"Snowed in" today. This morning I made a pot of coffee and ate some delicious yogurt and granola, which I topped with some slices of banana. It was delightful. I sat in my pajamas and watched a bit of a movie with my cousins in the family room. I facebooked.

I was a bit sad that my childhood 'neighborhood' was so quiet. By 9:30a on a snow day, you could usually hear shouting and laughing outside my window. There was none.

Eventually though, I dressed up and decided to go meet Tiffany at the Walkers. The extent of my 'snow adventure' was across the back yard. Then the boots and jacket came back off. I cuddled in with the rest on the Walkers' couch. Then convinved Ty to wander to Rob & Aime's with me.

This is what I wanted to write about. :)

After a little while of sitting in their sweet home, Aunt Sue & Uncle Dean came in. Aunt Sue went immediately to Ty and began to fill him up with sweet words and hugs- and Uncle Dean to Aime. Then Aunt Sue went to Aime and did the same. So much encouragement. Robert then exclaimed that he'd found his 'original list' earlier that morning- and everyone decided he should read it to us. Rob ran and got it and told everyone to sit down. As he started, he added "Listen to this, it's Aime, you will all agree." He then proceeded to read down his hand written list, scrawled about two years ago onto a sheet of notebook paper. Everything he could dream of in a wife. And it was Aime, to a 't'.



After more chatting, Aime pulled out some baked oatmeal from the oven, and Rob, Aime, Ty and I sat around the breakfast table to share it (Aunt Sue and Uncle Dean had to run). I just sat there thinking how incredible these people I get to share life with are. I'm tearing up again just writing this. Who gets to have this quality of friendships at the age of 23? I have argued and fought with these people, I have hurt them and been hurt by them, I have forgiven and been forgiven by them, I've listened to them, and watched them change, I've been heard by them not just by the words that come out of my mouth but by the things that rest in my heart. These people know me. They can tease me, and I them. They love me, and I them. They knew me through bad haircuts and bad attitudes. Braces and broken bones. They've seen me sick. They've seen me angry. They've seen me completely broken.




I know Jeff & Elise weren't there this morning, but I always include them in my 'neighborhood.' They belong there, and everything I've said of those above ring true to them.

Sometimes, like this morning, I walk away wishing I were married, just so that one more person could know these people the way I know them, and know us and be a part of us. I'm so incredibly excited for that man to come along and be blessed by the relationships that await him- and for these people who I love so deeply to be blessed by him, and who I know he will be. In a sense, I think he'll be the greatest gift I'll be able to give them all, and how I love to give them gifts!

Sorry if this hurts anyone, I don't mean for it to at all, but I can't hold in how grateful I am for my friendships. And they extend so far out from just this group- this is just one circle of whom I can't ever get over, the fact that I even have them in my life. We don't even see each other often, or talk often.... but whenever I see their faces, something in my heart lights up and feels at home in a very special way. They are wise and faithful and fun, all of them. I am 23 years old- and I already benefit from friendships as old as I am... and in some ways, much older than that. Thank you mom and dad, for giving me an inheritance of your friendships with Aunt Sue & Uncle Dean and Uncle John & Aunt Ivy. I'm a blessed young woman.

Yep, this sort of just became a little photo book for me. Once I started, I had a hard time stopping. Lucky for you, I used all film through high school, and didn't get around to scanning in our hundreds of photos from then. :)