Here's to Good Friends

This past weekend, 2 of my very best girlfriends, from OH and IN, came to visit. They moved away last year after their "students" graduated. It was so special that they made the trip down. They were in my hospital room within a couple of hours after Josiah was born and would have been right there for Alayna had it not been for 5-10 hours of travel time....but just that they chose to spend their Memorial Day Weekend with me and my kids was so special.

We didn't do too much....we had a lot of catching up to do. So we spent a good portion of the weekend inside, just chit chatting (and a lot of laughing). I can't express how much I appreciated the extra two sets of hands. Since Randy spent the whole weekend helping our dear Cowles family prep their house in order for a quick sale, Carrie and Charla helped snuggle Alayna, change diapers, and dress Josiah...all so that I could take a shower or a quick nap. :-)

If you've been keeping track of my posts, you've read about the tears associated with Sara and Gina moving to begin their new life in FL and CA, respectively. Carrie and Charla are two more friends that I deeply miss. When we get together, it's like no time has passed since our last crazy conversation. I don't think that I laugh nearly as much as when we're all together....and that's priceless, it's so therapeutic. And it saddens me even more that we're moving so far away. Between me, Carrie, Charla, Gina and Sara, we've got the East Coast, West Coast, midwest, and Deep South (as south as you can go in TX without crossing into Mexico) covered....can we be any further apart? Thank goodness for Skype....you hear that, girls?

Oh, and Carrie also took some pictures of the kids. It was finally warm enough to put Alayna in her first dress, compliments of MaGa (this is what Josiah is calling my mom instead of Grandma).

My little girl (3 weeks old)

My little man (21 months old)

My boys


The Girls

(please excuse all of my baby fat--I obviously still have a ways to go to reach pre-baby weight)

This is one of my favorite moments that Carrie was able to capture. And to think that Randy didn't want a girl.....I think his heart has changed. What do you think? :-)

Underlying lesson of this post: surround yourself with good friends and savor the time spent with them.