Thank you, God, for Friends!

Summertime has already been very busy (hence the fewer posts!), and much of our time has been spent with friends or family. Almost every day of June, we were enjoying someone at our house or visiting someone in the family. The fun of having three sisters who are off in the summer, and many friends who we never see often enough, has added up to many busy and full-of-fun days.

I have been reminded on countless occasions this month how blessed I am to have such true and longlasting friendships with those I go to church with, went to college with, or who I've shared a house with my whole life. I often get whiny (sometimes way too whiny!) about life being busy, even when it's full of people and events that I enjoy. I like my 'downtime' and get selfish about that. But, God has been constantly reminding me that the fellowship with others is what it's all about....Just this month, I have had the opportunity to pray together with friends, have conversations about educating our kids, parenting our kids, and having babies. I got to go see Chicago the musical, hang out at the lake for a weekend, swim, shop, go to see John Mayer in concert, and spend days hanging out at all the local "kid places"....all with good friends. I've also been able to laugh, cry, be excited, be sad, be hopeful, be encouraged....all with good friends.

What I love most of all, though, is watching my children begin to have true friendships they enjoy and can't get their fill of. Kendyll has been planning a "butterfly party" every day since school was out, as an excuse to have every friend she knows over to her house. There is no birthday, no reason to celebrate, other than "to have all her friends she has ever had over at her house". As we made the invitation list, we realized how many that really was! And, we talked about how lucky she is to be able to play with and love so many sweet boys and girls. Since this is her last summer before "real" school, we know her friendships will change. But, we sure hope that the ones she has now only get stronger as time goes on.

Carlie is also starting to enjoy her friends too. I say "starting to" because Carlie was not a natural born "socialite" like her older sister. In fact, she has always preferred to speak to noone, play with noone, and hang out in quiet spots without a lot of kids around. Kendyll has never met a stranger, and she usually knows any child's name on any playground within 2 minutes. Carlie, however, assumes that the child smiling at her from the other swing is NOT her friend and should not BECOME her friend, unless that child proves otherwise. So, now that she's known some of her church friends for two years, she has finally named them "her friends". We celebrate with her that she finally likes someone. :) And, are excited that she finally has a list, even though it's short, of friends she wants to play with---without any parental gentle "forcing" either!

So, thank you, God, for our friends. We have birthday parties, play days, and VBS coming up soon....and even with the busy days and tired kiddos those days create, we look forward to more fun with friends!! Finally, here's some pics of friend time this month....