We had agreed to name her Tracibeth, but when the nurse came around for our final decision, Debbie gave her the name above. I've continued to call her Tracibeth through the years.
With two older brothers, she used to say "Me, too!" a lot. That became another nickname for her. So I occasionally referred to her as 'Me, too!'. :-)
Early on, she exhibited an aggressive personality. She loves to laugh! She makes friends easily. Troy was (and is) very shy, but Tracie made lots of friends FOR HIM!!!!
Being only eleven months apart, they grew up like twins. They were true playmates and nearly inseparable. She had elements of a 'Tom-boy' and could get just as dirty as the boys!
When Troy became part of the boys basketball team, she became a cheerleader! She had church-friends and school-friends and enjoyed them all!
She has always loved and respected her brothers! Debbie and I prayed that our kids would love each other; they always have!
School seemed easy for her. She has high verbal skills. She sees all sides of an issue and can argue her thoughts effectively. Early on, I suggested she become a lawyer; she never warmed to that idea. I think she would have made a great one. She has a keen sense of justice and quickly leaps to another person's defense.
We noticed, when she became a teenager, that she had a penchant for rescuing. She frequently made friends with kids who were shut out by others.
When we were operating a licensed home for severely behaviorally challenged children, she was very supportive. However, when we had kids that were disrespectful, she was intolerant.
She waited till she was 19 to learn to drive. After graduating, she began her independent life by moving back to Maryland where she had a host of friends. She moved in with her best friend, Allison (and her sister and Dad). Allison is like a daughter to us and has been a best friend to all three of our kids! We celebrated her wedding in Maryland in early July!
Eventually, Tracie met a guy that she fell in love with. I gave him a pretty hard time, but he stuck around. Today, we're proud to own him as a wonderful son-in-law!
A little over a year before she married, she moved back in with us so her Mom could assist her in planning for the wedding. I teased her because she never asked for permission; just showed up and moved in! We had a wonderful year together and she and I had some really special 'talk-times' that year. She got involved at FMCC that year; I've never had a better PowerPoint operator!!!!! :-)
Through my growing-up years, I always noticed a trait that made itself evident on the Haire side of my family. My Dad had five sisters and they all exhibited this trait. It's a hard trait to capture in one word, but it includes: confidence, outspokenness, competence, having strong opinions, independence and perhaps a few others. My sister, Beverly, has these traits; as does my niece, Sandee. Yep! Tracie, too!
I have watched her for thirty-six years. She has made me SO PROUD! She never challenged our authority while growing up. She never broke the trust! She was the one who ignited the practice of openly saying, "I love you!" in our one-on-one conversations within our family!
She became J. C. Penney's youngest manager while working in Maryland! She quickly rose to a similar place of respect at the same chain in Boardman (while living with us). She worked for Home Depot a few years ago and constantly resisted their strong attempts to make her a manager.
She is extremely well organized and leads her home with finesse. She is a protective mother who aggressively advocates for her kids and actively plays with them. I know superlatives abound here, but, honestly, I have never seen a better mother!
From what I can see, she and Jon have a wonderful marriage where they value and prioritize each other! Open expressions of affection in the home are normal.
And, of course, to top it off, she and Jon have given us two precious gifts named: Rylie and Coltin!
Her heart was broken when Travis died. She has redirected her love for Travis toward his husband, Josh! Of course, Josh is solidly a part of our family and we love having him around!
In some ways, Tracie is a lot like Travis. I don't talk to her every day. We don't text a lot (except for the family texts that are quite frequent - which she usually starts). But every once-in-a-while, I get a text saying, "What's up, Dad?" or "What are you up to?" If she knows I'm hurting or going through a tough time, she texts: "How are you, Dad?" And there have been a few times when she's been VERY DIRECT with me - especially if she knows her Mom is hurting!
Last year, she initiated a Haire-Family trip to Disney World in Orlando! We made precious memories as we spent a week together (including Jon's sister and parents)!
I hope you've had a chance to meet our wonderful daughter! I have always and will always love her. I just wish my Mom and Dad were still around to see what a wonderful woman she's become!
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