To Karissa on her 41st Birthday

Two minutes before ending a most fabulous girls' trip, Evynne suggested we say our favorite thing about Karissa. Time did not allow. And thus - with Karissa's permission - I present a belated birthday greeting to the one-and-only Karissa Reed. But first, the backstory:

Officially Karissa and I met in first grade. Kristen, on the right in the middle of us, recently found this gem:

  If you have trouble figuring out who is who, you're not the only one. Two of my mom's friends went up to greet Karissa, thinking she was me, at my own baby shower. 

Karissa's baby shower was also memorable in that it was the first time I left the house by myself with newborn Crosby. It was amateur hour. I couldn't even figure out how to get the car seat out. Thanks again for the assistance MVP Grandma - Karissa's mom, Becky. Once Crosby was awake, I put him in Karissa's arms and we heard a splash. My first thought was, "OMG Karissa's water broke". But then I realized, "oh I guess Crosby's diaper was full." Yeah, should have changed him before the car ride. Full diaper + more pee = wet Karissa. But I digress...

Karissa and I were in most of the same classes for twelve years. We went to Costa Rica with our fifth grade school trip. We invited each other to each other's birthday parties. We got pulled over by the police together while TPing. (to TP = to decorate a house in toilet paper) The reason we got pulled over was my bad idea (a longer story). Anywho, she's gone along with similarly wacky ideas since but smartly puts the guardrails on: 

"Let's bring our floppy newborns on a mommy road-trip to Evynne's baby shower." In collective Reed wisdom, her husband - Aaron - came too.

Generally speaking, we didn't spend a lot of time one-on-one in K-12. Our friendship really took off post-college when we both kept finding ourselves single at our mutual friends' weddings. "Why are we still single?" we asked ourselves. In her case, it was a legitimate question. Karissa is the ultimate catch. Also, she's been consistently attractive. I, on the other hand, have made many a questionable fashion choice. Exhibit A: Costa Rica ten years after the fifth grade trip with a study abroad friend.

Michelle seen here looking fabulous. Paige seen here wearing an Alaskan tourism shirt Evynne bought for her back in middle school.

My life has always been, and continues to be, a different flavor of hot mess. Karissa, on the other hand,  has always been good at life. She makes good decisions whether it be career, love, fashion, decor, etc. Which brings me to my favorite thing about her: Karissa has been simultaneously above my inward or outward drama, while never making me feel like a disaster. 

I think my most recent visit to her house illustrates this beautifully. Karissa is gearing-up for her seventh round of chemo with three kids at home and a husband who just returned from a business trip to Heidelberg. She's packing lunches, coordinating caregivers, making brilliant April fools jokes, etc. I blow in with three bags hanging off me, make her stay up too late, don't even strip the sheets, and manage to leave my eye mask and charger at her house. I'm still a disaster, even at the time when I should be especially on my game, and she continues to keep me around. You will never meet a more faithful friend than Karissa. 

She is also a faithful sister, sister-in-law, colleague, aunt, wife, daughter and mother. She's been a bridesmaid in more weddings than anyone else I know. Needless to say, she's got a lot of people who want to hang with her. Also, she's got lame chemo side effects. In all this, she carved out a couple days for me to spend time with her and two of our oldest friends at the Gorge. And it was magical...

Kristen, Karissa, Evynne, and moi

Happy Birthday Karissa! I am so grateful for your friendship.