Rachel An In-depth Analysis
Natalie
Where do I even start? Let me go back to the beginning :)
Freshman year at Tarpon Springs High School, August 2000, we’re both 13 years old meeting in our typing class, where I was so lucky to have this beautiful intimidating brunette sit behind me! You were the first girl I knew who wore eyeliner (and skipped school) and I knew that was the start of a lifetime relationship haha! Highschool was the time of our lives, we literally ruled the school... Skipped school or would straight up leave during the middle of the day if we got hungry, we did whatever we pleased, and we did it together! From TV production class with all our silly videos (or me getting suspended) to all the house parties (Andropolous or Lauren Hulettes house) the sleepovers, the sneaking out, the late night rides, going to Ybor (under age), toilet papering, riding around in the station wagon, football games, boy crushes, homecoming & prom... With the after parties... ending up in your bed at your house the next morning and your dad giving me ibuprofen lol, our random road trips (Orlando + motorhome), hollister, & graduation!! Then we went to college! Skipping the first year we were separated... Everything was complete the day you moved to Boca :) I couldn’t have been happier when I received that phone call that you were coming! College parties, tailgates, love and relationships... We have been through so much... From living together as roommates and best friends and growing up together watching each other grow as women, I just can’t tell you enough how proud of you I am! You have always been such an amazing friend to me, someone I can talk to about anything and I can always count on your advice to lead me in the right direction. I am so grateful for the paths we’ve taken that have lead us where we are today. We have shared all of our birthdays together, laughs & tears, crazy nights & long nights, some nights we remember, some nights are a little blurry but still unforgettable! I could go on forever because let’s be serious...we have a billion memories together. All that I cherish with you and I am so lucky and blessed to have you in my life. I couldn’t be more happy for you, and the woman you’ve turned into today. On a final note, I just want you to know how happy I am that you and Doug found each other. You two truly are a match made in heaven and I can’t wait to watch you two grow together! I love you so much Rachel Erin Ulm (soon-to-be Creveling) <3
Love always, Natalie :)
Graci My Dearest Stunnarific Rachel~ When I think back on all of our funny, exciting, silly, random times together its hard to pin down just one favorite! Between the tailgates, themed parties, tanning on the beach, jumping from roofs into pools, trips to the hard rock, snuggling, late night food runs, hooooters pasta salads, countless birthdays and life celebrations,visiting each others first homes, rapping voicemail messages, finishing one another’s sentences, and laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing friendship that has resulted from all our awesome memories. Miles and miles and busy busy lives between us and you’re still one of my very best friends. You have an amazing ability to know the right thing to say at the right time... and if you don’t-you improvise with something to make me laugh, you are as stunningly beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside, you are the. best. freestyle. rapper. ev-er. and you’re the best friend a girl could hope to have:) We’ve grown so much since our college days but thankfully we’ve grown for the better ( cause we’re awesome) and all the important qualities of awesomeness that we posses have stayed with us and kept us close:) I love every memory we have shared together but most importantly I’m extremely excited for the amazing memories in the lifetime friendship we have ahead of us. Love love love you! Your Graci Pantalones
Barbara Rachel, I wish I had more memories to share with you, but unfortunately we haven’t had enough time to make them. This doesn’t worry me because as family we will have MANY years to create more. Here are a few good times I wanted to recall for you though... A “Ludicrous” Memorial Day I remember when I came to visit you and Doug over Memorial Day weekend in 2011. At the time, Doug was still living with Art and Brian in Fort Lauderdale and we decided to have a cookout on the roof deck. A few others came to join in on the fun including Art’s girlfriend at the time, Chelsea, her sister and her sister’s boyfriend. We all enjoyed the traditional Memorial Day foods; hamburgers and hot dogs with a side of baked beans. We of course washed down the meal with a traditional Memorial Day drink… beer. Now, we all know that you aren’t one to overindulge on libations much anymore. However, this particular night you decided to have a few more than usual, which probably explains the following... Art Money was spinning the tunes, so you know that mix was random and awesome all at the same time. I can’t recall the exact song that came on, but I definitely remember that it featured Ludacris. You proceeded to ask, and I quote, “Is Ludacris still a cool rapper? I mean I still like his music. What does everyone else think?” Not only did you ask a completely random question, but you asked it like the whitest person that ever lived. You definitely enunciated the word rapper a little too much… “RAP-PER.” I remember everyone just gave you quizzical looks and started laughing because it was a question no one was expecting. Then, before the beer drinking continued further, we decided that it would be best to put away the leftover food. I handed you the pot of baked beans that had approximately 10 beans left in it. Count them, 10! I would have cut my losses and tossed them in the trash. Not you though! You proceeded to find a teeny-tiny Tupperware and spoon in the leftover beans. I said “who saves a spoonful of baked beans?!” with tears of laughter in my eyes. You started laughing just as hard and replied “I do! I’m definitely eating these for lunch tomorrow!” Let’s just say I don’t think you ate them for lunch the next day, but saving those beans definitely made for a funny memory. This was definitely a Memorial Day I will never forget and I’m looking forward to enjoying many more together.
