I woke up on the high of a Friday night out with my cousin Karlee and, later, a good conversation with a friend. And I woke up earlier than I do on most Saturdays because this was a Saturday I had been looking forward to for over a year: the baptism of dear friend. My friend lost his membership in the church a few years ago and was well aware of what had been missing in his life, well aware of what was being gifted to him that day through his baptism and confirmation. There was a small group of mostly family at the baptism and I was touched to be one of the few asked to share in those tender moments. The baptism lasted about 45 minutes and I cried 40 of it! I had not cried such happy tears, and for such a long time, in quite a while. The rest of the day could have brought just about anything and it still would have been considered a fabulous day.
A little bit later Devin and Angie (brother and sil) and their two littles showed up and I fed them a family favorite: grilled tuna fish sandwiches and tomato soup (that I traded for roasted red pepper and tomato soup). I was initially going to watch Clark and Henrie for a couple of hours, but they all just hung out for a bit before continuing their trip south to Salina. We took a walk around the apartment complex; it was exciting for Clark who was able to ride his new bike, but poor Henrie was saddened by every toy Escalade he couldn't hop in, tractor he couldn't sit on, and motorcycle he couldn't ride. Angie and I managed to hit up a few stores in search of the perfect bathroom mirror for Clark and Henrie's bathroom. Shopping has its appeal, but I mostly enjoyed being able to chat with Angie. I don't know if there's ever a time I see her that I don't walk away thinking about how grateful I am she's in my life. My brother and the boys are pretty stellar too.
Saturday evening I picked up two of my favorite Matts and went to see Moonrise Kingdom. One of them described it as "the perfect amount of cheese, awkwardness, and adorability." I just call it quirky. And I love quirky. The night was topped off with a trip to Cafe Rio and an hour + long game of pool accompanied by more funny, insightful, and intriguing conversations.
I am pretty happy with my life. I have finally graduated, like my non-Creative Writing job, have a solid group of friends, and am offered countless opportunities to grow. I still worry about getting older without the family I expected to have by now, but I couldn't be more grateful for the experiences I have had while I am waiting for them to come.
