Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. ~Flavia Weed

This post is very important. But I am not sure how to start it. Justin was one of Chris's closest and best friends when we met. He was a large part of the reason we even met eachother. We spent many a double dates with him and partied even more.

One night we doubled with him and his girlfriend Brandy. We drove to the Cities and stopped at the mall for a short time, where he picked up a singles track "Fishin in the Dark" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. We listened to it a few times on our way to the hockey game. I had never been to a hockey game and the guys were bringing us to a NorthStars game (vs the Blackhawks). We didn't win, but we had an amazing time! Of course I didn't know this at the time, but that was the NorthStars last year playing in MN. Justin couldn't really remember where we parked, but Chris has an excellent sense of direction and found both the car and the way home again. Now for those that don't know, at the time we lived approximately 2 hours from the Cities and that makes for a whole lot of "Fishin in the Dark"! But that night was great.

Justin stayed with Brandy for a coulple of years. They had a son together. Justin was so nervous about raising a kid. He wasn't ready and just didn't know what to do. But when Zach came, he was a good Dad.

Justin died in a car accident in 1995, only three very short years after he helped bring Chris and I together. Zach was only 2 and while I did not know Justin nearly as well as Chris and his friends, we lost and miss someone very special to us.

Sweet 16

The year was 1992. I had just turned 16. I just got my first car--Grandpa's 1976 gold Ford LTD with no air conditioning or music. I was ready to go, but I was still grounded, I had to wait. My high school friend Melissa Kiefer had been set up on a blind date at about the same time with Justin Battleson--who went to high school in Alden, MN. They were ready to double date and each had a friend in mind. On May 30th 1992, I probably changed clothes more times than I ever had in a day, trying to find something that would look good on me. I did not know much about this friend of Justin's and I was nervous. Not about what I would think of him, but how would he react to me??!

We had kind of a long drawn out night. We decided to go to a movie in Austin and saw Encino Man. Afterward we played "What do you wanna do? I don know. What do you wanna do?" The four of us drove around for a bit. Stopped at the A&W. We were all too nervous to order anything so we ended up driving around Albert lea for a while. Then of course it was my super early curfew so we had to head back.

Chris had been a good date. We really didn't talk much to each other, but ohh how I was impressed that he had both a job and his own car. That was so totally cool! Oh yeah--he was pretty cute too! We decided to go out on a second date. I was so excited. It was just going to be the two of us and I thought we would get more of a chance to talk and bond with it only being the two of us. Unfortunately, it was one of the quietest nights I have ever had. I went home crying to my Dad and telling him how Chris probably didn't like me, cuz he didn't talk to me. Yup, I was sure it was over. That's it. We are done. I liked his company and for whatever reason he did keep asking me out. We had Godfather's supreme pizza and then went to a movie every weekend. He would drive from Albertlea (Alden actually) to Dexter every weekend to take me out. I loved spending time with him. He was very thoughtful and curtious and fun.