{COWS} Meet-Up

Happy Thursday my Lovelies :)

Tonight I am meeting my sister and two of our lifelong friends!

We fondly refer to ourselves as the C.O.W.S. {Chicks on Wheels} -- i wrote about our weekly meetings here. 

We are getting together for some much needed girl time without our kiddos!

I'm uber excited because we are all bringing old pictures of all of us :o)

I'm looking forward to a good laugh with my girls :o)

I'll be sure and take some pics and share tomorrow for all of you to see and laugh at some of the old pics!! ha!

here are my 3 ladies at my wedding reception showing their best side!! ha!

My sis, Meredith on the left, Deborah Anne & Heather!

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Also, don't forget that Tuesday I'm bringing back {Bon Appetite} a recipe exchange :o)

Be sure to come and link up!!

A great place to share your favorite recipes and get some new ideas :o)
This week we will be posting our favorite Summer Entree!!!

FRIENDS

....are such a BLESSING from the Lord.

i truly have some of the GREATEST friends!!

one of the prayers we had for our boys was that they would have true, Godly friends like we do.

i love seeing my boys interact with their friends.

i love hearing them talk about their friends and tell me they want to see them =)

here are some pictures of my boys with their friends!!

sarah scott & elijah

don't know why i cut the bottom part of her chin off! ha!

fun time at the park =)

sweet kaitlyn and elijah --such good friends!

here are all the 'buddies' as elijah says!

kaitlyn & elijah playing angry birds or zebra paint...

i pray that these friendships last a lifetime!!

happy friday!!!

C.O.W.S.

i'm so excited for tonight!!!

why?

tonight the C.O.W.S. are reuniting :o)

what are the C.O.W.S.?

well, it's a club of sorts.

we call ourselves the:

C-chicks

O-on

W-wheels

it's made of myself, my sister (Meredith), my friend of 20 plus years (Deborah Anne) & another friend of 20 plus years Heather.

i love having life-long friends!!

seriously, i could cry right now thinking about how specials these friends are to me.

we have all been through soooooooooooooo much together.

it all started back about 5 1/2 years ago when we started getting together on Monday nights each week.

yes,

every.

single.

week.

we would go eat somewhere and hangout for a couple of hours

and

one night...i think D.A. said we are the chicks on wheels... :o)

so, we nicknamed ourselves the C.O.W.S.

yes, we have no problem with calling ourselves the cows!

we think of it as a rather endearing term.

for a long time we got together every week.

then D.A. got married.

i had a baby.

my sis got married.

we moved away.

you know...life happened.

but, through it ALL we have always made time for each other.

we aren't an exclusive group...others have joined in here and there

and

we love having others join the fun.

these girls have prayed me through lots of things and vice versa!!!

i haven't seen them in so long and i'm super duper excited for out time together tonight :o)

i love you girls.

the lord has truly blessed me with the most amazing friends.

there is nothing in this world that can compare to 'true friend' who are there for you no matter what life brings.

no matter what changes may come.

Meredith:

i love you more than words.

you have been the best sister in the world.

i love that we are going through life with similar paths of being married and raising our children together.

you are an amazing wife & mother.

judah is evidence of this.

he is the BEST baby i have ever been around.

you have prayed me through some tough times.

i'm so thankful that we are sisters and best friends.

Deborah Anne:

we have been through so much together.

you are precious to me.

you are a true friend.

no matter where life takes us...we stay connected.

its like the distance and time isn't even there.

i cherish this b/c i know many ppl don't have that.

i am blessed to call you friend.

i love it when you talk about scott.

you praise him.

and he is a blessed man to have you as his wife :)

and those babies of yours...

do they know how much you have sacrificed for them?

you are a wonderful mom.

i love you friend.

