Tracy Allen

Today is Tracy's birthday.

  He's married to our second daughter, Amy.

Tracy is an important part of this large family.

And an important part of this smaller, large family.

(which is even larger now with the addition of this sweet girl.)

And he's an even more important part of this smaller family.

We first met Tracy almost thirteen years ago and it was obvious early on that we were going to be seeing a lot more of him.

I did a short phone interview with Tracy a little while ago.  Here's how it went:  Hi Tracy!  Happy Birthday!  Are you having a good day?  I'm having an awesome day - now that I'm off work.  Did you do anything special for your birthday tonight?  I had a delicious meal cooked by my wonderful wife.  

So you're back at work after being off for almost a year with a horrendous injury incurred when you fell from a roof last year.  How is your foot feeling now and why was it such a lengthy recovery?  It's feeling a lot better but not 100% even yet.  I'm still going to physical therapy three times a week -  which is where I was before I got home today.  Oh, did they have a party for you? Well they were supposed to have a cake but the doctor's car broke down so they're going to do it later.  Everybody was really nice though and wished me a happy birthday.  The reason the recovery period is so long is that my heel was broken in seven different places and the doctor had to rebuild it.

It was fun having you with us in Gulf Shores last year and we're looking forward to having you with us again this year.  You will be there won't you?  I'm gonna try.  You promise?  Yes, I promise.  

Thinking back a couple of decades, could you ever have imagined yourself being part of such a large (and growing) family?  It's definitely still growing.  LOL  No, I never would have imagined this.  It's amazing!

Where do you see yourself twenty years from now?  I'll be retired (hopefully) and hopefully still alive and maybe living on a lake and fishing every day!

What are your favorite recreational activities?  Fishing, camping, bonfires... pretty much all outdoor activities.

You built your little golf course two years ago - the summer before you fell.  Have you been able to play since your fall?  No.  Not at all.  We're still keeping the course up as much as we can - not like we used to but it's still maintained.  You see yourself being able to play again in the future?  I pray to God it will happen.  If not, the kids will still use it.

And finally, what can you tell us about yourself that we haven't covered in this interview?  That's a hard question.  Well, you like horses right?  I like horses but I don't want any.  They're way too much work.  And you used to be kind of a cowboy right?  Yes, I used to be kind of a cowboy but I'm not anymore.    And you were in the Army for a long time right?  I was in the Army for over ten years and sometimes wish I'd stayed in until I could retire.  BUT if I'd done that I wouldn't have met Amy so it all worked out for the best.

And that concluded our interview.  But, as usual, there's lots more I could tell you about Tracy.  He's one of the most fun-loving people you'll ever meet.  He's helpful and thoughtful and a big ol' softie at heart.  He loves his family and he's conscientious and hard-working in his job.   And most importantly, he's a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  We love Tracy and we're glad he's part of our family and that he's going to be in Gulf Shores for the holidays this year.  For all these reasons and more, we're wishing him the best birthday ever but one not nearly as great as the many more to come!