walk.  This led to her repeatedly saying, "I have black on my dress".  Tracey handled it with her usual grace and equanimity.  No one noticed.

Tracey with her best friend, Jane.  Jane flew in earlier in the week from New York.  They've been friends since 3rd grade and Tracey is even more herself when she's around Jane.  She lights up around her and it's great to see them together.

Us.  I'm a lucky man.  My best man, Bob, was whistling "Beauty and the Beast" during the pictures.

Quinn was just excellent as ringbearer and he got adoring gazes as he walked down the aisle.  Just like the movies!  After we lit the unity candle, he tugged at my coat and asked if we were married yet.  When I said yes, he said he wanted to be the first to hug us.

My mentor, confidant and dear friend, Bob, served as best man.  He's one of those rare friends who's walked with me through everything for the last 12 years.  I love running things by him, adding his experience to mine.  He always steers me toward the loving thing to do.  When I'm ready to speak my mind to Tracey, he says something like "that might not be in your best interest".  That always gets my attention.

Tom and I have been friends since 8th grade.  We met, appropriately enough, in music class.  We became a clique of two and our shared smugness sustained us  through high school.  Tom got his Masters in Cello performance from Juilliard. I myself was cursed with a minor talent in music, enough to distract me from majoring in something useful.  Tom persevered and makes his living providing music and teaching, so I just have a lot of respect and admiration for what he's done with his talent.  I was stunned when Tom told me he'd take the weekend and fly out from his home in Connecticut to play for the service.  His mother, Sue, joined him at the piano and everyone raved about the music.  It just made the wedding soar.  Thank you, Tom and Sue.

Tom is single.

The Donovan Family.  We are so grateful for their love and support.  It's a joy to have Mike and Emily nearby with their new baby, Greta.  Emily did the invitations (awesome!) and Pat came up before the wedding to help Tracey.  I think they mainly shopped, but it helped.  Tracey's folks, Gerald and Lorraine, made the trip as well and we had a fantastic time together.  We go to their place in Wisconsin frequently.  I love my in-laws.

The Severs Family:  my brother, Bob, his wife, Jayne, as well as my nephews, Scott and David, with their wives, Shannon and Mindy.  It was great to have them with us.  During the service, the families were asked to stand and pledge their support to our marriage and it really felt good to see them stand up for us.

Tracey with some school friends at the reception.  Jill, Tracey, Rebekah and Julie.  I don't know what they talk about when I'm not around, but they always have a gleam in their eye when they're together.  Ah, good friends.

The second one shows Louise, Jeannette and Mara with Tracey at the reception.  

These are from the rehearsal dinner at Rube's Steakhouse.  Meat good.

Best man Bob and cellist Tom.

Nov 27, 2002:  The Engagment

It's official, Tracey and I are getting married March 8, 2003!  We got engaged near Sparta, WI at Janice and Ole's Grapevine Log Cabins.  I managed to surprise her on the pretense of visiting her grandma, which we did.  We took her to lunch at the Tomah Mall and had a nice visit, but then, Tracey and I went back to the cabin, took a walk in the woods to the top of a gorgeous ridge and I said, "Will you marry me?  PLEASE?"  She said yes and now the whole wedding planning phase is underway.  I'm a lucky man.

Quinn's happy about it but is wondering where we're going to put Tracey's furniture.  Quinn, Tracey and I are going to Fall Creek, WI for Thanksgiving so Quinn can meet the whole family.

Nov 9, 2002

Tracey took me to my first Big Ten College football game.  Tracey's a University of Iowa grad and buys season tickets every year.  We tailgated in perfect weather with her friends and had a great time. I played In Heaven There is no Beer on my accordion.  I'd tried to learn the Iowa Fight Song but didn't quite make it.  Some guy named Tony thought it was great, though.

Oct 19, 2002

We had a blast at Howell's Tree Farm riding on the hayrack and choosing pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.  I nearly fought someone's grandmother who was trying to take our blanket, but Tracey got me back in line.  She's great at that.  One look and I know I'm off-base.  I always take her advice, she's very wise.

Oct 13, 2002

Rebekah, Scott and their kids came to visit for the weekend.  We all stayed at my house and we went to the Cumming Apple Orchard on Saturday for pumpkins and a hayrack ride.  Then, Saturday night, Scott took us all out to dinner for his birthday.....

Sept 7, 2002

Went to visit Tracey's family near Eau Claire, WI for Labor Day.  All 9 kids were there (she's 8th of 9).  Tracey and I camped at a gorgeous county park in the woods and, during the day, we hung out at her folks' house.  Lorraine, Tracey's mom, provided great food and we had two full days to visit .  Sunday, we went tubing on the Eau Claire river.  It was gorgeous, but our 1 1/2 hour trip turned into a 3 1/2 hour ordeal.  It ended fine, but we were all grouchy and sick of being in the river!

Here we have Tracey's parents, Gerald and Lorraine, with their newest (14th, I think) grandchild, Greta.  Then, the whole crew.....

On the way home, we stopped by to visit Tracey's 99 year old grandmother, Irma.  She was great and didn't seem a day over 79.  She showed us around the area where Tracey's German Catholic emigrant ancestors settled.  It was all beautiful, rolling hills and ridges with curving country roads.  Here, Tracey's pictured by her ggg grandfather, Herman Flock's, grave at St Mary's Ridge cemetery.  At least 5 generations of Tracey's mom's family are buried here.

July 19-21, 2002

Went to Chicago to meet Tracey's friends, Rebekah and Scott.  They are so like her:  ruthless teasers and impeccably polite at the same time.  They were wonderful hosts and their kids were fantastic.  First time I'd ever done tourist stuff in Chicago, Navy Pier, boat tour on Lake Michigan, etc.  It was a blast.  Oh, and we went to the Ikea store and bought some great stuff for our homes.  

July 18, 2002

Here we have Tracey and Quinn and me.  Then we have Bob and Craig joining in the pic.....

May, 2002

These are pictures of my girlfriend, Tracey.  She's a 5th grade teacher and loves Seinfeld.   First, we have Tracey's 35th birthday.  I baked her favorite cake, angelfood.  

Next, it's Meet the Parents. Tracey and I drove to Fall Creek, Wisconsin for her nephew's high school graduation.  They're a great family, we had a terrific time.  The second one was taken that weekend at Big Falls.  It's a place with a big waterfall.  I think this is the best picture we have of us together.

Then, it's Meet the Boyfriend's Son.  Quinn, Tracey and I hung out at the pool on Memorial Day.  Tracey cooked shrimp, tuna and veggies on the grill.  She and Quinn had a blast making Potato Pancake Faces :)

Then, it's Meet the Boyfriend's Friends.  Tracey and I had dinner with Bob and Joni.  Bob's one of my very best friends and Joni's a schoolteacher.