Over the weekend I spent some time at our best friend’s home for their granddaughter’s birthday. They live on a family compound in a tiny northeast Oklahoma town not far from me. Their property is beautiful. Filled with bridges crossing streams, trees everywhere, a giant vegetable garden, and fun and games all around. We spent many game nights there with our friends cooking outside, playing cards, silly games and ziplining.

Joe loved to zipline.

He never got super excited when monthly game night would roll around, unless it was going to be at Junior & Trina’s. He just loved being there.

Katrina’s father had a special bond with Joe. Their brains were constantly engineering new ways to make things work, I think they connected on a different level. Darrell built many “rides” for all of the grands and great grands to play on, and Joe would get so stoked when he would find something that could be added to “Darrell Land”. He couldn’t wait to take it to him and figure out how to incorporate it.

I’ve mentioned before that my Joe was the guy to call whenever you needed help with something. He spent many hours on this property helping clean up after storms damaged trees and bridges. He had such a servant’s heart.

This family means the world to me. Darrell surprised me with a bench he built to honor my sweet husband. It stands across the pond from a beautiful cross he erected years ago.

I left a little of Joe there over the weekend. It was a place he loved to be, with people he loved to be with. There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.