“Umm... Thanks?” One of my favorite times of the year is definitely Christmas. I love that you and Doug come up North and we get to spend the holiday together as a family. I’ll be honest though... the presents are a definite perk too! Over the years we have all given and received some great gifts. However, in the Creveling household, we also give some pretty ridiculous gifts on purpose. For example, this past Christmas we all got to open a gift on Christmas Eve. You and Doug got a wine carrier with built in ice coolers. Then I got to open my gift. I ripped open the wrapping paper and was holding a Tag Heuer watch box. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive. I knew my parents didn’t splurge on an expensive watch for me and I wasn’t expecting it either. However, I definitely wasn’t expecting what they actually put inside the box as my gift. Inside that box was a bright orange lufa. Everyone started laughing hysterically. However, you being the only person in my family that still practices some sensitivity towards me, at least tried to cover up your hysterics. Your hands flew over your mouth and you said “Oh my gosh, I hope they at least put a $100 bill under that for you!” They in fact, did not. I literally just got a lufa for Christmas While the gift may not have been the best, it definitely made for a great memory! Be on the lookout though. Being a part of the Creveling family, you should expect a lufa-esque present sometime in the near future. Let’s just hope it’s not your wedding gift! I know that I only recalled the funnier moments we shared. We have also experienced many moments that are close to the heart too. No matter the memory though, funny or touching, I’m just excited that we will get to continue to make them through the years as you and Doug share your forever. So, let’s start creating more of those “do you remember” moments by enjoying your awesome Bachelorette weekend! I Love You!! XOXO Barbara
Dana My favorite memories with my doodle...the countless parties at my house, late night car rides thru tsp, faking our way into ybor city, beer google night, the toilet papering adventures, being baddies, skipping class together, muzzies, beach days, and recently my favorite memory to date-planning our weddings together! Love you doodle!
Emily Since the day we met 9 years ago, you’ve been a best friend to me. We took classes together, worked together, lived together, partied together, and now even 1200 miles apart, we’re navigating through life together. So you see, to pick just one memory is impossible. Just like our daily love letters, I’ll start at the top. August 2004 – I met you through Natalie on AIM – Rizalicious08 & EmmyRiz (meant to be). Immediately you became part of my heart. Starting then I think we lived by the quote, “I live for the nights I’ll never remember, with friends I’ll never forget.” Or maybe it was all the mind erasers ;) Some memories would be impossible to forget though – one was my 21st. You were there for me through the whole night – from the surprise in the beginning to putting me to bed in the end. I still can’t take a southern comfort shot! We always loved our country, late night Round Up nights and Chili Cookoffs. That was always a way we could really connect <3 with our friends Keith Anderson, Dierks Bentley, and Garth. Next came your 21st birthday – our night out in Ft Laud & pregaming with your 21 foot long beer bong. Do you remember the pic of us leaning up against a building at the end of the night? Or how you even got that candy necklace? I sure don’t. That means it was a successful 21st. Some of my favorite memories are random days though – the happy hours at the Dubliner, the late nights at Draft House and Nippers, Wednesdays at Duffys, and football at Bru’s Room. Remember when our neighbors at Dover St were rude and wouldn’t let us into their party so we went home and through eggs at them? Or when you were visiting MD/DE and it started raining so we put trash bags on our heads and ran down main street? Or when we sold REAL FL oranges for $1 a slice at Shaggy’s? Jumping off roofs into pools? Scaring pedestrians on our way to campus? Talias? Dinners and Margaritas at Baja? Go fish at Dover street? Every time you were jet setting and ended up within 300 miles of MD you visiting me? Eating Curly’s Fries? Riding out in Palm Harbor before I even knew what riding out meant? When we found rats in our garage at Pond Apple? When we decided we were going to be “runners” at Pond Apple and it lasted half way around the pond? Leather and Ariyah? Together we got through hooters, classes, breakups, 21st birthdays, spring breaks, new years and DiGiorno pizzas. But I think it wasn’t until the past couple years that I realized just how important you are to me. Every exciting thing that happens in my life, I can’t wait to tell you about and every hard thing I go through, I turn to you for advice. I don’t know who I would be today without your friendship, support, and guidance and I know that we will be just as close as we are today when we’re grandmas. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be a part of your special day. Cheers to you and Doug and to a very, very happy lifetime together. Love, Emily
Christina Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. -Marcel Proust
Sarah I remember meeting Rachel for the first time when my sister awkwardly started up a conversation about having the same shirt as her sitting in class at FAU. We continued to become acquainted through class projects. Rachel had to “save me” numerous times during our classroom presentations as I am extremely terrified of public speaking. I throughly enjoyed going out with Rachel during our college days dancing with each other and trying to fend off weirdos. It happened every time we went out. Living with Rachel was a blast. Our dogs even loved each other....maybe not on the first day when Dakota terrorized Opie. He ran away and the night ended with a bleeding ankle and knee... She thought she had to take Opie back to the rescue center. Dakota and Opie were best friends ever since. ;) Rachel and I became real “adults” at the same time when we both got “real jobs”. Rachel was the first and ONLY friend allowed to come visit me after I gave birth. She definitely loves Cale as much as I do. She was one of my bridesmaids at my wedding which was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was glad she could share that special moment with me. Rachel and I share such a strong bond. She is selfless, honest and reliable. I love her like my sister and am lucky to call her my best friend. I am blessed to be able to share one of Rachel’s best memories with her!!! I cannot wait to see Rachel and Doug tie the knot.
