Young & Wild

That was their names before one of the more beautiful weddings we've attended. Michael Young and Katie Wild (now Young) stopped by after a (Mem)Famous road trip wherein they traversed the better part of the US. They started out in Fresno, Ca. and made their way to Memphis, by toyota corolla, following a most unusual route.

They arrived at our place and we were incredibly glad to see them. They spent several days with us and we did our best to show them as much of Memphis as we'd discovered in our 3 months here; sights, sounds, smells and of course, the tastes of our new city.

We spent time downtown, road the trolley cars, said hello to the Mighty Mississippi, walked (and ate) on Beale, and got our fingers sticky and greasy on some good 'Q'. But more than that, they met folks that are a part of lives here. We celebrated our neighbor's birthday (Braxton is a whopping 6 years old now!), they worshipped with us at Living Hope, getting to meet many people who have become quite dear to us, even after just a few months.

Lisa and I consider ourselves incredibly blessed to have friends like the Youngs; friends who loved in us in Fresno, and continue to love us, even though most of the time we're seperated by miles and time zones. Sometimes email, facebook, blogs and skype can give the illusion of being closer than you think - and to some degree those things are able to counter the distance. But still, there is no technology that will ever replace a dear friends arms around your neck in a good, 'glad to see you' hug, hearing their lips smack on some good BBQ ribs, experiencing a good laugh together and an even better prayer.

We were proud to show them around Memphis and terribly sad to see them go.

About 10 hours after they left Memphis, they called us from Dallas. Their plans to camp on the outskirts of Dallas were thwarted in a rather humorous way (you'll have to check out their blog for the details...hilarious). So, rather than camp, they bunked up at the Wayne & Dyonne Watson's place in Big D. My dad told wild hunting stories and mom filled them up with BlueBell ice cream and her special blend of sweet ice tea. I'm thankful that I have parents that I can call up and who are happy to welcome road weary strangers on the recommendation of their eldest son.

The Youngs are back in Fresno. The Watsons are still in Memphis. We're back to missing each other, but thankful for the time we had. And looking forward to the next road trip, and the next 'glad to see you' hug.