Andy,

I do not know where to begin…I am sorry it took me a minute to write this, the hurt is unbearable…

An unexpected loss that I am still trying to understand.

Today, I can not say good bye to you, for I know that I will see you again. You have touched my life in every positive way possible and I am most blessed for knowing you and having you in my life.
When I think about the small adventures we did share, I can not help but grin cheek to cheek.

When I first met you, you had such a glow about you. Your free spirit, easy conversation and that amazing smile turned any frown, upside down.

I remember when I was huge and pregnant; you would tease me with your quirky remarks, yet never have you made me feel uncomfortable. When you felt Kiaya kick for the first time, your face lit up like a thousand stars, turned so red; the smile on your face was priceless. You said you have never felt a baby kick before, and it felt like an alien. Needless to say, I think it was the last time you have attempted that.

I remember when you and Casey nearly gave me a heart attack off-roading by your mom’s house at 4 in the morning(sorry mom), I was in the middle of you two, telling my self “he knows what he is doing; he knows what he is doing”. It was so fun, my cheeks hurt the next day from smiling so much.

When you moved away to follow your passions, I truly thought we would lose touch. I can not express how thankful I am that we did not. Our endless conversations, heartfelt laughs assured me that we will be old and grey, “Remembering the good ole days” for many years to come. We did have that, the last time we saw one another. I just did not think it would actually be the last time….

Remember when you came over and Kiaya was sooo fascinated by your flip flops we had to get her a pair that very next day? Since then, she always called you “Flip-Flop Andy”.

I remember the night you came by and we made silly tea and giggled like little school girls for hours.

The last time we hung out was at mom’s and Kyle’s house. We had dinner with your brother and his girlfriend, talking about how adult we are, drinking wine, and hanging out on a Friday night at home. Then the same adults put on silly red and blue 3D glasses and watched “Journey to the Center of the Earth”…

That was the beauty of you Andy; you enjoyed every minute of what life has given you and no matter what you did, you always smiled.

I can go on writing to you for days. There is so much I wish I could say to you. You have captured my heart as well as hearts of many with your amazing soul, thirst for life and the spirit that will remain in our lives, watching over, making sure we do not fault. Feel free to give me a swift kick if you see me out of line.

I will forever love you dearly.

Yulia.

To Mom, Kyle, Casey and Randy; I love you guys. Even though I can not be there to offer you my strength, my heart is with you.
Call me anytime.