My Other Family

There are a very small handful of people from high school that I ended up staying friends with. I mean legitimate friends, not just like we see each other's pictures on Facebook. One of them I married. Another one, who I might have never guessed would still be my friend 10+ years later (much less that we'd be as close as we are), is Andrew. We met in photography class senior year. I'd say we were friends pretty much instantly. We didn't hang out all the time or anything like that, we just got along really really well. After high school we stayed in touch and when we did get together to hang out it was immediately like old times. We always laughed with and at each other, got each other's sense of humor, shared lots of world views, and always had fun together. I don't even know how we stayed close because it has been one of the easiest friendships I've ever had. I'd actually call it effortless. The best friendships are, I think.

One day he brought this girl home from college and she was just as easy to get along with as he was. My friendship with her has been exactly like my friendship with him- simple and effortless, with lots and lots of laughing. What else could you really want in a friend? They rule.

I think like a year and a half ago (?) they moved to Texas. I wasn't happy with them for that, but I am pleased to say that we've stayed friends just the same. Thanks to blogs and Facebook, we keep up with each other pretty well. I was super excited when I found out they were visiting this month and I think we definitely made the most out of their two-week stay. I only regret that I didn't take any pictures of us, just of the kids. Guess I'll have to do better next time!

Our visits went something like this...

We had our first play date at my SIL Jenna's house. Us girls drank coffee and gabbed while our tater-tots chased each other around laughing and squealing. I realized just how amazing my life will become one day when I have an older child to amuse the toddler-aged child. Laura's oldest, Lucy (almost 5) and C (almost...t-t-two!?) just loved each other :)  Then we went out in pouring rain to eat lunch. I'm sure any onlookers thought we were sister-wives: three twenty-something girls with a total of 5 children under the age of 5, two of them less than 1 year old, haha. So much fun though!

Then I went up to Andrew's parents' house last week to hang out with Laura and the girls for the morning. Once again, the girls ran around and played and we got to talk about church, babies, homeschooling, politics... pretty much everything important. Andrew had been out for the morning but came back around lunch time and we all went for cheesesteaks at Frank's (the best food in our little hometown). We put the toddlers at one table and grown-ups + Claire at another, naturally. It was totally fine.. as long as you're not the guy who had to clean up ;)

On Saturday it was the big birthday bash for Molly, and Andrew's nephew, Benjamin. That was a crazy birthday party. There were a ton of kids there, which C loved, and even more adults. We got to see Andrew's parents, and of course his sister who hosted the party. Our friends Calvin & Katherine who we met through Andrew & Laura were also there, as well as Laura's sister and parents. 

 It's totally worth having a brunch-time birthday party so you can have a donut cake.

 C & Molly playing with the dollhouse

 C taking a turn at the pull-string Elmo pinata

 If you read P&B you might know that Molly loves markers, she just loves using them on non-paper surfaces including herself. So hopefully these Crayola Color Wonders will help with that :)

 She was so excited about this dress. How cute is she?

 C having fun with Andrew's dad, Mr. Paul

After the birthday party we went home for nap time, and then my mom came over to stay with C while we went out for dinner and craziness with Andrew, Laura, Calvin & Katherine. Somehow I managed not to take any pictures of us big kids together which makes me kind of sad. But we'll just say that what happened on Saturday stayed on Saturday... and may have involved Sangriaritas.

They head back to Texas on Wednesday and thus begins our looking forward to the next time we get to hang out. Since we don't have an official summer vacation planned for this year, I'm thinking at some point over the summer maybe C and I will fly down for a little TX getaway. That's really about as long as I can stand to be away from those crazy kids anyway ;)