Cow slippers, Metros, and things that make me laugh!

I always find that Bart's birthday falls on the worst time of year and always feel so bad for him. He even says that his birthday falls right when everyone's first credit card bills are due from Christmas shopping!! This monday the 14th he will be 33. I still don't know where all the time has gone. I have spent 11 total years of my life with him and they have gone by so quickly. I thought to honor my husband for his birthday I would give you some highlights of times that I have enjoyed with Bart. Also, I love to tell people how we first met, years before I knew he was the one that was chosen for me!!

How we met:
I was a senior in high school (Fall 1994) involved in a group through my church known as Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ. It was a group of kids from all over Oklahoma that got together and spent a weekend a month witnessing to people about Christ all over the city we were hosted in. I had met Bart's middle brother David a year before and had become fast friends with him. (On a side note, all the girls LOVED David and I always felt a fast friendship with David. I used to always joke I was the only girl there that didn't have the hots for David. Wrong brother I guess!!) So, at one of the events in Edmond, Bart was sent to pick David up early from the event and he was not happy he had to do it. David was excited for me to meet his older brother and so was I. I had the unfortunate choice of shoe selection and had decided to wear cow house slippers. I marched to my own beat of the drum - okay! Bart comes and David rushes me over to meet Bart. He introduces us - "Bart this is Tracey, Tracey this is my brother Bart". I smile big and show excitement when I say hi. Bart looks at me for two seconds says hey and tells David to get his stuff.

That was it. I had just met my husband at age 17 and had no idea. Not to mention the fact that I thought he was a major jerk and rude. Cut to the summer of 1996 - I get the Camp Lutherhoma mailing for the summer staff, and there is Bart's name. I told all my friends at college what a jerk he was and that I was not looking forward to meeting him. We were friendly in 96 but no love connection. Not until the summer of 1997 - when the power of cow house slippers and a energetic girl - finally got the man's attention. We were later married in 2000. It goes to show you that God works in mysterious ways.

After attending a Journey in January event at Camp Lutherhoma in my high school years, John Busch had shared a story with all of us about how we all should be praying for a future spouse - that God would protect them and to strengthen their faith each day. I had started doing that immediately after that event. Looks like God decided a tiny sneak peek at my husband would be okay. My question to God is: Did you have to introduce us when I was wearing sweats and cow house slippers??

Most of these are my favorite memories with Bart, but there are few that he was involved in that I know he would love to see on here, so I will add them in his honor:

Top 10 Favorite Memories:
10. Bird flies out of door wreath into house. Bart laughs as Cat jumps around house to get bird, instead of chasing bird out of our house. (NOTE: the bird made it out safely as did the cat. Although we had a touch and go moment with Batley when we flew into the wall. He just picked himself up and continued the hunt)

9. Bart subs for kindergarten kids for a week. He comes home at the end of the week swearing off teaching and kids. "They all just started crying and they kept calling me Mr. Ham". He looked so frazzled.

8. Bart gets hit by a semi in his Metro and walks away with a scratch on the arm. (Not that this is awesome, but his little car held on and he was proud. Although we basically rebuilt the car. That is a whole other story!) I have never been so scared in my life to receive that call. Thank God he was alright.

7. Right after we had been married for awhile my mom came to visit. As mom and I are in the car, Bart decides it would be funny to moon me. However, right at that time, I look down and my mom looks up. My mom screams and Bart laughs, and laughs, and laughs. He thought it was even better that he mooned my mom. Something is not right with that boy!

6. Bart hides somewhere in the house and listens to me say, "Baby, are you in here? Please don't scare me. Don't jump out at me. Baby?". To which he jumps out and scares the life out of me. This has happened too many times to count in our marriage, but he loves it so much!

5. Classic Bart - right before we got married I asked Bart the dreaded female question, " Do I look fat in this?". His unfortunate response - "Don't worry baby, I'm fat too" Nice Bart, Nice!

4. Bart has a little too much to drink at David's wedding and decides that would be a great time to sing me a song on the dance floor as other people try to dance and enjoy the music. It went something like this, "What did I do, What did I say, to turn your angel eyes my way? I love you Tracey. I love you angel eyes" Good times!!!

3. We got married outside in August in OK. It was about 106 and no breeze. ( I know it is crazy, but we were in love and not thinking clearly.) I asked Bart to wear his suit jacket for the first part of the wedding until I got to the front, then he could take it off. I get to the front and Bart has a wet paper towel he is dragging across his head. I say, "Why do you have a wet paper towel?" He says, "It was dry when I got down here" No doubting that man loves me and will do almost anything for me!!

2. Bart's favorite: He convinces me that bee catchers on a country road in Texas that are attached to people's fences are actually bear traps. That story I will share with you in a couple of days, but hence the title, "Bear Traps and road maps" He loves that story.

1. Bart is run of the road by a semi in MO on Christmas day, hits black ice, lands in a ditch with his front end buried in snow. Waits four hours for someone who finally sees him to rescue him. The story is long, and I will post that as well on here in a couple of days, but to give you a hint to why it is #1 - He was rescued by a man named Harley and taken back to his house where large women wearing tweety shirts were waiting!

As you can tell, there is never a dull moment for the two of us. Happy Birthday Bart! Here is to many more years of exciting memories shared with you!! I love you!