Friends

Do you ever stop to think about your friends and how much you appreciate them?  The past few days, it has been very evident to me just how very blessed I am in the area of friendship.

I am so blessed to have so many special friends in my life.  I have friends that go way back to the early growing up through high school years. We mostly keep in touch through an occasional email or Facebook chat/message.  I have friends from the college years and working at Bethel years - most of whom still live relatively close by and are seen frequently while others are scattered across the country from Atlanta to the Los Angeles area.  I have been deeply blessed by all of my friends from all different seasons and stages and walks of life.  The past few days have been very special when it comes to my friends and hanging out with these friends has kept me from blogging about my gratitude for them. :)

Thursday morning started off celebrating Angela's (our former roommate) birthday with an interrupted walk/garage sale shopping attempt.  We'll continue to celebrate her birthday together as 'just girls' next week and we'll make sure to hang out when work cannot call her into the office. :)  After garage sale walking, I spent time getting the house ready to receive company for the rest of the weekend and then I was off to Keyboard Kids for the night.  Ross helped pick up the house, too, which was a huge help.

Friday morning, Linnea and her little man arrived.  Linnea was a roommate of mine during my sophomore year at Bethel.  I enjoy reading her blog and hearing about her adventures as a domestic engineer.  It was very fun to meet her 1 year old in person.  Shortly after Linnea arrived, Kristin showed up with almost 8.5 month old Beckett!  Kristin is a very special friend in my life.  She moved to PA with her family and spent her high school years there.  We went to school, church, youth group, piano lessons, proms and more together.  We also went to Bethel together (thank you Lord!) and she was my direct roommate ALL FOUR YEARS!  She's like a sister to me and I was so looking forward to her visit.  Linnea and Kristin and me all lived together during our sophomore year so it was fun to have our boys visit and see them in their different stages.

Kristin and I can talk about anything and everything and not have to explain who 'so and so' is ... it's a true gift and it's fun to walk down memory lane together and talk about what things we will or will not :) share with our kids one day.  It's also fun to process life being a mom, wife, having a career, etc.  Her little guy is so amazing and full of smiles and it was a treasure to get to spend precious time with them Friday and today.  E-man LOVED Beckett and it was fun to see our boys together, too.

Soon we're heading off to another roommate from college, Melissa's wedding reception and then later tonight we're heading out to Wyoming, MN for a BBQ with the group of girls who has adopted me as 'one of the girls'.  We're celebrating Bethany's birthday and getting to hang out at Gina's new house with all of our husbands and kids.  Tomorrow is church and then a baby shower for a friend from Renovation Church.  See what I mean?  I am so very blessed to have all of these amazing people in my life and so many good things to be celebrating.