Some Friends are Family

My house and heart were full this weekend. Corey, Gwen and Alex came to visit. There was good food, good company, and good conversation. We made another deposit in what has turned out to be a lifelong relationship.

Corey and I met in 1991, or there abouts, when she befriended a shy, heavyset girl who’d just moved to Atlanta. And even though I’ve moved three or four more times since then, our loyalty to one another remained. We grew up and made families and brought them into the fold. To say these people are friends seems entirely inadequate.  They are the family we choose.

Here we are in 2005, pre-Jackson.

And yesterday…

I’m sure I could scrounge up a picture or two from the early 90s, but I’m not that cruel.

 

The Last Day

When I told Jeremy and Alex that this was their last day together, they both moaned with disappointment.

It went by too fast!

Can’t he just stay one more night?

I’m gonna stay all year!

It’s been a very good week (despite a few hiccups) and I know we’ve once again made a strong deposit in the growing friendship between these two young boys. When I look at my friendship with Corey, Alex’s mother, and I think about its inception in 1992, I am overcome with gratitude that the feisty redhead took a chance on a shy, chubby newcomer to the Second Baptist Church youth group. Those early years of friendship expanded exponentially into a lifelong relationship, despite geographical distance, that serves as a safe place for comfort, advice, and laughter. (Heavy emphasis on the comfort and advice parts.)

And now we have these two boys who are the same age and love being together. How perfect would it be for us to watch them grow up and grow into their own friendship as adults! That’s why we keep doing crazy weeks like this, why we travel to Atlanta every so often to visit, and why we impress upon our young men the importance of building solid friendships.

This photo was taken yesterday at lunch. Goofy as ever.

No time to blog!

I’m too busy this week wrangling three boys and a four-month-old puppy to spend five seconds on the internet. (For the record, the puppy is harder to manage than the three boys combined. The cat is by far my favorite today.) Sincerest apologies to my Words with Friends opponents. I will get to all of you later tonight.

Corey, Gwen, and Alex arrived yesterday and the house went into complete chaos because the dog lost his mind and the boys were overjoyed to see each other. The noise was unreal. BUT, once the sun set, all boys calmed down – including Major – and the three adults were able to enjoy uninterrupted conversation. It was fantastic. I love this family. There is nothing like having your oldest, dearest friend in the same room even if it’s just for a few hours.

Corey and Gwen ran off to the mountains today and will head home to Atlanta this evening, leaving Alex to spend his spring break with us. It’s a very special treat for Jeremy to spend this much time with a long-distance friend, so there’s been non-stop action among the boys since yesterday afternoon. It is additionally difficult for them to stop chatting long enough to fall asleep. Benadryl, anyone?

Hot-Lanta

The only problem with having plans every weekend in December is that they cause the month to go by too quickly.

We spent this weekend in Atlanta with my bestie and her family. I came home with more than 300 photos on my camera, which is insane on my part. After dedicating some storage space to engagement photos (see one example at the end), I blew the rest on Chato and the three boys. We took them to Legoland and then the Varsity for heart-stopping greasy food.

Miniature Atlanta: 

Miniature Falcons game:

Chuck liked Legoland, too! 

New Legos for two sweaty, happy boys: 

Post-Legoland:

The Varsity for lunch:

With hats:

The Amazing Chato:

The old men nap:

I rarely take staged photos of anyone but my kiddos, so this was a real treat. This engagement shot is one of my favorites:
On our way back home from Atlanta yesterday we stopped at our favorite Christmas tree farm to chop down a tree. The thing is huge, and by huge I mean that I can’t reach the top of the tree even with a six-foot ladder. But more on that tomorrow. Right now there’s an episode of Homeland on the DVR and a treadmill waiting for me.

Weekend Visitors

Corey and Alex drove up from Atlanta for the weekend so the boys could play and the adults could relax. We spent Saturday afternoon at the campground to swim and participate in some of the extended July 4th celebrations.

It was SO HOT but at least we suffered in good company.

I am officially done with summer. Pretty please, Mother Earth, make autumn come early.

Another boy in the house

For the first part of our spring break we invited Alex from Atlanta to spend a few days with us. (Ethan from Chattanooga will be here for the second half.) And while they’ve had their fair share of Xbox time, they’ve also spent plenty of time outside in the sun.

They originally took their arsenal of Nerf guns outside to defend the house but were obviously distracted by the family of bugs living in the puddle of water on the slide.

Then they got out the water hose.

And little brother took them down.

As the only girl in the house, I am entirely outnumbered.

Twenty Years

Over the weekend we made another quick trip to Chattanooga to meet up with Corey and Alex, whom we haven’t seen in months. They drove up from Atlanta and we met for the afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch on Signal Mountain.

Corey and I have been friends for nearly 20 years, and it’s a blessing to us that our boys like each other. Despite the time and distance apart, Jeremy and Alex always play like they’re best friends. They must get that from their mothers.

More under the cut…

Corey and Alex

My friendship with Corey dates back to 1991. We were barely teenagers and completely ridiculous. My family had just moved from Germany to Atlanta, a city Corey has always called home, and she was instantly my best friend. And though I lived in Atlanta only three years, we kept our friendship going regardless of where I moved. Jeremy and her son, Alex, are just months apart and have played fabulously together since they met.

Such was the case this weekend. Alex and Jeremy haven’t seen each other in two years, but you really wouldn’t know it. It’s as if no time has passed. I guess they get that from their mothers.

I thought about posting a photo from 9th grade alongside this one, but that would be cruel.

Another reposted photo from yesterday – a quick run in a Cades Cove field.

We wanted to see how long he’d stand there surrounded by water. He lasted about 30 seconds.

All boys must skip rocks upon seeing water.

This picture is worth reposting from yesterday. Amazing!

This is the photo you get when you hang your camera out of the back window.

This was the only clear shot I managed from inside a moving car.

All guns are play guns. And Salem is alive.

From the below the deck, I’m held at gun point.

Alex brought with him an arsenal of Nerf guns. The backyard became a battleground.

Since the weather was beautiful, the boys played mostly outside. Corey and I ran around town on Saturday looking for living room furniture and we had great success. (Never in my life did I think I’d have an orange couch, but… Pictures to come.) For dinner we brought Corey and Alex along with us to our Welcome to Tennessee party with all of the aunts, uncles and cousins. It was a night of real southern food with the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like you’ve indeed come home. My list of babysitters is growing by the day.

Sunday was spent in the mountains and it couldn’t have been more beautiful. I wanted to pitch my tent and sleep next to the rushing water. I can see the mountains from my back deck and can be running around in them within a half hour. That is some good geography.

Sprinkled within the weekend were moments of wide awareness regarding Japan. Every few hours we’d check online to learn the country’s status. Yesterday I read the headline “Tidal Wave of Bodies…” and my stomach sank. I simply cannot imagine. Last night I laid awake thinking about how much I enjoyed the weekend and how my blessings need to be passed on to others. I’ve never felt comfortable with the “text your donation to such-and-such number,” and you never know about other quick-start charity organizations, but this article helped me a great deal in figuring out where to send money. It looks like the American Red Cross is the best place to start.