friends

With Allecia moving, we've had more get togethers in the last few days than normal. It's been busy, but great fun.

Friday night was girls' night out with all of my best friends. It was the most fun I've had in a long time. We went out to dinner and then sat outside at the outdoor shopping center where we ate and talked for hours. We haven't gotten together like that in a long, long time. No kids to try and feed or entertain....no one to worry about but ourselves....it felt strangely, wonderfully freeing. And we couldn't believe it when we looked at our watches and it was 10:00!

So here we all are....Sara, Amanda, and Christa on the top row, and Allecia and me sitting down. Such good friends!

Saturday was Founder's Day in the community where both Allecia and Amanda live. Amanda invited us to come because they could bring guests. So we went and swam and ate dinner at their community pool. Last time R and I went she didn't want to have anything to do with the water. This time she loved it. Here she is splashing with her friends, Kaden, Jada, and Jillian (Jada and Jillian are Amanda's girls). Jada was born the week between Kaden and R, so they're all very close in age.

Then this morning R and I went to the church that our church planted about a year and a half ago--that's where Allecia and Amanda now go with their families, and they were doing a send off for Allecia and family, since this was their last Sunday in church. R was so excited to find out that she was going to Kaden and Jada's church to play today!

After church there was a potluck and the kids loved running around the lockers (they meet in a high school) and playing after lunch. Here they are taking a brief break: R, Kaden, Leah (Sara's daughter), Jillian, and Jada.

So it's been a fun, friend-filled few days. I don't want them to end....

And just because I think it's funny, here's a picture of you know who this morning. She was still in her PJs, but worked so hard to put her shoes on all by herself. I didn't have the heart to tell her they were on the wrong feet, because she was so proud of herself! And she thinks that half of this shape sorter toy is a bike helmet, so she puts it on and gets on her bike to ride around the house. What an imagination!