If you've read my blog much at all, you might have picked up on a theme: relationships are incredibly important to me. When I'm not posting pictures of flower arrangements or decoratively arranged food, I am often reflecting on my relationships with people. It's amazing to me how I can be totally rocked by a relationship that's hard, and totally blessed by a relationship that's real. The title of this blog is "Genuine", and it comes from my high value of relating on a deep, genuine level.
Well, I spent this past week in Florida with my two dearest childhood friends, Jen and Julia, and I once again feel deeply the refreshment a good friend can bring to my soul. It was a whirlwind trip, and I arrived home sick and exhausted, yet full of joy.
As I headed out with Jen and her daughter Vivien to visit Julia and her family, I actually had apprehensions about what our time would look like. All growing up, I would spend hours, usually late at night, sharing my heart with these girls as they shared their hearts with me. Our times together were often filled with a ton of laughter, me being thoroughly entertained by the twins' antics, thoughtful conversations about how to relate to people, deep discussions about who God is, and always the question, "So what else?" We've continued to share these things, though much more rarely as our lives have gone in different directions. It's been several years since I've gotten time with them longer than an afternoon, and during those years, they both had babies. So, I wondered if things would be different on this trip.
The answer is, yes, things were different. Things were different and even more sweet. I LOVED getting to watch my dear friends relate to their kids. I loved seeing how the kids have picked up on some of their moms' traits. I loved laughing just as hard as we used to, but this time with (and, I'll admit, often at) the kids. I loved having deep conversations marked by the fact that we have all grown and matured. I loved that even when those deep conversations were interrupted - "Oh my gosh, Cody is eating deodorant"; "Why is Vivien's drool dark blue?...Oh, she ate a crayon"; "The door is shut, and all is silent. The kids must be getting into trouble"; "Could you get me a burp cloth? Katie just projectile vomited again" - we got right back into them. Yes, things were definitely different, but so good.
I took a lot of pictures during the week, and I just can't post them all here. So, here are a few of my favorites.
Vivien loved to hold her cousin Katie. 
Vivien at the beach.
It was such a fun time. I also took a video as the kids played in the bathtub. I don't know who is more entertaining, the kids or their moms...
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