Elizabeth

Warning: another possible tearjerker of a post, but this has been indicative of the emotional roller coasters that I have had this summer.

Pete grew up with Rich as his best friend. Either Pete would usually be at Rich's house or Rich would be at Pete's house. Because of these continuous interactions the boys became close with each other's families. In the Fall Pete does a fantasy football league with his brothers, plus Rich, plus Rich's sisters, brothers in law, nephews, nieces. I lose count, but I know they all keep in touch. I don't think Elizabeth was part of the football league, but she is a niece of Rich's, a daughter of one of Rich's sisters.
I was fortunate to meet Elizabeth on a few occasions if we went home for Christmas or Summer vacation. She even was a nanny in Seattle and came to visit us for a weekend. I remember that weekend, her driving up to our humble abode in her (Seattle) family's BMW. I remember her compassion, her fitting in and insisting that Pete and I go out and she'd take care of Emma; "Wow, we have a real Seahawks nanny babysitting our child!" we'd joke with her. I remember her Abercrombie and Fitch outfit and how she so casually but beautifully wore it. I remember burning breakfast to the point of the fire alarm going off and she came out to the kitchen sleepy eyed but laughing. On Sunday of that weekend she said "the best chocolate chip cookies are made from the Betty Crocker's cookbook" I challenged her to a bake-off as I thought Mrs. Fields' recipe was the best. It was all done in fun. Pete and Emma loved it! And the beginning of the following week I received a small package with a little note "Thank-you for the weekend. I noticed that you like Mary Engelbreit and I thought of you when I saw this frame" It was a small Mary Engelbreit frame for the fridge.
That was seven or so years ago. Since then Pete has talked to her on a few different occasions. She moved back to Georgia, finished up her degree, and began teaching in an inner-city school somewhere outside of Atlanta. I have always thought of Elizabeth as compassionate beyond belief. Focusing on Mission work. Focusing on the children whose lives she could influence with good and God's love.
In the middle of the Summer all of this was taken from us as Elizabeth's life rich with compassion and gentleness ended. As of the end of July her ex-boyfriend was wanted for questioning.
This shook Pete up as a pseudo part of their family and it shook me up not only for her family, for her Mom, but also as a Mom.
Anyways, I wanted to remember Elizabeth by writing out the recipe for her Chocolate Chip Cookies:
R.I.P Elizabeth and know how many lives you touched and how many of those will see you in Heaven because of your caring, compassionate, and gentle life, which really did have a heart to be more like Jesus.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nuts
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375*. Mix sugars, margarine, shortening, egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. About 3 1/2 dozen cookies.