I thought for this chapter we might take a look at some of the funny, the sad, and the "WHAT" moments through Michael and Tristans time together. For most people it would start with being introduced by a friend, maybe meeting at a bar, meeting at church, or just running into each other in a store or something but then again this is not most people this is the precious kind patient, oh who am I kidding this was Michael and Tristan we are talking about. 

Michael and Tristan actually met each other back in 2010 in a friends garage made into a bar, but wait you maybe thinking the time frames dont add up, your right Tristan became a friend with Michael's at the time wife ( no none of that business) and believe it or not Michael used to actually get on Tristans nerves.

But lets fast forward, as we all know each one of us at one point or time hit some lows in life and sometimes we need somebody to help pick us back up. Well after Michaels divorce he was in one of those lows and here comes Tristan, not for any hanky panky but just to be a friend playing Dance Central or Guitar Hero or just staying up late at night talking. Well shortly after Michael got on his feet Tristan grew her wings and flew away and wasnt seen again til Feb  2014 when this time it was Tristan who needed someone to help her up but you know Tristan she would never admit it but Michael had got to know her well enough that he could see right through it and knew, but Michael had to think of a way to get her what she needed without making it look like help, so out of his own pocket he offered her a job at 125.00 a day to just help with little things around the work trailer down in TX on the rigs of course she jumped on that deal because it was 875.00 cash under the table every week so off they went heading down to TX which helped Tristan which her well being was Michael's goal. So from here if you scroll to the top of the page and click stories you will find several short stories about these two soon to be love birds.

SO IN THIS CHAPTER WE WONT COVER ANY SPECIFIC EVENT OR DAY BUT JUST TALK ABOUT TRISTAN AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAUGHTER AND STEP SON AND THE LOVE THAT WAS AND IS BETWEEN THEM.

SO LET ME INTRODUCE THE TWO LITTLE ANGELS THAT TRISTAN HELD SO DEAR, KEELI AND LANDON BRIAN GRAY BOTH 8 YEARS OLD AND RIGHT AT A MONTH APART FROM EACH OTHER AND THEY WERE TWO PEA'S IN A POD. 

LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 4TH. THIS WEEK LANDON AND KEELI BOTH WERE WITH MICHAEL AND TRISTAN AT THE ALDRIDGE GRANDPARENTS HOUSE. 

ON FRIDAY THE 3RD MICHAEL WAS SITTING OUTSIDE AND TRISTAN WAS IN THE KITCHEN WITH  MRS. ALDRIDGE AND THE KIDDOS WERE OUT SIDE TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO AND THATS WHEN THEY SAw THE BASEBALL BAT & BALL AND THEY WENT TO " DADDY SHAKEYS" AND ASKED IF HE COULD PITCH THE BALL FOR THEM, WHICH HE SAID OF COURSE AND IT WAS FIRST BATTER UP, WELL MICHAEL THREW ONE PITCH AND FELT A SHARP PAIN GO THRU HIS SHOULDER AND HE REALISED THAT IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO PITCH THE BALL WITH A TORN ROT. CUFF AND AS HE GRABBED HIS SHOULDER AND BIT HIS TOUNGE CAUSE HE WAS IN FRONT OF THE KIDS THEY ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG AND HE EXPLAINED HE COULDNT PITCH DUE TO HIS SHOULDER AS HE WALKED TO SIT DOWN WHEN GUESS WHO CAME FLYING OUT THE DOOR THE ONE AND ONLY SUPER MOM TRISTAN.

TRISTAN EXPLAINED TO THE KIDS THAT DADDYS SHOULDER WAS MESSED UP BUT THAT SHE WOULD PITCH FOR THEM AND THAT SHE DID, FOR OVER TWO HOURS TRISTAN SWETTING IN THE HEAT PLAYED COACH, PITCHER, CATCHER, AND ALL THE FIELD POSITIONS AS WELL AS REFEREE WHEN THE KIDS WERE GET OUT OF TURN OR ARGUE WHO HIT FARTHER. MICHAEL SAT THERE AND WATCHED THE PATIENCE THAT SHE HAD WORKING WITH THEM AND EXPLAINING HOW TO HIT DIFFERENTLY TO GET BETTER RESULTS AND ALL MICHAEL COULD THINK IS DAMN HE WAS LUCKY..

