friendly blessings

I really should get to bed, but it struck me as I was walking in the door tonight how blessed I am to have the friends that I do.  This week has made this abundantly clear to me.  I know I posted this painting before, but it seemed appropriate to whip it out tonight.  I did it for my girlfriend Lisa for her birthday, it is my spin on the Claddaugh symbol for friendship. Which is appropriate for my post this evening or morning depending on how you spin it!

It began on Friday when Ryan and I went out with our friends the Hazelriggs, I've mentioned them before, but we went for a belated birthday dinner for me (Annakah continues!).  But before I get away from my point, I am so blessed to have our cousins Mike and Kim Wert so close to us - in both proximity and relationally.  They watched our kids so we could go out to dinner and have a bit of time with our other friends.  See they are our cousins, but we enjoy them so much that they are our friends as well.  I mean just because you are related doesn't mean you are going to like someone.  We are blessed because we do like them, dare I say love. Our evening out was wonderful - laughing and reminiscing.  So fun to be with people we enjoy and in turn enjoy each other.  At the risk of being repetitive it is so nice to have another couple that we love to spend time with.  I couldn't have chosen two more fun people to spend the evening with.

Sunday I got a rare chance to spend time with my brother and hang out and watch football and eat snacks.  It was so nice to just be Annie with Steve.  While I LOVE when our families get together - there is something so comforting to just hang out with my brother, almost like we're kids back at our house in Schererville - I half expect my mom to come out of the kitchen with a Totino's pizza or treat for El Amigo, its just comforting is all.  

Monday I was able to have Brooke over for dinner and then on to yoga.  Brooke and I have been friends since I worked at HNTB back in 2000.  Although over the years we don't see each other as much as we once used to, in the last six months we've gotten this yoga thing going on and it is WONDERFUL!  First off, I enjoy having her over for dinner to catch up and visit, but then to share this fantastic, peaceful workout and meditation.  It is truly a great experience.  I think we both enjoy it so much, which is so fun to have something like that to share.  Monday was an impromptu visit by Leslie and her daughter to drop off my images from the previous week.  She dropped by and I insisted on them staying for lunch.  Growing up, I always admired my Yia yia.  She was one of those people that you would come to her home and weren't sure if you wanted to leave.  It just was so comfortable, she could feed an army at a moments notice and the house was never short on love, coffee and great conversation.  This is the home I strive to have.  So it was nice to convince Leslie to stay and visit and eat and let the kids play.  

On Tuesday I met up with Leslie again, but this time we met at Cafe' Patachou and had breakfast with Sally.  A fantastically hilarious and animated lady I knew from MOPS a few years ago - we clicked, and like a lot things lost touch.  Well this small world of ours brought Sally back into my life because Leslie and her are friends.  One of the things I love about Sally is her volume - she's like me, its loud or your asleep, not much middle ground.  We had a great breakfast and some fun catching up.  

Today is Wednesday, I've gotten some great catch up emails from one of my busiest friends Betsy.  You've seen her work here, you know who I am talking about.  We go back years, I was blessed to have met her through her late husband Drew, one of my good friends from college. After he passed, it was hard, but I have been lucky enough to be able to see her marry a phenominal man and have a darling boy.  Although we don't talk as often, I know she's just an email away and we can cover something saucey to something silly in a moments notice. I have been grateful for her little snippets that keep me updated with her and her life.    Today I also had some fun with "Thelma" of my "Thelma and Louise" friendship with Meg.  As Ryan says we're not driving over the cliff, we're driving our husbands over the cliff with our shopping.  Eh, its just money, right?  But I digress, we needed to do some emergency Christmas shopping that involved the dreaded TOYS R' US.  This is someplace you should never go alone with children. We both had our agenda, so we divided and conquered as necessary and was quite successful at pulling the wool over our children's eyes, all the while getting what we needed done.  There are not many I could do this with and it is one of the reasons I love her so.  I then got the opportunity to go to dinner with my girlfriend Jen, who I haven't seen in a while and catch up. It has been months.  I enjoy Jen so much, there is never silence, but no competition - I love talking with her about everything from diapers to discipline to relatives and children - there are no boundaries and it has been so comfortable from day one.  I am so grateful for having met her and being able to foster this great relationship. 

Tomorrow, I help in Jon's class, I am hoping the afternoon will provide me with some time to call both Lisa and Griff.  They are two of my oldest and best friends and I cherish them so!  I missed Lisa's call today and it has been WAY too long.  Griff has been a hardworking machine and I just know there is much for us to catch up on. I miss these girls more than I can explain.  I look forward to our lunches and dinners as they come.

Finally I look forward to Friday, spending it with my very best friend Ryan.  Sure he's my husband, and everyone says their significant other is their best friend, but he truly is.  If you don't know our story, here is the cliff notes version - we were best friends for 4.5 years before we dated.  It really wasn't an option to date or an opportunity to date until that last semester of our last year at school.  I am so blessed to have him as my husband and my friend.  There is little in this world that I cherish more than time with him.  Friday will be good.

So you see, I am so very blessed and this is all in ONE week.  I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on all that has happened in such a short time and how utterly humbled and grateful I am for the people in my life.  Thank you to all of you, I love you!