So, this holiday season has been a whirlwind! But it has probably been one of my more favorite years on record. Not so much for the loot- although it was pretty sweet- but for the general cheer and the getting to hang out with our friends and family.The Friday before Christmas we ended up at our friends Steve and Jamie’s house. It was an impromptu party organized over the internet during the day. It was good to be surrounded by good friends.Then on Saturday we met Jeff and Carrie at The BAR at the Broad Ripple Steakhouse for a couple martinis. It was good to see them, and we can’t wait to go to their wedding in L.A. this fall!Sunday, we headed up to South Bend to my parents’ house. The day of Christmas Eve I was woken by a wonderful phone call- Joe (my best man) and Carisse got engaged in Paris! I knew it was coming, but it was still exciting knowing she had the ring. Congrats, you two! Then Rob and I picked up pies, switched my car, ate at Bob Evans, and wrapped a few last-minute gifts. Then we trekked to Angola for Christmas with my mom’s side of the family. The kids were super cute and the Swedish potato sausage was tasty. Dylan got a toy piano and he played and sang us some songs. After we got back to South Bend, we went to Zoë’s and hung out with her family after catching the tail-end of their mostly annual Christmas Eve party. Rob and I ended up wth the largest gift- a giant cartoon made from a couple photos from our wedding rehearsal. There was only one place to hang it when Jimmy brought it down to us (it wouldn’t fit in my Subaru Outback) this weekend- our entryway! Then it was off to Greenfield on Christmas morning where again the gifts were lovely and the company was good. Rob gave me a Nelson spindle clock at his parents’ house and his mom made both of us stockings, which can all be seen in this picture:Then on the 27th it was practically a Warren Central HS reunion when we met up with Rob’s friends Lyle and Catherine, who coordinated a get together at the Broad Ripple Brewpub. Good friends were in abundance as we hung out with Carly and Kevin, Amanda and Neal, Matt and Pooyan, and too many other cool people to list.Anyway, I’m still pretty beat, but I have managed to be fairly productive since the festivities died down. And I feel another big burst of energy coming this week; the New Year can be super energizing!As always, there are more pictures over at my Flickr page. I post a lot of stuff over there and never refernce it here, so you should think about bookmarking my Flickr page or adding me as a contact if you have a Flickr account.

So, while at Costco today, my mom called and read me the obituary of Courtney Gordon. Courtney grew up down the street from me and we did a lot together as kids- riding bikes, playing at the park, playing with his dog- you know the stuff you do when you’re 8 years old. I don’t ever remember Courtney being mean to me, and there were lots of kids who were mean to me when I was a kid. Maybe my memory is selective when I’m mourning his passing, but I honestly don’t ever remember him being a meanie. In fact, I remember him as being very sweet and nice and caring. Courtney went to military school, so we grew apart after that, but then he ended up coming back and graduating from my high school. His mom, Rose, was super nice and I even exchanged several emails with her in college. I can’t remember the exact last time I ran into Courtney. I want to say it was on a game weekend or at Corby’s or something. It was good to see him. A few months ago, Courtney found me on Myspace and I added him to my friends. He last logged in on September 21. His screen name said “Life goes on”. Just, wow. Anyway, I hope his family finds comfort and peace. I hope anyone reading this appreciates how short life is and goes home and hugs someone.

From the South Bend Tribune
Courtney V. Gordon
May 12, 1978 – September 24, 2006

Courtney Victor Gordon, 28, of San Diego, California, formerly of Granger, passed away early Sunday morning, September 24, 2006, following an automobile accident.

Courtney was born May 12, 1978, in Southlake, Texas. He attended CCD at Sacred Heart Parish at Notre Dame where he was baptized and confirmed. He attended LeMans Military Academy in Rolling Prairie from the 5th through 8th grade and rose up in the ranks, graduating as Lt. Colonel and Company Commander in 1993. Courtney graduated from Clay High School in South Bend, where he was an active member of both the golf and football teams. After graduation, he moved to Mesa, Arizona where he attended Mesa Community College, positioning himself close to exceptional golf courses. He remained in Arizona for 6 years.

In April of 2003, Courtney made the decision to join the US Navy. He graduated from Basic Training at the Great Lakes Naval Academy and was stationed at the San Diego Naval Base. Courtney excelled in computer technology and was an IT2 Information System Technician, 2nd Class Petty Officer and the Network Engineer for the USS Higgins, stationed in San Diego. He made two tours to the Persian Gulf and visited exotic lands all over the world, golfing in each country he visited. His golfing ability caught the eye of the ships’ Commanding Officer, who would invite him to play in his four-some and who quipped, “I carry Courtney’s bag”. He was a life-long Notre Dame fan, carrying his ND leprechaun golf club head cover wherever he played. Courtney also enjoyed animals and was a friend to all. This special young man will be missed deeply by all who knew and loved him.

Courtney’s surviving family includes his wife, Tamby Gordon of San Diego; a step-daughter, Mia; parents, John and Rose Gordon of Burnsville, North Carolina and formerly of Granger, Christina Gordon of Elkhart, and Vicki and Greg Sellards of Fort Worth, Texas; two brothers, David M. Gordon and John Gordon Jr.; and two sisters, Susan (Gary) Romanowski and Lori (Dan) Boecher.

Friends may spend time with Courtney’s family on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. in Thallemer, Goethals & Wells Funeral Home, 503 West Third Street, Mishawaka. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart Parish at the University of Notre Dame. Military Honors will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Mishawaka.

Memorial contributions may be given to Sacred Heart Parish. Envelopes will be available in the funeral home.

Classmates – View Profile

Everyone keeps asking me about our high school reunion. I got on Classmates and e-mailed Steve Wooley and we’ll be combining efforts. E-mail me if you need to be contacted.

Personal Pages – Charlene’s Team In Training^® homepage
So if you visit the link above you can see the personal site that a friend of mine has put together to raise money to run a marathon in Anchorage, Alaska to raise money for cancer research. She has raised $4377 to go to the marathon- more than her goal and the excess goes straight to cancer research. I wish her luck and support and hope that she finishes without injury and I know she will be very fulfilled at the good work she has done when she finishes.