I walked for Dave.

The clock hit 2:30 am and Whittney and I were still working. This was the second or third night in a row of late night working, although we hadn't surpassed 12:30 the other nights. We were both tired, the sounds of our work were the only sounds filling the room, our conversation swallowed up by the tiredness and the determination to get as much done as we could. Around 3 we made it to bed, vowing to make it up early to finish the rest.

Later that morning we made it out of bed and packed all our hard work into the car. We got it to the track and returned back to my house to finish the last details on the banner. Banner complete we walked back to the track- grumpy from lack of sleep and hot and muggy from the nasty hot weather we had. The tent was set up and in mid-decoration when the rain hit. Everything got shoved in the tent to wait it out, except someone left our banner on the grass and most of our hard work got taken with the rain. Once the rain quit it was another hour or so of redecorating and setting things up. It turned out wonderful. Then a couple laps around the track, rain pouring again but helping very little with the heat and humidity.

The storms came back later and all the hard work we had put into this was pretty much wasted since the event was canceled.

But it wasn't wasted at all. We did it all for him. We worked hard for him. We walked for him.

And thats all that mattered.

I was able to participate in the Relay for Life this year. It was so nice to feel that maybe I could help make a difference to people fighting cancer. It was so touching to see all these people out there working towards helping.

The most touching thing were the people with purple shirts. The ones with SURVIVOR written on the back. The people who fought it, or may still be fighting it. The ones we were doing this for.

I walked for Dave. His purple shirt was missing from the crowd of survivors on Saturday because he was in the hospital due to problems related to his cancer. But he is at home now, and doing much better.

I expect to see his purple survivor shirt at the relay next year where I hope the rain doesn't cancel it and where our decorated tent will be even better than this year. And where I will walk for him again.

I want a world with more birthdays. And if participating in the relay is one way I can help, I will. For Dave as well as anyone else who is battling or has battled cancer. I'll do this for you.

Love,

Dear

Taylor,I just want to let you know that I love...

...How when I asked you for a hug, you gave me one, and wouldn't let go.

...How when I tell you that I love you, you say that you love me more, even if I tell you that you that I love you more.

...How when I sit next to you, you cuddle up to me and rest your head on my shoulder.

...How when I am even a little bit sad, you rub my shoulder, flash me a smile, and tell me that everything will be okay.

...How you reach up and grab my hand so that you can hold it- even though I am in the front seat and you are in the back seat.

...How you try to give me your snack, just to make sure I am not hungry.

...How when you see me coming, you run and yell my name then greet me with the biggest hug known to man.

...How you tell me that I am your best friend.

But most of all, I love it that you love me...

...so please don't ever let go, I will always love you more, my shoulder will always be there to lean on, you always make me feel better, my hand is always here to hold, I will always have snacks to share, your welcome to greet me that way for eternity, and I will always be your best friend...

Because I love you to.

Mikayla,

I want to let you know that I love...

...how you ran off the field during your game just to give me a hug, and how you didn't want me to put you back down.

...how you pull me aside just to tell me silly little secrets that aren't really secrets at all.

...how you threatened to beat up the little boy who hit me with a ball just because he was not nice to me (even if we were playing a game)

...how as soon as I sit down you crawl up on my lap even though there are plenty of chairs available

...how you dressed up just to come to my house

...how you want me to carry you everywhere, even though you can walk

...how you make me laugh with the goofy songs and stories
...how you get mad because Taylor says I am her best friend, because I am yours as well.

But most of all, I love it that you love me...

..so I don't want to ever put you back down, I will always be here to listen to your secrets as well as those not really secrets, I will always fight for you as you had wanted to fight for me, you can always take a seat on my lap no matter how many chairs there are, you will always look cute whether you dress up or not, I will always be here to carry you, your goofy songs and stories can always make me laugh, and don't worry I will be your best friend to...

Because I love you to.

Love,

Just another reason why. Cedar Point part 2.

While forming the words to tell the story of our senior trip I decided to leave out one little part of the story. I decided to do it this way because I wanted this part to be less about the Senior trip and more about why I adore the certain person I am writing about. I wanted the focus to be turned on the person and not the event.

And just so that you know I am not writing this post for entertainment purposes. This is one of those special posts that I am writing so that when I look back on this thirty years from now I can see exactly how what happened made me feel and how truly thankful for this person I am. I am writing this so that the person I am writing about can look back on it and see exactly how much I adored the fact that she did this for me.

So now that you know that here's the back story:

Jodi hates roller coasters. Its not the speed, the non-secure feeling, the turns or anything like that, Its the height. Shes afraid of heights.

Now like I said, I love roller coasters. Love them. And when Jodi decided to go to cedar point I was very excited to have her as a riding buddy. (We had a group of 5 at the time and of course I was number 5) Now I knew she was scared of heights but we had talked previously and she said she might be able do get on them- depending on how she felt about it when she got there. I really wanted her to ride at least my favorite one with me and had been trying to convince her for awhile prior to the trip. Everyone was saying that there was no way that I would ever be able to do it. But I thought she would have fun (after getting over the height part) and still tried and tried.

I even continued trying as we waited in line (which I even had to convince her to do) for my favorite roller coaster:
The Millennium force: Only the second highest roller coaster in the world (which I neglected to tell her *wink*), second only to the dragster, which I have also ridden.

As we are standing in line she is still saying that she will not ride it as me and the rest of us are still trying to convince her - using about every excuse we could think of. When we got up to the gates I thought for sure that all of our convincing would fall short and she would choose to sit this one out since she was able to see how high this coaster really is.

Much to my surprise She files in the line for a seat right along with the rest of us. I then ask if she is actually going to do this because I will just have to ride with someone else if she won't. She answers by looking at me then says I need to get in first and she wants the back of the car. I am so proud of her!

And there we are. Extremely obvious elation on my face (can you tell I like roller coasters? Didn't think so lol.) And a look of...well I am not sure what to say about the expression on her face. She had her eyes closed the entire time- but is that a little hint of a smile i see? And then theirs Rochelle in the seat behind us- laughing? crying? scared? Not sure about that one either. lol.

Her reaction to the ride? She said she hated it - worst few minutes of her life (but if I was as stubborn about not liking it at all and then if I possibly did like it I would not admit it either so there is that possibility, but that's just my thoughts *smiles*) now she knows that any other type of high roller coaster is out of the picture,

BUT

she is glad she did it for me. And that's just another reason why I love her so dearly. I don't think I could ask for a better best friend..

So Jodi if you are reading this first of all, I really am sorry for bugging you about doing something you did not want to do. I feel very badly about it, I just thought you would have fun. And I am still hoping that you did but did not really want to admit it. Secondly, I am so proud of you! You are deathly afraid of heights but you went on the second tallest roller coaster in the world. That's something to be proud of! Even though you may never want to do that again at least you can say you faced your fear. I am so proud! Lastly, thank you for thinking high enough of me to do something like this just because I asked you to. For facing your fear because you just love me that much! (And for still saying I am your favorite after you got off the ride!) You certainly are the best and this is something I will never forget. You are certainly my favorite and I love you lots! Thanks for being a great friend.

Love,


PS- This is totally off topic but the cable guy just came a little bit ago and he was so cute! You know you expect these old guys so you just wear your sweats...or maybe that was just me? Poop. Missed a good one there....he even took off his shoes and played with my dog! I am thinking our cable might be broken again in the near future....*wink*