A Colorful Goodbye

My friends put together a farewell BBQ for me and Brandt yesterday. I had a feeling that they might be planning a little more because they wouldn't say much about it. I was right and quite surprised!

We created one large piece of art and each took home one section. They had laid out 10 blank canvases and outlined sunflowers. Each had been labeled beforehand with our names on the back but we didn't know which was which. We rotated around the table and each painted on every canvas. It was a great idea and I had a blast. We drew wheat, tornadoes, Bluegrass guitar picks, fish, and more.

We waited until it was dry to find out which was ours. Mine was even more special because Brandt's name was written as "Bandit," which is their nickname for him.

Ours is hanging in our duplex and I can't wait to display it in our new place in Oregon. I love painting, art, and my friends. This is a wonderful representation of our friendships and it truly means a lot to me. I've known one since we were both in utero, another since Kindergarten, and others as recently as the last few years. The length of time we've known each other doesn't matter; I'm fortunate to call each of them a friend. I've spent innumerable hours swimming (or avoiding our workouts), teaching swim lessons, staying up late, getting in to trouble, and laughing with these amazing people.

Even though small town life wasn't for me, I wouldn't trade the way it shaped me and the unforgettable memories we've made together. We've battled wasps, been in a car accident, tried to get lost driving in the fields, spent hours at Silver Creek, fished, shot guns, been bridesmaids, kept up everyone in Hotel At Old Town (twice), rode our bikes across town at 7 a.m. for swim practice, and those are just the memories that pop into my head first. I'm sad that I won't be able to watch their kids grow and miss late nights doing ridiculous things, like wrapping someone as a mummy with duct tape. I'm thankful for the memories I do have and fully expect more shenanigans when I make trips back home.