home again

We're home from Elizabeth City. I'm glad to be home but sad to not be with Katie. It was hard and sweet and terrible and beautiful. She's lost her hero and one of her best friends. I didn't know her dad that well, but I can't believe how deeply you can feel loss and sadness and mourn with and for your friend. I'm so sad for her whole family. 


Jonah snoozing on the way down... a whopping 45 minutes of the four and half hour drive.

 Jonah, cute in his collared shirt at the funeral home. Post bloody nose incident (don't ask).

Jonah did pretty well in the car on the way up and back, but last night and this morning (dressing change) were rough in the hotel. He slept restlessly for a couple hours when Matt first put him down and then woke up screaming around 11:30 or midnight. Well, you can't let your kid cry it out in a hotel, so we got him out to try to "rock" him to sleep. It backfired. Homeboy woke up and was WIDE awake in our bed, kicking, talking, laughing, jumping on us until 2:00 am. Rough. 


But it was completely and totally worth every minute. Matt was awesome and really took over Jonah Care so I could be with Katie as much as possible. We spent some time together at the funeral home, afterwards at her house, I sat beside her at the service today, and maybe another hour this afternoon, sitting outside on a blanket, before we left. So thankful. And I'll never forget when Gabe died, how it felt to hug Katie when we saw each other at the funeral. Yesterday and today, I needed to be there just as badly as she needed me to be. It's a sweet co-dependence we have goin' on. :) 


Thanks for all your continued prayers for Katie and her family. I know, from my grief with losing Gabe, that some of the hardest days are once everyone goes home, your family scatters, and your house is too quiet.


Thanking God tonight for true friends and the bond of Jesus and his promises. I love you, Katie.