It can't be the end

Just over seven years ago I wrote what I thought was my last blog post, but I got news yesterday that made me need to write a new post. Brian Ebbs - friend, husband, dad, brother, son, traveler and beer enjoyer - has passed away. 

Brian was the biggest fan of my blog. He was excited with every new post, and poked me each and every time I went way too long without any new news. If I had been traveling, and posted about said travel but then didn't update for a month, he would make a joke that he was surprised I wasn't still in India, China, or wherever I was traveling at the time. 

Not only was Brian an active reader of my blog, he and the Ebbs' family made so many appearances in the blog over the course of 10 years because they are such dear friends of ours. I did a search and listed all the posts below that was in the span of the blog, but there could've been so many appearances before the blog even started (and many since the blog ended). I can't really remember the first time I met Brian, but my favorite time was when he came to visit Dave and I when we lived in Darien, IL, before we were married. While Dave cooked, Brian sat with me and looked at Bride magazines, and we reviewed dresses and flowers. I kept telling him he could go in the kitchen with Dave, but I think he actually liked looking at wedding dresses with me! Later that evening, as Billy Joel was playing and "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" came on, Brian and I laughed and danced in the dining room. I'm not positive, but there may have been just a few (dozen) Heinekins consumed. The next day we went to Dave's parents to swim in the pool. I couldn't do it. Brian and Dave drank more and relaxed in the sun. I couldn't drink another drop, and opted to stay in the cool house. 

Before I met Brian, he was Dave's friend. The picture is hazy, but I know they met in Maastricht, and I know they created life-long memories. Dave was known as Super Dave (which means I got to be Super Jill!), there was a story about naked pushups in the hallway, and really great travel to many amazing places. Brian was so gracious that he shared his family... his mom and dad came to our wedding, his brother Al and sister Martina were the most welcoming. 

And then Brian found Tammy! We used to say we weren't sure if Brian would get married, but when we met Tammy, there was no doubt she was the one. Tammy is... charismatic, funny, caring, thoughtful. She remembers things about me I don't even remember sharing, and is HILARIOUS normally, but HILARIOUSLY OBNOXIOUS after some number of (really cheap) beers (which I love). When Tammy comes to visit, hijinks are high - we have done everything from hula hoop competitions to making signs and cheering for sporting events. She has always enjoyed my kids and loved on them every chance she could - from the time Abby was born and they came to our house in Mayville (and judged a small-town parade), to the time just a couple of months ago when they welcomed Abby and Jacob into their home as a vacation stay. 

When I reached out to Tammy to tell her how sorry I was to hear about Brian, she said "I'm sorry for your loss too. He was a special person missed dearly and deeply already." She couldn't be more right. Even if I would've gone another year without seeing him in person, I am just better for having known Brian. To me, he was the ultimate friend and professional, humble but successful, caring and strong. And Tammy, your ability to share your loss with all of us, so gracefully and graciously, is such a gift. I cannot even comprehend what you and the kids are experiencing, but I hope you know that you have a Gawrych clan who is embracing you from afar. 

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: It rained and it rained...

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: Just a really great night

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: Lovely friends

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: D.C.

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: DC Rocks Part 2

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: Don't text and, well, just don't text

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: I stopped traveling! AbbyNolanMaxAva: Here's to good friends...

 AbbyNolanMaxAva: THE best visitors of all time

AbbyNolanMaxAva: The end...

The end...

I am coming to grips with the end of an era, the end of the blog. This blog has seen a ton... from kids being born to kids in the hospital. It was the place for me to put all my thoughts about everything, big or small. But now. Now it's just too hard. Some of it is time, but some of it is content. I'm not sure it's fair for me to share things about my teenagers that they don't want shared. And I don't know if my thoughts about them or about life should necessarily be written for them to read either! :) And so if I don't share that, what's left? I can write about the day to day stuff, but even I lose interest in that. I can talk about my travel, but this doesn't seem like the place to keep doing that either. And so... To Brian Ebbs, likely the only person who still checks this regularly, I bid you adieu. I will see you in the real world!

THE best visitors of all time

Ok, I'm really not just saying this because he reads the blog. I truly and really love it when the Ebbs' come to visit us. It's such a low key visit, low expectations, lots of great conversation, good kids, they're appreciative but know they should act like our house is their house, the whole nine yards. We don't see them nearly enough, and we don't visit them nearly enough. But, we did get the chance to see them in the summer, and it was as great as I knew it would be. The only downfall is that Tammy told me she'd send me pics and she didn't! So, I have these...

Like every summer, we have baseball and softball games. And Brian and Tammy just come along to all. Jack loves Nolan, and was excited to be able to be bat boy for them. It was awesome... they could not have been cuter together!

 And they also came to Abby's games, and brought signs! What better cheering and fan section could you have?

And then... we had hula hoop contests! These are some good hula hoopers! Tammy even brought prizes. I think Nolan might have won, but I may have discounted some of his scores (sssshhhhh!). In the end, Ava was declared the winner. The prize was a post card of flamingos hula hooping, and Ava couldn't have been prouder. Months later, it's still hanging by her bed. I love it!

Amazing family, amazing friends!!

Cubby

At the beginning of summer, Ava was in drama camp where they produced Peter Pan. I was so proud of her. She worked hard and tried out for Tinker Bell. She didn't get it, but she was ok with that. She was Cubby instead, one of the Lost Boys. She was the cutest Lost Boy I ever saw! They had four hour practices 6 days a week for two weeks, and then it was show time. It was amazing what they learned and all they did in those two weeks. I loved the show... all three times I saw it!

My favorite line... why are there no lost girls? "Because girls are too smart to fall out of their cribs!" 

I have no idea

Sometimes he tries to be so cool. His hair and his clothes and his shoes have to be just right. And then other times he's such a goofball in his dancing and his jokes. He and Ava are either super loud laughing and playing or super loud fighting. Usually you can't tell the difference and one leads to the other. In this moment, they were clearly enjoying!

Note... Ava has Max's underwear on, both on her head and wearing them!

For the record, Abby has her own share of craziness too! I'm not sure what this is either! Funny is that there's no picture of Max in this post. I think we're just used to his level of craziness!