REGARDLESS IF IT WAS A MOMMY DAUGHTER DATE NIGHT TO GO WATCH A 3D MOVIE TOGETHER WHICH KEELI COULDNT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT FOR DAYS, OR IF IT WAS GOING OUT FRONT AND PLAYING HORSE WITH THE KIDS, OR GETTING UP EARLY TO HAVE BREAKFEST WAITING, OR GETTING OUT OF BED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE ASLEEP, OR EVEN SNEEKING IN THAT EXTRA SNACK SO THAT DADDY DIDNT KNOW, TRISTAN LOVED BOTH KIDS EQUALLY AND TRIED TO BE FAIR WITH TIME ALONE AND TOGETHER.

ANOTHER FUNNY THING THAT TRISTAN DID WAS COME UP WITH A WHOLE NEW LAUGUAGE FOR HER AND LANDON THAT ONLY THEY KNEW. LANDON FROM AN EARLY AGE LIKED CATS AND WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER WOULD OFTEN ACT LIKE A LITLE CAT AND MEOW, WELL THIS GOT TO THE POINT WHEN LANDON WOULD SAY ONE MEOW FOR YES JUST BEING A GOOF AND TWO FOR NO. WELL ONE DAY MICHAEL COMES WALKING INTO THE KITCHEN TO HEAR AND SEE LANDON  AND TRISTAN SITTING AT THE TABLE MEOWING BACK AND FORTH AT EACHOTHER A FEW TIMES AND THEN TRISTAN GOT UP AND GOT LANDON SOMETHING TO DRINK AND WHEN SHE GAVE IT TO HIM HE WENT MEOW MEOW MEOW AND SHE SAID MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW, CURIOUS IF BOTH OF THEM HAD LOST THEIR MINDS MICHAEL ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TRISTAN REPLIED SAYING OH NOTHING LANDON ASKED FOR A DRINK. A DRINK ASKED MICHAEL YOU GOT THAT FROM ALL THE MEOWS? TRISTAN REPLIED YES AND EVEN A THANK YOU, MICHAEL CONFUSED ASKED HOW DID YOU GET THAT FROM ALL THOSE MEOWS? SO LANDON AND TRISTAN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THEIR LANGUAGE.

WELL AT DINNER TIME MICHAEL THOUGHT HE WOULD GIVE IT A SHOT, YEAH THIS IS DOOMED FROM THE START, BUT MICHAEL TRIED TO ASK IN MEOW WHAT LANDON WANTED TO DRINK AND LANDON JUST LOOKED AT ME ALL CONFUSED AND HERE COMES TRISTAN AROUND THE CORNER SAYING HERE LET ME GET THAT YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING, MEOW MEOW MEOW MEEEEOW MEOW? LANDDON REPLIED MEOW MEEEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW AND THEN TRISTAN PROCEED TO POUR HIM SOME JUICE AND GAVE IT TO LANDON, AND LANDON GOES DADDY MRS. TRISTAN KNOWS HOW TO TALK MEOW, MICHAEL JUST WALKED AWAY SHAKING HIS HEAD...

THIS IS THE TRISTAN SHE HAD BECOME, THE MOTHER SHE WANTED TO BE, WITH THE KIDS THE FOCUS AND PRIORITY OF HER TIME.. EVEN WHEN SHE WOULD HAVE TO CORRECT THEM YOU COULD TELL THAT SHE LOVED THEM AND WANTED THE BEST FOR THEM.

TRISTAN AND LANDON HAD A SPECIAL PLACE IN EACH OTHERS HEARTS, TO THE POINT THAT  LANDON DURING THE VIEWING OF TRISTAN 'S BODY WOULD GO IN EVERY MORNING  AND TELL TRISTAN GOOD MORNING AND EVERY EVENING HE WOULD SAY GOOD NIGHT AND THEN DURING THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 18TH LANDON TOLD HER "GOODBYE MRS. TRISTAN TILL I SEE YOU AGAIN". LANDON WITHOUT BEING ASKED STARTED HELPING MICHAEL MOVE DIRT TO HELP FILL IN THE GRAVE AND LANDON WOULD PICK UP THE RANDOM CLUMPS OF DIRT AND PLACE IT WHERE IT NEEDED TO GO, HE TOLD MICHAEL HE WATED TO HELP BURY HIS TRISTAN.

PLEASE KEEP LANDON GRAY AND KEELI IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS THEY ARE BOTH GRIEFING IN THEIR OWN WAYS AND HAVING TO ADJUST TO NOT BEING AROUND EACHOTHER AT ALL, AS WELL AS LANDONS BUDDY MRS. TRISTAN AND KEELIES " AMAZING MOM" IS NO LONGER WITH THEM.

