My parents, John (Dub) and Ellen (El Michelle,) (you'll learn that we all have nicknames), are high school sweethearts and have been married for 35 years. They still hold hands. They still snuggle on the couch. The older version of myself now appreciates this but 12-year-old Meaghan thought it was totally gross and embarrassing. El Michelle is a nurse and Dub works in IT and Finance and they've proved the American Dream is attainable without selling your soul to the devil. Here they are in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland- (adorable, amiright?)
Next up is my oldest brother, Matt (nicknamed Rick), and his wife, Abby (nicknamed Abe, or as Matt likes to call her, Willis.) They're a package deal because they've been together for 13 years, which is a solid portion of my life. Matt works in marketing and Abby works at in insurance, but the real exciting stuff about them is that they're about to have a BABY BOY! He's arriving right around Thanksgiving, so stay tuned for that. They also have a 3-year-old Golden Retriever, Murph, who is absolutely adorable and loves to eat things off the counter. But he's precious, so we'll forgive him. Here are Matt and Abby (also in Ireland):
Next we have Dan (DQ). Dan's a Blackhawk pilot for the US Army National Guard and is currently serving in Afghanistan. He's pretty much a badass. Dan is the goofball of our family, the first to make you smile, the guy with the most Christmas Spirit you will ever meet and a huge inspiration to me. Say an extra prayer for him if you get a chance. Here's Dan in his Blackhawk:
Next, there is Conor (Bone). Conor lives and works in NYC in investment banking. His better half is his girlfriend, Meg, (not me), who is one of the nicest people I've met in this world. She should get a prize each day for dealing with Conor. Just kidding...kind of. Conor and I are the most similar-somewhat high-strung, stubborn, impatient, determined, passionate, steadfast in our beliefs. He's the middle child and I'm a girl, what do you expect? Here are Conor and Meg looking adorable as always in the Catskill Mountains:
Next, we have my youngest older brother, Pat (Pate). His life revolves around Cranberries (he works for Oceanspray), football, his girlfriend Alix, and having a blast. Pat has an infectious personality and is always the life of the party. He works hard and plays hard, which I've really got to commend him for. He's one of those people that has mastered the work-life balance and is really just an all-around great person. Although there are many incriminating pictures of Pat, I'll spare him the embarrassment (for now). Here are Pat and Alix just before graduating from Bates:
Last, but CERTAINLY not least (especially in my book) are my dogs. They are my soul sistas and the greatest beings on the planet. I'll go into so much more detail about these angels eventually, don't you worry. Their names are Maddie and Nola. Maddie is my 10-year-old Golden Retriver. She's the peanut butter to my jelly. The milk to my oreo. The ying to my yang. Then we have Nola-she's technically Dan's dog, but has lived with us for 2 out of the 3 years of her life and will remain until Dan gets home. She's not technically mine but she might as well be. She is a 3-year-old Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever mix. She's a rambunctious, perfect, snuggly little nugget and I couldn't live without her. Here they are being perfect and amazing:
Maddie
Nola
This is just an introduction and a basis for the stories I tell and the people I reference. There will be others mixed in between, but these people (and animals) are likely the focal points of my stories and where my world is centered. These stories and experiences with my family will be funny, happy, sad, but most of all, real.
As always, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."-Anthony Brandt
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