Leaders of the Pack

Wedding Day

Alan as a teenager.

Alan on a carousel.
What a cute baby - Alan, his Ma and da.

Carol - the baby, being held by her Dad with siblings.

Carols 3rd birthday, celebrating with Dad - his birthday too!

Well I guess it's time to wrap up the introduction series. I've decided to combine Alan and mine into one as so much of it is "our story". I'll start with Alan...
Alan was born in Co. Offaly Ireland in 1973 to Joe and Kathleen. He is the youngest of 3, 1 brother and 1 sister. His early years were spent on the family farm before they moved into the town of Tullamore. He attended Newbridge college where he played rugby. I think he was a really cute kid and a very handsome young man and well I've got a thing for rugby players! Alan moved on to Dublin and then London after his school years working (and drinking) in a few different pubs. I'm sure there is a lot more to his story but I'll keep it short and sweet. It was at about this point in his life (May 1995) that our paths crossed. He can forever wonder why it started to rain and he nearly turned back home but at that moment the train pulled in to the station and he decided to go ahead and get on it to head into the city. If the train had been seconds later he would've turned for home and we never would have met.

So how did I get to that place....
I was born on my Dad's birthday(a good few years before Alan) in Sherman Texas to David and Valeta. I'm the youngest of 4, 1 brother and 2 sisters. We lived in a small town - Tombean until after my 6th birthday. We then moved to Allentown NJ for the next 2 years (loved it there). When I was 8 we returned to Texas to live in Austin where I spent the remainder of my school years. In high school I was on the Dance team, sang in Choir and loved Drama. I married a few years later, had Andre then Trevor and then Carrie all before I was 25. I did all the usual Mom stuff - volunteered at the school, took kids to swimming practice, music lessons and always to friends houses. I worked for a number of years at the Newspaper in Austin which I loved. But my life suddenly took a different direction in 1995 when I found myself getting a divorce and I was totally at a loss about what I would do next. I needed time to think and went to Ireland for what I thought would be 3 months. A month after my arrival I went to London to collect Trevor from the airport as he was joining me for a month. It was while I was there that I ventured into the Greyhound Pub just down the street from where we were staying. It just happened to be Alan's destination that rainy evening in London.
So it was on this rainy night in late May 1995 that our stories merge into one. It is a story full of "what-if's". I won't go into detail because that would fill a book. But let's just say fate was determined that we would stay in touch and would see each other again.
For the next 5 months it was a long distance relationship. Flying back and forth and nightly phone calls. Fate stepped back in and forced a decision that led to us deciding that we would make the move to Ireland. We decided to lease a pub in Co. Tipperary as we planned to start our life together.On July 5th 1996 we wed.
It wasn't an easy first year. We soon realized that running a country pub wasn't for us so we packed up and moved closer to Dublin. After a few years we both had good jobs at IBM and bought a house in Bailieborough Co. Cavan. Our family had grown to include Darby, Capone and Bonnie. We were content. We had a house that needed lots of work, in a part of Ireland that is just beautiful.It was a busy but happy time. But this time fate reared it's ugly head on June 25th, 2002 when my son Trevor was killed in a accident back in Austin. It would be an understatement to say my world crumbled around me. It was a very dark time. I thank god every day that Alan was there with me. That he saw me through it and helped me to put the pieces back together. It was at his insistence that we decided to pack up and move to Texas. It was time now to be near my family. So in June 2003 I boarded a plane with Bonnie and Darby (Capone died suddenly 2 weeks before Trevor) and headed off to start again in Gatesville Texas. Alan didn't have his VISA yet so he had to remain behind until August.
We were very fortunate that my dad had kept the house his parents had lived in just down the street from them. We had a cute but small 3 bedroom home to move in to. But once again I had a home that needed loads of work. It had been rented for the previous 15 years and was in dire need of a major remodel. We both soon had jobs. I was working as office manager at a local manufactured home retailer and Alan was driving a truck. He was often away sometimes for 3 weeks. I kept busy working on the house and helping out at my parents. About a fifteen months later Carrie and her then partner moved to Gatesville. We purchased a cute little home that they would then rent from us and they settled down and were soon expecting our first grandchild. Caleb came into this world on Sept. 22 2005. My world was really bright again! Time passed on, Caleb grew, Alan changed jobs several more times, I kept working for the same company though we relocated to Temple in 2006. That same year was also one that brought much sadness as my Dad passed away that Autumn after a very difficult year.
But once again time moved on. Caleb grew some more and become more fun and a brighter spot in our lives and Alan changed companies once again. In 2008 he went to work for UPS. Fate was again smiling down on us. UPS has a adoption benefit. It got us talking. Adoption is something I had wanted to do since the older 3 were young. It was something that had been in Alan's thoughts too but we had both felt it was beyond our means. But with the UPS benefit could we make it work? I started the research. A few months later the verdict was in - YES! We can do this! So after many long talks, prayers and sleepless nights we began the journey. 9 months later we brought Abate and Fantu home! Life has been crazy, happy, challenging, noisy, busy, and full of so many blessings since.
Our story is really one that shows that life is full of the unexpected - sometimes even when it's expected. The journey we take is influenced by so many people and events. Is it fate, luck or the hand of God? All I know for sure is that I'm happy! I'm crazy in love with Alan. I am so proud of and I love my kids, my grandson and my dogs. I take so much joy that I was so blessed to be allowed to adopt Abate and Fantu and that Alan and I get to be parents together. What a crazy life it is but I love where it has taken me! Live life with no regrets, because it may have been that one silly thing you did that led to the best and happiest of times.
This is our story - Alan & Carol