RIP TRISTAN RIP

SO STARTS THE NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLES ADVENTURE WHICH FOR MOST NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD BE AROUND A YEAR LONG BEFORE THE BIG DAY, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS ISNT MOST NORMAL PEOPLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS THE ADHA TRISTIAN ALDRIDGE AND ADD MICHAEL GRAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NEITHER OF WHICH HAD VERY MUCH PATIENCE, SO WE WILL START AT OCTOBER 7TH THE DAY AFTER THE PROPOSAL. 

SO TUESDAY THE 7TH STARTED WITH TRISTAN JUMPING OUT OF BED TO GET READY BECAUSE IT WAS TIME TO GET THE MARRIAGE LICENCE AND FIND A PASTOR BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT GOING TO WAIT TILL THEY COULD MAKE ENOUGH IN A DECLINING OIL MARKET TO HAVE A NORMAL WEDDING, THAT WOULD BE PLANNED FOR LAST BUT WOULD NEVER COME. SO MICHAEL AND TRISTAN HEAD DOWN TO THE COURT HOUSE, GO IN, AND FILE / PAY FOR THEIR LICENCE, AND TO MEET THE JUDGE THAT WOULD MERRY THEM. WELL LITTLE DID THEY KNOW NEW MEXICO DOES NOT HAVE THEIR JUDGES PERFORM WEDDINGS YOU HAVE TO FIND A MINISTER WHICH LUCKLY THE COURTHOUSE HAD TWO SUGGESTIONS. 

SO MICHAEL AND TRISTAN HAD THEIR CHOICE MADE FOR THEM AS ONE OF THE TWO WAS OUT OF TOWN AND IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW WHICH SOUNDS ALL GOOD EXCEPT WHEN YOU DONT KNOW ANYONE AND NEED TWO WITTNESSES. SO MICHAEL AND TRISTAN HEAD HOME TO TRY TO THINK IF TWO PEOPLE BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN TRISTAN JUST DISAPPEARS OUT OF THE HOUSE AND COMES BACK A FEW MINUTES LATER WITH A SMILE AND SAYS WE ONLY NEED ONE! MICHAEL WONDERING WHAT JUST HAPPENED AFTER HOURS OF THINKING JUST BLUNTLY ASKED HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET ONE THAT QUICK AND WHO IS IT? TRISTAN RESPONDS I FIGURED ID JUST ASK THE NEIGHBORS IF THEY COULD AND ONE OF THEM IS OFF TOMORROW. SEEING HOW THAT WORKED OUT THEY WENT TO THINKING OF A SECOND AND DREW A BLANK, SO MICHAEL CALLED THE CHURCH TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE ISSUE AND THE SECETARY OFFERED TO BE THE SECOND. 

SO WITH THAT TAKEN CARE OF THE TWO RAN TO BUY CLOTHES AND GET A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP. THE MORNING OF THE 8TH STARTED JUST LIKE THE 7TH WITH TRISTAN JUMPING OUT OF BED TO GET READY WHEN THEY BOTH HEAR THAT EVIL SOUND, MIKES ON CALL PHONE RING. TRISTAN ALREADY STARTS SAYING THEY BETTER NOT MESS TODAY UP, THIS IS YOUR DAY OFF, MICHAEL RESPONDS IT WONT I SWARE AS HE ANSWERS THE PHONE SAYING SILENT PRAYER TO PLEASE MAKE THIS CALL A MISTAKE BUT WITH MICHAELS LUCK IT WASNT A MISTAKE MIKE WAS GETTING CALLED ONTO A RIG BUT NOT UNTIL 9PM, SO MICHAEL STAYED ON THE PHONE AN EXTRA FEW MINUTES UNTILHE COULD THINK OF A WAY TO STAY OUT OF THE PATH OF A UPSET TRISTAN OR EVEN BETTER YET NOT HAVE AN UPSET TRISTAN, ND EUREKA HE THOUGHT OF A WAY.

SO MICHAEL HANGS UP THE PHONE AND THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF TRISTANS MOUTH WERE " DONT EVEN SAY IT" AND MICHAEL RESPONDED "NO, NO, YOU REMEMBER YOU WANTED TO GO STAY AT THAT CASINO HOTEL IN HOBBS, WELL IF I WORK TONIGHT AT 9 ILL HAVE SATURDAY NIGHT OFF AND I CAN TAKE YOU THERE SATURDAY NIGHT" MICHAEL KNOWING FULL WELL THAT SATURDAY NIGHT HE WAS OFF ANYWAY BUT HEY IF IT WORKS. TRISTAN DROPPED EVERYTHING AND RAN OVER SAYING " PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE " MICHAEL OF COURSE SAYING SURE THING HUN AS HE HIGH FIVES HIMSELF IN HIS MIND.

