Heeeeeeeeerrrrrreeeeeeeeee's Johnny

We lost one of our very best friends a few weeks ago, he was in our wedding & in our lives since Hubby and I have been together. "Taco", one of his many nicknames was 38 and he died on his birthday & was from near Pittsburgh, PA. He was drinking with some friends celebrating, & as he was en route to another bar he had a heart attack and died before the ambulance ever made it to the hospital. A heart attack?? 38???? On his BIRTHDAY?? What??? my point exactly! Thats like, unheard of right?? We got the phone call around 4am and you know those are the worst kind of calls to get. Our other very close friend up there "Ebo" called & all I remember is waking up in a daze feeling Hubby grab my arm telling me Taco was gone, Taco was dead. I dont know how some people react to news that a loved one is gone, but for me I start thinking of moments together with that person & relive the memories in my mind. Every thought & moment he was with us was a smile the guy was the king of fun times!

He & Hubby met at work a year or so before we got together and he said they instantly became friends. Taco was one of the funniest, make you smile kinda guys that always had something smart ass to say. He moved down here with a few friends and he lived here until about 4 years ago when his Dad was going through throat cancer. In all those years he lived here he became a part of our family, the guy that was always around. Christmas, birthdays, any day he & Hubby would be side by side. For my birthday one year Hubby bought us tickets for the Family Values Tour & I was happy, then I figured out my birthday included our two tag-alongs Taco & Ebo. We ended up having a blast, and we didnt get kicked out for once. He loved the Steelers, the Pirates, hats, beer, women, Britany Spears, ER, UFC, beer, partying, traveling, having fun, smiling, his family, his friends, money, his dog, beer, women, smelling hair (which my poor best friend found out first hand during our wedding getaway), women, feet, beer, and enjoying his life. He was such an awesome guy, I never once saw him get mad or heard him raise his voice, and his laugh & smile would take over any room. On top of some of the smiles were lots of beer and drinks but whats a bachelor to do? Since he moved back to PA Hubby talked to him almost everyday, & I talked to him on occasions,but the very last time we saw him in person was the day after our wedding when everyone went back home, October 1, 2006. That made this anniversary very difficult for Hubby & I both, and I know its going to be "attached" to the celebration of our lives together from this point forward. There has been alot of tears shed in our house the last few weeks, alot of whys, and what-ifs. He had planned several trips down to meet KC and stay with us, but none of them ever panned out. Tacos funeral was 2 days after he died in Pittsburgh, and Hubby & I and 2 other friends rented a car and drove over 1000 miles & 15 hours one way to get there in time for his funeral and to say goodbye to our best friend. Its weird to even sit here & think hes actually gone, & I will never see him again in this life, he wont ever find "the One", he wont have children, we all wont grow old together & talk about the good 'ole days, and I will never see his beautiful smile again here on earth. In the last 2 years there have been alot of loved ones lost unexpectedly, a very very lot. And the saying the older you get the more people you know that die is becoming a truth, and not just a saying anymore. All this makes me appreciate my life, my health, my hubby, my son, my family, and just my heartbeat so much more. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so tell the ones that you love, that you DO everyday!

I love you & will miss you everyday Taco, Jklu, Fatboy, Pollock, Big'un....Johnny....


Our friend Johnny
John R. Kuklinski Jr.
9/25/71 - 9/25/09

My Belated Anniversary

Hubby & I were married for 3 years on 9-30-09, and it for sure seems like longer to me. We've been together for 10 years the end of this year so maybe thats why it seems like forever. We were married in Townsend, TN in the mountains which is by far my most favorite place to be! Living in Florida I always said I'd have a sunset beach wedding, then I wanted to be Cinderella at Disney World, and finally at age 27 I decided the best place to get married was far away from where I was. The whole 300 guest wedding no longer appealed to me so I wanted a small, intimate place that we both loved, where our family & close friends could be with us to share our day. I found a place where I could get everything in one spot, wedding/reception site, cabins, food, flowers, cake, everything! We rented 4 cabins total for us & family, but ours was the party pad! Four stories with a big screen, game room with bar & pool table, and balconies on every floor. The view was something out of a storybook, it was a amazing place. Several of our close friends stayed with us in our cabin, and we made the most of the place, it was a blast! Everything was simple, I made our invites myself, I got my dress from David's Bridal on sale for $200.00, the entire cost of the wedding including some plane tickets, all wedding party attire, cabins, rental car, etc. was under $9000.00. That didnt include our rings though, I had nothing to do with the ring part, Hubby picked out what he wanted me to have. It was at a point where we had extra money so he gave me some bling! Our bands match, I have 3 rings, a wedding band which is white gold, engagement ring that is yellow gold, & a anniversary band that is also white gold. Hubby has a very heavy and solid smooth band that has the same combination of colors. After the wedding we went back to my moms cabin for a get together, then our close friends & us went back to our cabin where we partied until the sun same up! I only had one disaster with our wedding cake, which was thrown in the floorboard of the van by the baker. Still, I cannot believe how perfect it was, I was relaxed and calm, there wasnt any chaos or last minute fires. We were able to enjoy ourselves, family, friends, and just be in the moment. I am so thankful for that day, thankful for the Hubby that is by my side everyday, thankful for the family that supported us, and thankful for the very special friends that were a big part of our lives together. Having the pictures from that day and seeing everyones smiles just solidifies it even more that it was a great day! A day I will always remember year after year.

Since our baby boy was sick, he stayed with Gigi while we snuck off to dinner to celebrate. We ate dinner at a resturant in the Hard Rock Hotel close to our house. We exchanged some sweet cards and watched a movie later...nothing to fancy. Ahhhhh if every day could be a anniversary!