sent. loved. celebrated.

i got some yummy spanish tapas with my three best friends for the past 8+ years. i told them at dinner the each had to just fill us in on everything happening in their lives so we were there for over 2 hours. 3 of us will still live in VA and one will be in Spain. But we get each other and want the VERY best for each other. it's wonderful to have people who want the absolute best. They want me happy and healthy. And that is exactly what i want for them. im not sure i would make it without them. so very thankful. here we are from different events the past 8 years.

one year ago for you!

such a fun night celebrating you last summer!

the past few days have been great. some of that i expected and some of it came to me as a surprise. i dabbled a bit in teaching a few swim lessons, babysitting, and lots of driving, with more to come.

I got to have breakfast with the fabulous Mrs. Defnall. She is celebrating one year with her sweet husband. Thanks for sharing about marriage and life with me. I loved being a part of your wedding day. A year ago today we were practicing for the real deal the next day and setting up the reception and trying to sleep that night :) i felt lucky to be able to be with you thinking about it a year out! you are a wife! and a great one!

I drove to up to my new home for a quick visit to get things settled and had complained to josh about how i didn't want to drive 4 hours in the car in one day. well it was great and just what i needed. i listened to a sermon on john 1, prayed, confessed my fears about moving, shared with Jesus what I was ready for and excited about. and then my time there was so good. I feel so wanted in the community. i feel SENT by God to be there. and the way home i talked to a few gradivas who were so encouraging. on thursday i talked to 4 of my favorite people and in 3 of those conversations we cried. to me it means we share in the REAL parts of life. the good joy filled cries, the i don't understand what's going on cry, the this really hurts me cry because you my friend are hurting.... josh says i am spoiled with good relationships. it is true. if you read and we are friends, thank you for caring and loving me and asking real questions and crying with me, and praying with and for me and sharing funny events with me. i then got to have a really good dinner with my dad and alina and we talked about my mom and it was exactly what i needed. and i cried some more, but it was a good cry and a cry where my dad put his arms around me and we had a moment of really understanding each other. i was telling kelly (who i miss- GET BACK HOME) that this event in my life that brings me so much anger and pain, is ultimately what has brought me as close to Jesus as ever. It's like a paradox- the thing I get most angry and mad about, is what has brought God glory and has changed me. I live differently in light of my mom and her life and her death. The best compliment someone can give me is that I remind them of her. Oh, my heart swells thinking I am anything like her!