farewells

I know that I am so emotionally drained when I sit at a keyboard and suddenly have to search my brain for words. Typically, my fingers have no problems hitting the keyboard at a fast rate. It is so satisfying to here the clicks of typing on my mac.

And yet, here I sit with very little to say.  Another reason, dear blog, why I have abandoned you so.

It's been a very long weekend, but at the same time, not long enough. (The Sunday blues are the worst).  This week we packed up my sister's family and said goodbye as they make the long trek out to their new home in Raleigh, North Carolina. I am happy for them and their new adventure (and pretty jealous that they are moving to the land of the pine), but not without an ounce of selfish sadness.

I moved out to Kansas initially to be closer to Leah and Jeron. In fact, I lived with them for a long time as I tried to figure out how to live in a post-collge world, (which took me a long time). Through all the ups and downs of career related things (or lack thereof), relationships, friendships, living situations, and Kansas itself, the Bakers were there for me. My sister is my best friend and it has been a real privilege to be able to walk over to their house on the corner of Knott and Streeter, let myself in by the way of the utility room, and make myself at home. I am blessed by their love and their lives that took shape in the form of silly dances and jingles, thousands of cups of coffee, tears shed on the living room couch, "popcorn snacks" popped, countless episodes of Pysch, brunches shared, bright orange dining room walls, treks to Wichita ("hitching up the buggy"), a chunky charmer baby, and a fluffy dog named Scooter.

I will feel the void of them not living in Kansas and miss them dreadfully.

But I cherish the good moments in the Prairie that we had together here.





My sister and I love hosting brunches for our friends here in Kansas. The other week, Leah asked me if it would be crazy to try and have a brunch on July 6th, the morning of the day they were going to leave Kansas. Since they weren't leaving until the evening, I said, "Sure, why not."

Leah is an avid reader of Better Homes and Garden. Since that is the case, we typically try and host brunches that have some type of "BHG flare." With that in mind for this last brunch, I wanted to eat outside on this table my dad made out of a door, drink coffee out of mason jars, and use old antique plates. I kept checking the weather throughout the week, worried that our brunch would get pushed inside due to high winds and extreme heat. Not once did I consider the possibility of rain.

I woke up Saturday morning to find a light drizzle outside.

Oh no.

Despite off and on sprinkles, we still managed to keep the party outside. (The cool weather even forced me to grad a sweater... in July in Kansas. This is unheard of, people). The rain actually managed to hold off during our brunch and what rain did fall from the sky was kept away from us thanks to the big branches of our backyard oak tree.





Leah with the "chunky charmer"


It was a lovely and the perfect way to end the Yoder sister brunch era.

And as far as living half way across the country from my sister, well, I know that is something that will not last forever.

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