Miss Katie

Kailey and Katie at the neighborhood Xmas dinner.

When we first moved to Rochester, Nick had to go back to California for three weeks. We'd driven like maniacs to get here in time to sign the papers on the house and I put him on a plane the next morning to go back. Believe it or not I was OK with this. Yeah, it sucked, but I could hold my own. I actually had the house unpacked in two days! Anyways....

One day I was walking around the block with Libs. Let me tell you, the whole block is a dog block. People don't know the people that live in the house, it's "the house with the bulldog, the house with the boxer, Mika's house etc etc." I came walking down the street and there was a boxer hanging out. He was getting pretty excited to see Libs. His owner was outside and I believe she said he was nice and asked if Libs was. I told her yes and let them play for a while. Turns out Katie liked to talk as much as I did so we had a lot to talk about. I'm not sure if it was the first time I met her or maybe a few times after that when I was walking Libs on a day I was feeling not so hot. Moving so far away was making me realize just how much "stuff" I hadn't dealt with. Past hurts, traumas, those kinds of things. And to top it off Nick was still in California. Rylie and Katie were outside so I stopped off to let Libs run around and again Katie and I started talking. Those of you who know me know I wear my heart on my sleeve. I just started letting it all out, and even cried a little bit. Katie asked me if I liked cheese and sent me home with a nice (and by nice I mean pretty good sized) block of Vermont Cheddar (the kind in the wax) and a box of crackers. Oh my goodness was that cheese amazing! Ever since that day we have been the best of friends. I was so excited for Nick to meet her. When he came home they hit it off too.

Miss Katie is the first friend Nick and I made as a couple.She's probably one of the most selfless people on this planet, not even joking. She knew we were far from our family our first holiday season and asked us to join her family. We even fit in with all of them. In fact some of her sisters consider me like their sister. Every holiday season since we've lived in Rochester, we've spent with her family (now our family, the automatically count us in on the tally of how many will be coming). Christmas tree hunting has probably been one of the funnest things we've done together (aside from strawberry picking).

Katie, Rylie and Kailey

The first Mother's Day I was officially a mother (pregnant) I was with Katie. Unfortunately it was a sort of somber time as we were moving stuff from her father's house after he'd passed away. The man who was going to buy the house was talking to Katie when I arrived. He automatically thought I was Katie's daughter. Now it's an inside joke and she tells me all the time I shouldn't talk to my mother like that! Haha. That was the day I asked Katie if we could use her middle name for our baby if it was a girl....and a girl we had. So Kailey's middle name is Jean just like her Auntie Katie. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll always remember Katie meeting Kailey for the first time. I'm sad Kailey won't be around to have crazy shenanigans with Katie and learn how to sass people properly....wink wink, I know you're probably reading this Katie....you know you'd be helping develop her sense of humor and sense of adventure.

Nick and I will always be grateful for every ounce of energy, love and thought Katie has given us and I can only hope we've been as kind and loving to her. If I could pack her, Rylie and Cody and take them with me I would in a heartbeat. It's nice to know there are people out there who love strangers as deeply as their own blood.  Katie, you are living proof. Rochester would not have been anything without you.