SO OFF TO THE CHURCH TO MEET UP WITH THE NEIGHBOR AND GET THIS STORY STARTED. SO ALL THREE WALK INTO THE CHURCH AND MEET THE SECETARY AND PASTOR. THE PASTOR SAYS WELL IF YOUR READY LETS GET YOU MARRIED AND WE STEPPED INTO THE HALLWAY OF THE CHURCH. WELL MICHAEL AND TRISTAN TURN AND FACE EACH OTHER AND SO GOES THE " SHOTGUN WEDDING" THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A LONG RIFLE WEDDING INSTEAD, YES INSTEAD OF A QUICK 2 MINUTES SERVICE IT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE 10 MINUTE AND 47 SECONDS LONG.

SO WHY SHOULD I RUIN THIS MOMENT WHEN MICHAEL GRAY GETS THE VOWS OF A BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING AND JUST ONE COOL CHIC, AND HE BECOMES THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE HE THOUGHT BUT IT WOULD ONLY BE 1 YEAR, 8 MONTHS, AND 5 DAYS BUT THIS WILL COME IN ANOTHER CHAPTER. 

 HERE THE LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO, CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO JUST PAY ATTENTION AROUND THE FOLLOWING POINTS

5 MINUTES 23 SECONDS - IS MICHAEL CHOCKING UP JUST A LITTLE?
5 MINUTES 50 SECONDS – MICHAEL’S SPEECH BOX WOULD SAY “ WAIT WHAT ?? " 
6 MINUTES 25 SECONDS – TRISTAN IS AHEAD OF THE BALL!
6 MINUTES 30 SECONDS – WOOPS EMERGANCY STOP!
10 MINUTES 39 SECONDS – THE KISS THAT STARTED A STORY!!

MICHAEL KEITH GRAY AND TRISTAN GAIL ALDRIDGE WERE MARRIED ON OCT 8 2014 IN THE SMALL TOWN OF CARLSBAD NM, SOUNDS LIKE THE STORY OF ANYONE OF HUNDREDS OF MARRIGES THAT GO ON EVERY DAY BUT THIS ONE STARTS WITH A TWIST AND ENDS WITH A TEAR, IN THIS CHAPTER WE WILL LOOK AT THE TWIST.

TOWARDS THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2014 TRISTAN STARTED TO MAKE LITTLE HINTS THAT SHE WAS WANTING TO SETTLE DOWN WITH MICHAEL SUCH AS, OHH HUBBY INSTEAD OF OHH HONEY OR SHE WOULD WONDER OFF AT THE MALL TO BE STARING AT THE WEDDING BANDS BUT MICHAEL BEING A GUY DIDNT CATCH ON TO THESE HINTS UNTIL TRISTAN DECIDED TO ASK MICHAEL ON OCT 1 2014 TO MERRY HER WHICH OF COURSE HE SAID HE WOULD BUT HE HAD SOMETHING TO DO FIRST BUT HE WOULDNT SAY WHAT IT WAS.

ON OCT 6TH 2014 MICHAEL WENT TO TRISTAN AND TOLD HER THAT A FRIEND WAS IN TOWN AND WANTED TO MEET UP FOR LUNCH. TRISTAN EXCITED TO SEE THEIR FRIEND RAPIDLY GOT READY AND THEY RAN OUT THE DOOR, LITTLE DID SHE KNOW IT WAS ALL PRE-PLANNED. THEY ALL MET FOR LUNCH AND THEN THE FRIEND SUGGESTED GOING DOWN BY THE RIVER AS IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME IN CARLSBAD, NM. 

AS THEY ALL STARTED ACROSS THE FOOT BRIDGE MICHAEL TEXTED THEIR FRIEND AND TOLD HIM TO STAY IN FRONT OF TRISTAN AND TO STOP HALF WAY TO " LOOK AROUND " AND THATS WHERE MICHAEL PLANNED TO POP THE QUESTION, BUT TRISTAN BEING TRISTAN TOOK OFF ACROSS THE BRIDGE TRYING TO MAKE IT ROCK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO SCRATCH THAT PLAN.

