Family of Friends

Family: it has always been a prevalent force in my life. I realized at a young age what traditions were held dear to my family, what could easily be overlooked, and what I wish we spent more time with. Growing up there were two major holidays that defined my family, Christmas and Fourth of July. With those two days of the year my maternal family would gather together, eat good food, give each other trouble, and not see each other for another 6 months. My paternal family is small, as my dad is an only child and we would see that family for holidays and birthdays on regular bases, but nothing to extravagant, nonetheless traditional.

When I got to the point in my life when family members started to pass on, leave us, or create new families of there own I reevaluated my expectations. Michael and I have always known that we want a large family; partly because we both value how valuable traditions and relationships are and the other part because we never really had a big family ourselves. So we start planning: how many kids, what kind of traditions we will instill, how important certain events will be, all of the planning can go without a hitch but if you’re trying to build something from the ground up it takes a lot of work with small foundations (little families, uninterested family members, etc.).

After the past few weekends with all the amazing friends gathering around to help celebrate the impending birth of our daughter Michael and I started to realize our foundations aren’t as small as we might think they are. At first glance one would see this baby as having a rather small extended family. But pulling back the layers and looking closer you will start to see she’s going to have numerous “aunts and uncle”. The people whom we would trust her life with honestly surpasses the number of fingers and toes I have.

We don’t have a small foundation we’re working with here, we have one of the largest, most loving, amazing situations we could possibly ask for. Our friends truly make up our family. I don’t sit there, at my showers, counting the number of family members I wish were there, I sit there counting the blessings of each of the people who are truly there for us.

Blessed

I am blessed, there is honestly no better word in the English language to describe my current situation than, blessed!

I have a wonderful family and the start to and even more wonderful family AND my friends (who are practically my family) are just as amazing and wonderful.

Thank you to everyone who made it to Columbia for the shower this weekend. It was a blast and my hostesses sure know how to throw a party. Complete with matching cupcakes, butterfly decorations, a baby diaper wreath, yummy food, and a great time!! Thank you Martha and Emily for all you have done for me (this baby is going to have amazing aunts)!! A special shout out to Leslie for décor!

What a wonderful time, this baby girl is going to be set for life. I am amazed that so many people already care for her and love her and they haven’t even met her. Blessed, I tell you.

Not to mention when I got home Michael said he would have had more fun with me than drinking all weekend with the boys, a hint of maturity I hear?

THANKS AGAIN!! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Shower Me with Love and Friendship

So I have just finished a chronological blog about my wonderful weekend and I don’t feel like it gives the weekend the justice it deserves - I could list how wonderful it was to get a massage, and finally get a pedicure. I could talk about the horrific old time photo I was forced into and what I look like as a pregnant bar hussy, I could talk about the amazing smile capture photo function on Cassie's camera and the 400 pictures we took, but the truth of the matter is it wasn’t what I did this weekend, it’s WHO I spent the weekend with.

In college I lived two of my four years with Cassie and Jessie. I wouldn’t say it was idealistic, but I also wouldn’t say our relationship was uncommon. We got to the point where we were all at different places and just wanted to move on. The value was there, on the back burner, but I, for one didn’t take full advantage of the friendships I had created with them.

They contacted me a few months back asking if they could throw me a shower. It was a lovely thought, but a majority of my college friends live out of town and weren’t able to make it (a blessing in disguise). So we decided to cancel the shower and turn it into a girl’s weekend.

I was looking forward to the weekend for quite a while and even found myself giddy at times. I’m the type of person who is 100% content with staying in my own little house, with my husband and puppy at my side with a pizza and a Red Box. I don’t like to “get away” as much as some people do. So this was a change for my psyche when I was actually pumped to get away.

I drove down by myself early Saturday morning, and couldn’t get there fast enough--needless to say starting the trip with a Spiced Pumpkin Latte gave new meaning to the phrase “frequent urination”. . . . and the constant stopping wasn’t easing the anxiety.

The whole weekend we filled each other in on our lives; the ups and downs of starting families, the piss poor mentality of the corporate world, going back to grad school, finding our dream jobs, husbands, new real estate purchases, resentful people, savings accounts, and blessings. I won't divulge details as everyone who has girlfriends knows that rule #1, but know I learned more about myself through them this weekend then I have in a long time.

I only feel I need to talk about this weekend in this manner because I need to spread light on all the aspects of my life at this time. I’m grateful for what I have and where I am. I’m grateful I’m able to build on old relationships and appreciate where I come from so I can truly know where I am going. I thank my friends for everything they have taught me, I am thankful for everything they will teach me, but most of all I am just thankful for them!

I was showered this weekend – showered with love and friendship, and it’s these gifts that make my reality amazing!

Thank you Cassie and Jessie! Love you!