End of an Era

This is probably a post that will be one of my least favorites to write, but my friendship with Chrissie is my longest, deepest and closest friendship that I have.  And we've certainly not had a falling out or anything like that, but our relationship as we know it is definitely going to change.  Chrissie moved to Colorado yesterday.  It had been up in the air that she was...then she didn't know...then she wasn't...then she was....for many months now.  So my initial grieving for myself took place a while ago.  My first thought was almost like a gasping, "What will I do?  I'd send Travis before her."  But as the months have passed, and it's definitely a reality, I've found God has showered me with grace in unexpected friendships, renewed friendships, and overall peace about it for myself.  Chrissie's move certainly doesn't affect me like it does her...but this is MY blog, and I felt it was worth noting.  

I met Chrissie when I didn't have a friend in the world here in Alabama.  She was a thin, friendly, bubbly personality that swept me up from a very lonely place.  I still remember our first meeting, and I never would have imagined we'd have shared some of the most intimate moments that we have.  We've shared some of the greatest laughs, the deepest fears, our biggest regrets, our biggest mistakes, frustrations, joys.  We've literally shared our lives and hearts with each other (now I'm getting emotional) over the past 9 years.  To find a friend like that, even if they move away, is a wonderful thing and something to hold close.  I've told her things I've not and will never share with anyone else.  She was in the room with me during the births of both of my sons.  I don't think you could get any closer than that.  She was there like a solid rock when Sage got sick, and I was at the lowest point in my life. We've watched our children grow up together.  I know that I could ask her anything about anything and get her honest opinion.  I could go on and on here, but I probably wouldn't ever really get it right or say what I want to say.  She came here last week to see us before they left.  She doesn't like it when I talk like our friendship is over, and it isn't.  But I know what moving does.  Because I've moved.  And while I know we will never write each other off, I also know that it will be different.  I hope she and her family find happiness and new adventures out there.  And I also hope that we reconnect when she is in town visiting.  But I hope she will also hold our relationship close and revisit some of our finest moments with a smile and know that she has someone who really, truly loves her.  I know I will.

To think we just started off with Harrison, and I was pregnant with Sage when we met...and now look at the brood!

 Iris

 Jaggar hugging Harrison goodbye.  He was so happy to have a boy to play with.

Catching Up With Caitlyn

This trip to Kentucky, I made a point to see some friends I hadn't seen in a long time. I stopped telling anyone but family when I was coming into town years ago because it just got to be too much to try and see everyone.  So because of that, of course, I lost touch with a lot of people.  And most of that was okay.  I honestly don't have time to be a good friend to MANY, if that makes sense, because a good friend is invested in your life and they into yours.  It's hard to do that in the same state and even more so several states away.  You're welcome for that little nugget.  ANYWAY, facebook has afforded me some reconnections with people I hadn't seen in a long time.  One of them is a girl named Caitlyn that I've known since 6th grade.  Caitlyn and I shared a lot together through middle and high school but we drifted as we got older...but I guess she realized how awesome I was because she really said she missed our friendship.  Made sense to me.  ;)  Anyway, we hadn't seen each other in years...since Sage was a baby, so this trip I texted her that I was in town, and she was SO thrilled to get together.  We just met at a Chick Fil A to let the kids play.  Jaggar and Caitlyn's daughter, Emerson, share the same birthday exactly one year apart.  Emerson is 5.  And Caitlyn also has a baby boy 4 months (not exactly) younger than Bleu.  So, it was nice to catch up with her, too.

Sky Zone with Andrea

Louisville has a lot to do all within minutes of each other, and I wanted to take advantage of not having to drive an hour to get to anywhere worthwhile.  So we also decided to go to a place similar to Air Walk called Sky Zone, and Andrea was off that day, so she came, too.  This was the first time that the older two met Andrea (well, Sage had when she was a baby), and they just LOVED her.  We laughed so hard that we could barely breathe.  Andrea got a kick out of Jaggar, of course, as all people do.

 None of my pics from Sky Zone are very good, but here's what I have.  I actually liked the set up, pricing, and overall organization better at Air Walk, but they still had fun here.

 And they had to wear special shoes here, which no one was fond of.

 Photo bombed!

 When we were leaving there was a random girl sleeping on one of the benches.  I told Andrea to point, and she didn't realize what I was doing until after the fact.  That's years of living with Travis that allowed me to see this opportunity.

 Then we decided to go to GiGi's, the same place Mom and I went the other day, but we got lost.  VERY, very lost.  We had a lot of laughs in the 30 minutes or so out of the way that we were, and we made it there eventually.

 We have not changed a bit.  Her mom said, "You guys are acting EXACTLY the same as you did in high school."  So I said, "What she's saying is, 'We were wise beyond our years THEN.'"

 Little Cupcakes

 Sage just LOVED Andrea.

 Jaggar being Jaggar.  He said that he wanted to get in too.

 After cupcakes, we went to the mall because I had a gift card for Victoria's Secret that I wanted to use.  Andrea's phone had died so she ran to get mine.  This is what she came back with.  She SAYS that Jaggar did that all on his own.

Then we went to a toy store, and she put Bleu Jack on this horse.  Look how big he looks!

 We all had a great time. 

Been So Long

Throughout my teenage years, one of my dearest friends lived just around the corner from me.  I have SO many memories, hysterical ones, with Andrea.  She was one of my bridesmaids in my wedding, too.  I guess because of distance and life, we lost touch over the years, but I never forgot about her.  Semi recently, I found her on facebook and we corresponded and caught up and exchanged numbers.  Since I was in town, I texted her and let her know that I'd love to get together.  She was busy the first weekend (she works 2nd through the week), but I did go after she got off work one evening and took Bleu with me.  

Andrea loves babies and having just gotten married a little over a year ago, she is more than ready for her own.

 SELFIE! 

 A few days later, we met for lunch before she had to go into work.  We would spend the next day, Saturday, together, but that's another post.  It was so nice to catch up with a friend after so long and feel like you JUST saw them.

 Neither one of us were too fond of this picture, but I like the fish in the back.

 Every time that Costner threw her phone, she'd say, "SHOCK PROOF!" because it's one of those shock proof, water proof, LIFE PROOF cases.

 Outside we decided to make our own picture.

 Baby was tired and cranky through a lot of the meal.  They brought some crackers for him, which Costner, Andrea and I all ended up wearing.

 See the crackers all over his outfit?  I barely ate during lunch because I laughed so hard at Andrea, just like always.