Moving days....happy days!

Today one of my best friends from college moved to within 15 minutes of my house and within 7 minutes of my office. I could not be happier. Honestly, I am ecstatic. I am overjoyed. They have 3.9 little boys (#4 (also a boy) is due in 4 weeks) and they are the sweetest, kindest, most loving family. She is the most relaxed mama - never stressed, rarely angry, such an amazing woman. She was my first married friend back when we were so young, so innocent. She started out life after college getting married and moving to Germany to fly Black Hawk helicopters in the Army. Umm right - she's WAY tougher than I am.

Sweet, beautiful friend!

Upon returning to the US (pregnant with #1 who needed surgery), she lived in VA near our other friend and then moved to NC, close to my best childhood friend. I was able to see her intermittently and then they moved to western VA, far away from many friends. I only saw her once in the past couple of years and didn't see her boys much at all. I was so sad! :( When news came that her Army hubby might just end up at MIT, I nearly burst with excitement but tried not to get my hopes up.
The day she texted me "We're heading your way!" I could not stop smiling. When they started looking at houses, I hoped it would be within an hour of me. The day she asked me to look at a house 7 minutes from my office, I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement! Today I could not contain my pure joy.
I stopped at their home tonight to drop off a banana bread and my wonderful 36 week pregnant friend, said "Stay for dinner." I had no intentions of staying for dinner, only saying hi to all and coming back when they were more settled. I stayed for 3 hours. My friend is so calm for someone who has been in her new home less than 9 hours, for someone who is delivering her fourth boy in 4 weeks, for someone who just moved to a foreign state. Her boys are excited beyond belief and honestly so was I. I couldn't stop telling them about the things we could do here, the beach, ice creams shops, the drive-in, the fairs, the train, the Aquarium, etc etc!
She said to me tonight, "I still can't believe it's real.....like I can see you whenever I want." How true!! It feels like I have to squeeze in every moment with her this weekend until I can see her again. I don't!! I can soak up every minute of the next 2 years with her.....and I am content.

Babies and Birthdays

I spent a most wonderful, whirlwind weekend in VT for Miss M's birthday. You know those friends? The ones who seem like they have been friends forever (and at this point they have been friends for almost half my life which is close to forever!). My friend was dating her (now) husband when she walked into my life on the first day of freshman year of college so I have known him almost as long as her. J and I hit it off from the first minute - complete opposites - she was petite, where I was a giant....I was chatty and she was thoughtful. We spent more time in each other's rooms that year than our roommates did. I was far from home, so her parents invited me for Easter and made me feel like one of their children.

Through those 4 years, our friendship was a comforting constant. We studied, partied, talked, bonded, loved and supported each other. As she and her (now) husband dated and broke up, I listened. As I struggled with my mom's illness, she listened. We laughed together, made friends together and ate many, many Pub cookies and Dana Dining Hall meals together. Although we did our own things too, we never let our friendship go.

After college, she went back to VT and I to MA and it was hard. Roadtrips ensued, parties happened and their wedding was celebrated! Since then, we've traveled to FL to visit other friends, we've watched the Red Sox and 4th of July fireworks in Boston and cried together over many pitfalls of life. We supported each other through (similar) grad school programs and 30th birthdays.

Last May, life brought them an adorable bundle of love and joy in the form of the amazing Miss M! They were married for 8 years before having a baby so seeing them as parents is almost sweeter for me. I know them so well as a couple that it's like meeting them again to see them as parents!

Miss M's 1st birthday was celebrated this weekend with love and family and lots of laughter! It's always too short when I get to VT but always like coming home.....like seeing family again. It's never awkward....always a feeling of love and comfort, understanding and pure friendship.

I love my friends and their families.

Moments in time....

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything on this blog!!!! I looked tonight and realized that 2 long years have passed!! It makes me sad to have missed out on this much of my life because I really enjoy looking back through my archives at the moments in time.
So, I resolve to get back to blogging just for me....so that I may remember my life as I get older.
Tomorrow I leave for VT to see a sweet baby celebrate her first birthday! A darling girl who I have met but once since her birth and who I cannot wait to cuddle again!
I have made cute bow-bows for her and have my camera charged up for multiple photo sessions. My car holds 2 bottles of wine for her mama and I - the kind she can't find in VT that is a bargain in MA ($8/bottle!!).
I can't wait. Moments in time start again here.