Friends

Dear Stevie,
This weekend was packed full of good times, with good friends. It's taken me awhile to get to the point where I feel "up to" hanging out with people, especially in bigger groups, but the last few days were really, really great. I am blessed to have the kind of friends who I can goof around and be silly with one minute, and who actually bring you up in conversation and talk to me about how I'm feeling (really feeling) the next.

This weekend Dad and I went to an outdoor housewarming party at my friend Ben's house. It was super fun, and super hot. My iPhone said it was only 86 degrees, but I swear it had to have been at least 95 (notice the sweat dripping off Dad's forehead in the following photo...)

Then, once the sun went down, and the weather cooled off a bit, I went on a late-night bike ride with my good friends (and college roomies) Lisa and Jenny.

It was a great summer night. Almost perfect, until Jenny and I got into a bit of an accident riding the tandem through the woods (and we got the "battle wounds" to prove it):


After sleeping incredibly soundly after so much fun and sun the day before, Jersa (my best friend since middle school) and I drove to the Middle of Nowhere, MN (no that's not actually the name of the town, but it should be) to go tubing down the Cannon River.

In typical J and K fashion, we got totally lost getting there (due to some really stupid road-closings and detours):



But once we finally made it, we had a blast.




That is, until, our final ride down the river, when we kind of lost our tubes in a super strong current...as well as Jersa's car key. Only us, I tell you :

Jersa's car key, before it ended up somewhere at the bottom of the river; we were joking about how we needed to "keep it safe!"

After J's husband drove an hour and a half to deliver a spare key for us (thanks, Adam!), we made it home.

This weekend just flew by. I haven't had that much going on in one weekend in a long, long time. You'd think being so busy would help me keep my mind off of you. But that was certainly not the case. As I spent time with the wonderful people in my life, I kept thinking about how sad I am that you'll never get the chance to meet them. You'll never get to go on a "J and K adventure." You won't get to beg Jenny to do your hair (because she's way better at that sort of thing than I am!), or play with Lisa's crazy dog, Panda, while she babysits you.

And you won't get the chance to make your own friends, go own your own summer adventures someday.

I know Heaven must be wonderful, but I can't help but feel like you're missing out on so much here.

I love you, baby girl. Always.

Xoxo,
Mom