Heather:

i have loved living this life with you in it.

you make me smile.

you make me laugh.

you are always honest with me and i LOVE that.

we have prayed each other through many, many things.

you, too, are a true friend.

everyone who meets you...loves you!!!

i am awed how you pursued the lord in waiting for a husband.

the road wasn't easy...but, it never is.

you have one of the sweetest most gentle guys.

you and will are so great together.

i love how when life throws you a curve ball...

you always say to me:

the lord has something better :o)

you are an amazing wife and friend.

i love you!!

i'm going to by highlighting different friendships throughout the end of this month and into May.

friendships are treasures from the Lord.

i want my friends to know what they mean to me and how special they are.

short & sweet

yesterday i took the boys out for quite a while.

i think i had forgotten what it was like to be outside with the sun shining and not freezing my tail off.

my friend erin and her little ones joined us.

we had so much fun...

take-a-looksy...

baby, it's cold outside

it's really cold here and they are calling for snow showers tomorrow!

and

tonight we are having friends over to eat some of this:

it's on the stove simmering as write this.

yummy!!!

i can't wait to dig in!

have a great weekend!!

milestone

happy to announce that my 4 year old slept through the night in big boy underwear.

woo hoo!!!

i knew he could do it :o)

he was so proud of himself!!

no more pull-ups which is good because he was busting out of them anyway!!

we told him when he could keep his pants and bed dry for a certain amount of time we would get him a big boy bed!!!

my firstborn in growing up way too fast!!!

*****************

also, i want to congratulate my friends Amber & Robbie for welcoming their firstborn, a baby girl, born last night!! So happy for you!

&

My good friends Deborah Anne & Scott are having their baby boy tomorrow :o)

We are praying for a smooth and easy delivery!

i can't wait to get home for the christmas and meet all these new babies :o)

stuff

i wanted to write a quick blog because i don't know when exactly i'll be around a computer again. we are moving in the morning and driving a LONG way!!!!

i also don't know when i will get another computer since mine is shot!! ugh!!

what is a girl to do without a computer and internet?!?

i'm gonna miss my bloggy friends and all my facebooking friends :o)

but, what i do know is that i WILL BE BACK!!!

i will miss reading my daily blog reads -- i'm gonna be so behind!! ugh!!

pray for safe travels and good weather for us!!

until next time....

poppin' in

this is going to be a short post without any pictures.

why??

well, i have been packing, painting, stuffing boxes, packing, packing & more packing ALL day with the help of my amazing family & friends!!!

we got it all done -- i can't believe it!!!

a big thank you to my in-laws for watching and keeping my boys all day!!

thank you - thank you!!

i wish i had taken pictures of us while we were packing and painting.

some us had more paint on our clothes, faces, hands, legs, etc than on the walls.....i'm just saying!!

now that all of phase 1 of the move is over - we begin the waiting game.

this week is all about tying up loose ends, getting vehicles serviced, cleaning house after movers come, making sure i have all the paperwork i need

and the worst part of all

trying to say goodbye to those who have helped me through the most difficult season thus far.

i guess this is the week that i MUST deal with my emotions!!!

so, if i seem distant or clingy, down or sad, snappy, emotional or whatever........

just know that inside this short, non-tanned, tired body that i am trying to deal the best way i know how with saying goodbye.

and who likes saying goodbye???!!!

{not me}

HOW?

HOW DO YOU LET GO?

HOW DO YOU TELL THOSE YOU LOVE & CARE ABOUT GOODBYE?

HOW DO YOU EXPRESS YOUR LOVE & APPRECIATION FOR ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR YOU IN THE HARDEST SEASON OF YOUR LIFE?

HOW?

HOW?

this is what i have been thinking about the last few days - to be honest, i have been trying to avoid thinking about saying goodbye.

really....how do you say goodbye?

i'm so ready for this 'season' in my life to be over and by this 'season' i mean being without my husband, the love of my life. this has been the hardest season to date. i never knew how i would get through this but my family and friends have been unbelievable!!

seriously -- i have the best family & friends!!!

this next season of our life has been a long time coming and i am so excited.

but, it is also bittersweet.

there is so much more i want to say but i don't know exactly how to put it into words...

HOW?

{more to come later}