August 9

I'm pretty sure I first met Michelle when her older son Kole and Abby were in preschool together; Abby was 2 at the time and there's a pretty epic photo of the two of them in their classroom that prominently features her diaper. He changed schools mid-year but we met up again at the next preschool we both chose, and then again in elementary school (where, if I remember correctly, Kole cried when he found out Abby was in a different class). The two of them went on to become good buddies for a while, until the awkward boy versus girl'ness of the late elementary years set in. But right around that time, Isaac (and Brady, to an extent) became friends with her younger son, Jake, and the Homies were born, which led to first-day-of-school brunches and chats by the playground after school.

Michelle and I didn't always see eye to eye on everything over the years, but she was a constant friend to me and a much-needed consistent presence in my life when Logan was sick and then after he died. And I was always, always thankful to know she was (literally) right around the corner, even though months could go by without us exchanging any words.

I was understandably sad (and, well, shocked) when I found out that her family would be relocating at summer's end. So tonight, we had a farewell dinner for her at a restaurant downtown.

Although we'd all gathered for something of a sad occasion, I had a truly wonderful time with these ladies, laughing over wardrobe malfunctions (Chrissy) and explaining why certain body types are better suited to athletic pursuits than others (ahem).

I will definitely miss having her close by, but I know for sure that this group of us will always be friends, no matter the individual paths God has ordained for our families' lives. And for that, I'm endlessly thankful.