While in my 20's .....

Two weeks ago I found a little message in my inbox from one of my dearest friends Anne who lives back in Kansas City. She had a invitation for a girls night out. Another dear friend who was the first to leave the bunch was coming back into town for a quick visit .. and I was the only one out of all of them who lived too far away to make it to this girls night out. These girls literally became a light in my life and the dearest friends anyone could have when my girls were little...
when I was in my 20's.

We all hung around together, depended on one another, saved one another (from screaming kids... whatever it was!) and was basically just a light in my life. We taught one another crafts, canning, worked out at the YMCA together .... and took many "let's go to the park" trips.

the last time the four of us were together.... two years ago.

One friend is actually Mike's aunt by marriage ~~ Gerri (bottom left), and we became close. Katie & Gerri's little boy are only 4 months apart, and literally looked like twins when they were little. Inseparable too! They told everyone they were going to marry each other. Gerri's sense of humor & my sense of humor just complements each other. Our youngest girls were only three months apart, and were also bestest friends ever. Even when we get together after not seeing each other after a year, we pick up right where we left off... that is a true friendship.

Another friend, Debbie (the redhead) is just so awesome. If something is bugging her, you can't tell. She smiles through it all. Everything rolls off her back. She decided to paint her house... and gosh darn it! She painted it! By herself! I took a trip with her to Branson to see her parents and their huge mega mansion with a swimming pool inside the house. She taught me canning (well, the ONLY time I canned before this summer, but really, she did all the work). I loved my exercise buddy... but she was the first one out of all of us to fly the coop. To Japan. She's in Virginia now... I keep hoping her husband will get transfers to Texas. That would be AWESOME!

My friend Anne (bottom right) taught me the power of friendship, and service. This girl served EVERYONE! Everyone loved this gal so much. She always had a smile on her face for everyone. Her home was open to anyone and everyone who needed help.. or a friend. One big thing she did for me was when Maddie was a toddler, she would have major separation anxiety about leaving me. Anne would simply say "Amy, bring Maddie over here and let her play for an hour every day". In turn, Maddie screamed and cried so much the first couple of days, but in time, because Anne was so gentle and loving with her, Maddie was able to overcome her fears. Momma always returned.

All of our kids were best friends with each other. Everyone got along so well (most of the time).

We would have girls night out at Anne's house. We would dim the lights, turn on some music (at the time, it was whoever was big on PBS like Charlotte Church or somebody like that), break out the chocolate, and do pedicures or manicures. Some scrapbooked (we were all big into scrapbooking at that time).. and others just lounged around and visited. It was wonderful.

I love my new friends here in Texas, but man do I miss my old friends!

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As I look back then, I remember having conversations w/ them "wow... wonder why those 30 & 40-year olds don't want to do anything w/ us come to Enrichment? Don't they know how FUN it is?!" We literally did everything that was offered.... but we had little kids!
We needed a break!

Then I hit my '30's.

I learned.

Women in their 30's & 40's with tween kids don't have time to play around. We're too busy chauffering our kids to all the activities they need to be at. Even now, when I do have a get together w/ some girlfriends, it's a constant email of "can you do it _____ or _____" and we all email back & forth until we find a date. That's how busy we are nowadays. Now I get it. I totally get why those ladies in their '30's & '40's didn't come! They weren't snobby at all! (not that I thought they were)... they were exhausted. Tired. Busy.

Like I am tonight.