For those of you we haven't seen recently, we actually had a pretty busy Memorial Day weekend.

Saturday afternoon, we drove to Wilkes-Barre for Mickie's (Kevin's wife) 30th birthday bash.  It was a nice celebration, and we had a good time for the most part.  Kevin set it up as a surprise, and after 4 1/2 hours of driving through torrential rain, we got there just before the big moment!  Amy and Heather had some good conversations while we were there, and we both spent some time talking with my dad about Evan.

On Sunday, we headed over to Aunt Sue's house to visit with everyone before heading home.  The drive the day before combined with the long night kept me pretty sleepy, so Amy drove home.  We spent a couple hours here to shower, unpack, and repack, then we headed down to the Verner cabin near Ligonier for Memorial Day.

As always, the cabin and the lake are nice places of quiet and restoration, but there was also a feeling of emptiness this time.  It was our first trip there since before Evan was born, one of those firsts that smacks us in the face.  Wouldn't it have been wonderful to be able to take Evan down there to breathe the fresh air?  Of course, he's there now as much as he ever wants to be, but for us it will always feel like there is something missing when we go.

Amy had an especially hard time Monday afternoon.  She sat for quite a while on the edge of the deck, obviously crying as she buried her face in her knees.  There she was in her “most favorite place in the world” without our little boy.  As beautiful as the world is (especially at the cabin), it will never be as beautiful as it was when Evan was here.

Tuesday night, we needed an outlet, and thankfully, some very good friends came through.  We met Cathy and Rob at Harp & Fiddle for dinner, and we lived and talked as we are, not as people want us to be.  One of the wonderful ideas Amy has to celebrate Evan's birthday is to provide a meal for ICU parents on July 10.  Almost all of our friends have offered to donate their time, food, and/or money to help out.  Many family members have also pledged support for this venture.  It's a small sign, but it is nonetheless a sign of who wants to be in it with us for the long haul, because it is a very, very, very, very, very long haul. 

God bless you all, Greg