Farewell to the Smith's

The Smith's are moving :(. They moved to NYC two years ago and were our friends from the very beginning. Amanda was always so out going and fun. We became friends because she came up to me after church one day and said "You're cute. Let's be friends." Who could turn down such a request? Not me!

We had so much fun together and they were such great friends to us. It truely was a privilege to have them as a part of our lives and for us to call them friends.

Their friend Lauren asked their friends to write down some memories for the Smiths to take with them to San Francisco, so I wrote them a poem:

No one can compare to Tommy and Amanda Smith,

they are something of a myth.

They never seem to have a bad day;

because whenever you see them they are always ready to play.

Always serving and making others feel happy and elite,

either with a meal, bouquet, or some other sweet treat.

They always go above and beyond the call of duty,

Just ask Amanda about her first baby shower—it was a thing of beauty.

They came into our lives with little warning,

but now that they are leaving we are in a state of mourning.

We had a nice thing going with Pat and Tommy always planning our dates,

they took on that role well and became really good mates.

Tommy and Amanda were our friends through thick and thin,

Enduring much, all with a helping hand and a grin.

First, they woke up at the crack of dawn,

to watch a parade (which Pat almost missed when he went to “The John”).

Next, they waited eight long hours waiting for a ball to drop in Times Square,

enduring thirst, fatigue, and a wounded eye, all without a glare.

I am glad they knew us when we were “young” and fun,

because once we became “with child,”

our lives quickly went from exciting to very, very mild.

However, despite the sudden decline of adventure in the Koelling household,

the Smiths friendship remained strong, being worth more than gold.

On nights when we couldn’t leave our apartment because of a fussy newborn,

The Smiths kept us company and watched “Grimm”, even without popcorn,

Just when we thought the Smith’s could not get any closer,

Amanda watched me learn how to breastfeed — I can’t imagine anything grosser.

These past two years have flown by,

Thinking back on all the good times together makes us sigh.

We sigh because we had the privilege of making such amazing friends,

as well as knowing this is not where it ends.

Although the Big Apple is far from The City on the Bay,

we know nothing can break up this friendship, although they will be far away.

We love and will miss the Smiths more than we can express,

Thank you Smiths for coming into our lives and leaving us better than you found us.

Love,

The Koellings


During their last week here we went to brunch with the Smiths.

We will miss them.