I have been thinking all day, what can I write about about our one year anniversary of losing Curt.  There are simply no words.  His absence has cut like knives over the past year.  I can’t go into my emotions because I keep this G rated for the girls, so instead, I’ll let you in on a hilarious memory we had with Curt (again, the G version)!

 

So, Mike, Anna Kate, and I took a trip out to Cali for Curt’s 44th birthday bash in 2010.  Cindy is always so awesome about taking us to the beach, because she knows how much we love it!  Curt had been officially diagnosed with ALS only months prior to these pics, but we had suspected something was up for about 6 months, I think it was.  The birthday party was so special because we got to tell Curt how much he means (this verb has to stay in the present even though it happened in the past, sorry) to all of us; Every moment with him was a gift we all treasured as such.  It was the most surreal moment of my life.  People were laughing and crying all at the same time.  At one point, I went into the kitchen at the venue, slid down the wall, and bawled my eyes out.  The next minute, we were out on the dance floor living it up.  It was an unforgettable, amazing night.  But that’s not my story for tonight.  I would delete all of this and start over, but I’m just too tired, lol.  So, back to the beach.  Curt was still walking really well, so he was able to go in the sand with us and just play!  Pics above: To the left, everyone posing in front of Tsunami/Earthquake hazard zone sign.  To the right, one of my favorite pics I just had to repost of Curt and Cindy’s middle kiddo, Cayden, with baby Anna Kate!

I’m not as good of a storyteller as Cindy, so I can’t figure out how to tell this story.  Here goes nothing, we loaded these pictures on their kitchen computer when we got home later this night and gathered around the bar to check them out.  As we were looking at them, Curt and Cindy made up a story about the pictures as they were unfolding on the spot, totally making up more to the story as the pictures progressed.  It’s so silly, totally dorky, but we literally could not stop laughing.  So here goes a tiny peek into our relationship with the Ziemke family.

First up, this was going on, okay.  Just to give you a context, my hair was out of control because the wind was insane.

So, I’m flicking back my hair and when Cindy saw this picture, she said, “OMG, it looks like you are trying to kiss my man!”  Someone else chimed in, “Cayden is like, what’s going on!?!”  Someone else, “The rest of the family can’t even look.”

The wind was still going crazy as Cindy and I tried to get a beach pic together.  Curt yells out, “Cat fight begins!”

 

And then when these pics came up, “They made up!”  “Now she’s kissing on Cindy!”

Although this is literally .02% as funny as it was to us as we were making up the story on the spot, that’s just it!  We didn’t have to be doing anything to have fun with Curt.  He was the fun!!!  And he will be with us forever and ever, in our hearts and in the lives of his awesome kiddos.  Man, I miss my friend.  Too much.  Love you, Ziemke fam!  You are so strong and make me so honored to be your friend, every day.  Grieve well.  XOXO, Mo