AFTER CROSSING THE 150' LONG BRIDGE THEY CAME UPON  A PARK FULL OF KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS AND MICHAEL THOUGHT, YES THIS IS PERFECT AND AGAIN TEXTED HIS FRIEND TO STOP UNDER THE BIG OAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK AND HERE WOULD BE THE SPOT THAT MICHAEL WOULD ASK THE HAND OF HIS TRUE AND ONLY LOVE, BUT AGAIN TRISTAN BEING TRISTAN SHE RAN OFF TO THE SLIDES AND SWINGS TO BE THE BIG BUBBLY KID SHE WAS AND AGAIN MICHAEL'S PLAN WOULD BE STOPPED.

AFTER TAKING LOTS OF PICTURES IN THE PARK GOING DOWN SLIDES AND SWINGING ON SWINGS THEY STARTED WALKING BACK TOWARDS THE RIVER BANK WHEN TRISTAN DECIDED TO HAVE A PICTURE TAKEN WITH HER IN A TREE AND QUICKLY MICHAEL THOUGHT PERFECT SHE CANT GO ANYWHERE THIS IS WHERE ILL ASK THIS BEAUTIFUL AMAZING PERSON TO BE MY WIFE FOREVER TILL DEATH DO US PART BUT JUST AS HE GOT TO THE FOOT OF THE TREE THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE SLIPPED AND CUT A 2IN GASH INTO HER CALF, MICHAEL QUICKLY GRABBED HER FROM THE TREE AND CARRIED HER TO A BENCH, CHECKED THE CUT, RAN ACROSS THE STREET FOR WATER, TORE A PIECE OF HIS UNDER SHIRT OFF AND PROCEEDED TO CLEAN AND BANDAGE THE CUT AS NOTHING ELSE MATTERED NOW EXCEPT THAT SHE WAS OK.

AFTER BANDAGING HER LEG MICHAEL THOUGHT THE DAY WOULD BE OVER AND HE WOULD HAVE TO REWORK ANOTHER PLAN BUT AGAIN TRISTAN BEING TRISTAN SAW A FLOATING DOCK AND RAN ONTO IT, PERFECT MICHAEL THOUGHT A FLOATING DOCK 30 FT INTO THE WATER WITH ONLY ONE SMALL EXIT/ENTRANCE THIS WAS HIS CHANCE, SO MICHAEL PROCEEDED ONTO THE DOCK ENSURING THAT HE WAS BETWEEN TRISTAN AND THE EXIT. TRISTAN WAS LOOKING OUT TO THE RIVER AS MICHAEL GOT DOWN TO ONE KNEE AND WITH HANDS SHAKIER THAN NORMAL MICHAEL GOT THE BLACK DIAMOND RING OUT OF HIS POCKET WHEN WOULDNT YOU KNOW TRISTAN PULLED A TRISTAN AND PROCEEDED TO ROCK THE DOCK ALMOST CAUSING MICHAEL TO FALL ONTO HIS BACK THEN JUST AS MICHAEL WAS TRYING TO REGAIN HIS BALANCE TRISTAN TURNED AND ASKED IF HE HAD FALLEN AND PROCEEDED TO KNEEL DOWN TO HELP MICHAEL ON THE STILL SHAKEY ROCKING DOCK. MICHAEL SHOOK HIS HEAD NO AND GRABBED HER HAND AND ASKED " TRISTAN WILL YOU MARRY ME, BE MY WIFE, AND MAKE ME THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH?" TRISTAN WITH TEARS IN HER EYES SAID " OF COURSE I WILL " AND MICHAEL WHO'S HANDS ARE NOW SHAKING SEVERLY ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE RING ON HER FINGER BUT COULDNT REMAIN STEADY ENOUGH SO TRISTAN DID WHAT SHE OFTEN DID AND GRABBED HIS WRIST TO HELP STEADY MICHAELS HAND, YOU SEE SHE WAS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT TO HELP MICHAEL WITH ANYTHING JUST AS HE WAS. wITH THE RING ON HER FINGER MICHAEL STOOD TO HIS FEET AND TRISTAN BEING TRISTAN JUMPED ONTO MICHAEL GIVING HIM THE BIGGEST HUG EVER, ONE OF THE MOST PASIONATE KISSES EVER, AND ALMOST KNOCKING BOTH OF THEM INTO THE RIVER. AS THE NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLE TURNED TOWARDS THEIR FRIEND SEVERAL CHEERS AND CLAPS ERUPTED FROM THE PARK AS THERE WERE AROUND TEN FAMILIES STANDING AT THE FENCE WATCHING THIS INTERESTING PROPOSAL, AND MICHAEL BEING A GUY LEANED OVER AND ASKED HOW DID HE DO, AND WITH STILL A TEAR IN HER EYE SHE SAID " PERFECT"