Angelina Rachel, I know we haven’t known each other for very long but I’m so lucky to have met someone as amazing as you! Your so caring and have such an amazing heart I really want to thank you for including me in everything since the day Natalie introduced me to you! We may not have many memories but the memories we do have are unforgettable!!! “Are you chure!?” The day we went to the beach and were supposed to have a nice relaxing float in the ocean on our new sweet rafts and it was more of a pirate adventure trying to actually stay on the raft and try not to drift away! Lol All the Sunday fundays at the round table playing a million intense games of UNO (that dang draw 4 card) lol!! How about the time all you girls had the reunion at your house and we were all playing the ring of fire game and I got the whole questions game on video-still have it!!! Too funny!!! My most recent memory is definitely the ugly Christmas sweater party when I got a low number and was so pumped to not pick your white elephant gift since you told me what it was and at the last minute Chris swapped me and I got the ceramic Bald Eagle that I named “Frank” and I’m so proud to have him! By far the best pet ever!!! Haha! Rachel thank you for being you! I’m so happy to be a part of your life and can’t wait for the many years ahead to come! Love you!!! -Angelina
Tara My favorite memory with Rachel (since there are all of three) is teaching her to fishtail braid her hair. Hannah and I went down to Ft. Lauderdale for a Jewish holiday (???) one time and in the same weekend Hannah had to try on maid of honor dresses. While Rachel and I were waiting for Hannah between dresses Rachel asked me how I braided my hair. I told her it was really easy and that I’d learned in one night after watching youtube videos. She kept getting confused, but later that week after Hannah and I went back home, Rachel let me know she finally got it right! So proud of her. And happy I could impart wisdom.
Taylor My first memory of you is when you came to St. Pete to celebrate Hannah’s 21st birthday. We know Hannah isn’t a big drinker, but you wanted to make the best of that very special St. Patrick’s day. You were super supportive with your styling critiques (taking my suggestion for Hannah to do something different with her hair) and told her to do it. You started the party by blasting jams on YouTube, then stood in line with Hannah for that one special birthday shot at Durrty Nelly’s-while a fight broke out in the middle of the street. You made the best of your little sister’s 21st birthday with her two underage friends. We considered the celebration a success with a late night run to CVS for beer and Cheez-Its. If I could pick a big sister, it’d have to be you.
Hannah Dear Rachel, It is really hard to choose a memory to share with you when we have a lifetime’s worth of amazing moments. I can’t think of a time in my life that exceeds the happiness that comes from the way our relationship is currently. I love how close we are and how I feel like we can talk about anything. I hate that we don’t live in the same town and when you aren’t available to talk to me on my drive home. I will detail two of my favorite memories for you, even though they are just some of many! One experiene with you that I love thinking about is the cruise we took last year. It was a time when all I wanted was to get away and the fact that you were so willing to drop everything and go with me makes me so grateful to have a sister like you. I especially enjoyed our trivia battles and our meals with the other sisters. I think the fact that I truly enjoyed your company for 3-4 uninterrupted days (without fighting) shows that our relationship exceeds normal sisterhood. My favorite childhood memory with you was sleeping in the same room. Often on your floor, just to be together. I learned a lot from you during those late night talks and definitely entered high school more knowledgable than most freshmen. I hope you remember our guessing game as fondly as I do, “table...or chair?” We clearly were exceptional minds, even back then. There are so many instances I could write about, but I have to save something for my toast! I just want you to know how much I love you, how happy I am to give you an unforgettable weekend and how lucky I am to have you. Love, Seestar