Kat's Birthday | Volleyball Roundup

Dear Kat:

the day we decided we'd be college
roomies once you grad'd | 2004

Today would've been your 26th birthday. Instead, we were blessed enough to celebrate your 18th, but no more.. at least not with you here with us. I'm no longer mourning your absence-at least not like I was 7 years ago when it was our first time celebrating your birthday without you, but I still miss you and I rest in the fact that we'll all see you again soon. Oh, and I know, I know.. you would've told us not to cry or be sad for you, because you so rarely ever were and wouldn't want your friends to be. I love you, friend, and miss you. Happy birthday, to you up in Heaven, from us still down here (:

Love Always,

Corin

your hs graduation, 2005

your 18th birthday, and the last time i saw you..  | 7.16.05

So yeah, I miss you. Happy birthday, little K. I hope it's beautiful!! We will see you again one day... keep an eye open over us all until then, mmk? ♥

Kat Nguyen | We Miss You
16 July 1987 - 28 July 2005

Like I said, Kat definitely wouldn't have wanted anyone to be anything but happy on a day like today. So with that, I'll say that aside from wishing I could wish her a happy bday in person, all really is well. Sydni and I have spent a lot of time together being crafty this week, Rob will be here tomorrow, volleyball kicks off tomorrow night with Kalyn, Keif & Beth, Keith Urban is Thursday with Becky & co., Keith Stall's band plays Friday, and Brittany's housewarming party is Saturday. The rest of this week is gonna fly right on by.. I can feel it!

Oh, and I played volleyball tonight for the first time in nearly eight months. Kalyn, Kara, Keifer and I headed over to the Beech Acres Park by K&K's house to practice [league starts tomorrow.... so. excited!!]; both of the sand courts were already occupied, so we opted to passing some in the grass. It wasn't ten minutes before one of the guys from the courts invited us over, and we joined in with them to get the much-needed pre-conditioning for tomorrow. [Thanks, everyone!]

I pretty much can't wait for tomorrow.
Volleyball starts.
ROB WILL BE HERE.
The work week will be halfway over..
... & Rob will be here (:

Happy almost-midweek, friends!

xo | cmd

Remembering : Kat



lovely girl | 7.16.87 - 7.28.05
missing you, kat.

 Okay, so I realize I already posted this particular set of pictures of Kat and me 12 days ago on her birthday, but I had to share it again simply because it's one of the better collaborations, but moreso because today marks the 7th year crapaversary of the accident that changed everyone in her life.

Dear Kat,

Thank you for being you, for being the roommate, friend, and cohort that you were to so many of us while you were here. It really was a blessing to have spent that time getting to know you, laugh with you and share hilarious moments along with the more embarrassing and life-lesson ones. You were one in a million.

Thank you for having a huge heart, and for always putting your family and your friends before yourself. It's rare to find such selfless people in a selfish world, but you were certainly one of them and I will always remember the ways you so thoughtfully showed me that you valued me as a friend to you as well.

For your parents, I can't imagine that their pain has been lessened any by your passing, and I know that this day each year is particularly difficult for them. I can only hope that you're watching diligently over them and that they can find comfort in knowing they will see you again one day.

Beautiful friend, I miss you, and I too look forward to hanging out again when that time comes.

Love, Corin

*sigh. It's a sombering thought to reflect back on life as short as hers. It's a gentle but stern reminder that my time here is never guaranteed, and that love is the one of the only legacies I could hope to leave when my name is called. So dear friends, whether I've told you lately or if we've not spoken for years, please know the footprints you've had in my life are not taken for granted. (:

Live today like it's the best day ever :)

xo | cmd

Kat | Changing Light Bulbs | Softball

I have to acknowledge first and foremost that today is Kat's birthday. Happy birthday, Kat. Words cannot express how much you are still missed. The pain of your passing has dulled in intensity over the last 7 years, but in no way have I forgotten you, forgotten our friendship, or forgotten how much you meant to me when we were friends and roommates.

kat & cori [& patricia, too! :)]
circa june 2005...

Happy 25th birthday, little K.
7.16.87 - 7.28.05.

Now, because I know that Kat would not have wanted any of us to waste any part of our day being sad, I will say that in every other sense of today, it's been another blessing :).

So Happy Monday!

In the spirit of mentioned transitioning, I thought I would start this week off with a little long-forgotten humor. This joke surfaced yesterday in a discussion between my sister and me.

This is all in good fun. My friend Brittany had posted this a few years back and I thought it was funny then [I’m Baptist, and must admit that the Baptist one is pretty stinkin’ accurate]. Either way, it’s cute, so I figured I would share ;) 

HOW MANY CHRISTIANS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB??

i'm baptist.. so there are at least 14 more of me
ready to go on this ;)

Charismatic: Only one. Hands already in the air.

Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkeness.

Presbyterians: None. Lights will go off and on at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None. Candles only.

Baptists: At least 15. One to change the light bulb and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.

Episcopaleans: Three. One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better the old bulb was.

Mormons: Five. One man to change the bulb and four wives to tell him how to do it.

Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined. Whether your light bulb is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb or tulip bulb. A church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring a bulb of your choice and a covered dish.

Nazarene: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while five men review the church lighting policy.

Lutherans: None. Lutherans don’t believe in change.

Amish: What’s a light bulb?

*********

If you're a Baptist like I am, you laughed because you know it's exactly true. ;)

Anyway.... Happy Monday! I started my week off with something little to appease a craving I'd had over the weekend: Sounds silly, but these things make a world of difference when you're sitting at your desk looking to appease the munchies.

<< That's for Mo, specifically, since I had been on the hunt for these things on Saturday before the drive-in movie, to no avail. See? They do exist! Haha..

The rest of today passed by in the familiar fashion of Monday [you ragged thing, you], and I'm glad to see it go. I was reminded via sermon from our beloved Pastor Ron on Sunday to count my blessings and not the little things that seem to pickle my day instead of enhance it. In the spirit of doing that, I am blessed to have a job, the means to get there, and all of the other small and large things in my life that I love.

*********
Summer Mondays = Softball!

softball fun with the little ones!
seth. christopher. easton.

Softball was h-o-t. Yeesh. I know the boys were roasting out there, because sitting on the side watching alone was something like baking slowly in a wide open oven. Oh well. Dust and all, we had ourselves a good old time on the side playing with the kiddos, munching through a 2 lb bag of Twizzlers & a gallon box of Goldfish, and speculating on the game. I took some time to snap a few pictures, too, primarily because moving around a bit was a welcomed reprieve from the still heat.


softball :)

Jimmy and Mo just left the house; they stopped by after the game for some quesadillas and unwinding. Such great friends.. We sure do love 'em!
Early start tomorrow, folks.. I'm outta here.

xo | cmd