{I meant to get this up on Friday, but the day got away from me before I remembered to it publish – Here’s to now being better than never!}

Today was not one of my finest days. Emotions were raw and ill expressed. Tears were shed.  Inside of all that raw emotion pouring out was the frustration I was feeling and didn’t even know it.  Today I’m thankful there are I’m sorrys.  Thankful there is forgiveness.  Thankful there is a love that cover.  This bush sits on the side of our driveway.  When I pulled in the driveway the first time today afternoon, I was too upset to even notice the bush had put out all these blooms since the day before.

The first time we pulled in the driveway we were coming home from touring a house which seemed to be our most promising rental option.  There were parts of the house which could be great, but it wasn’t, it isn’t, the house for us to move into.  And, my emotions overcame me.  The girls played for a whole afternoon in the backyard sunshine and I sat deep in thought.   Somehow, the house incident today, unlatched the hope that this move is about something much bigger.  We talked about buying a home, and if it was really a possibility.  We flushed out some details.  We got excited.  We didn’t feel like this moving was only an inconvenience.

Then, the second time I pulled in the driveway I saw them.  I am not over exaggerating when I tell you they took my breathe away.  All this life steadily moving onward, forward and proceeding.  Right along side us moving onward, forward and proceeding.  Only this time I could see it.

8 years since JMU.

9 kids between us.

These two beautiful mamas have been my friends for a long time, and I am so glad they are in my life.  Last night, we sat at my kitchen table no longer talking about where we would go for Spring Break, but instead how one of these families will leave for Thailand in a couple weeks.  We talked about mama stuff and what we make for dinner.  This is the stuff  your twenty year old self could never imagine you would find interesting enough to discuss over sangria.   The questions were real.  The answers were honest. Old friends, good friends rather, have a way of doing that.  They leave, and you feel like your soul was watered.

In these eight years since college, we have lived on different coasts, across oceans, even across multiple oceans at times, and sometimes it works out that we are all in Virginia at the same time. My kids were teary when they left, and then spent this morning talking about their friends and riding on elephants.   I am fortunate one of the families lives just over the mountain.  The family that is moving to Thailand, Heather’s family, will be working with International Justice Mission to combat the child trafficking which occurs within its borders.  I am so glad people’s heart strings are being tugged upon to work to an end of this awful abuse.  This is a topic which brings tears to my eyes almost  as soon as I begin talking about it.  Words fail me for how deeply this angers me.  Tonight, I am simply grateful for IJM, the people who serve around the world, and the small pockets of redemption being brought to a broken world.

The girls always have to help clean up their toys, but you know how it goes there are usually stragglers.   Today, I asked my ladies to clean up after lunch in preparation for friends coming over this afternoon.   They did it.  All. More than I was anticipating.   They are pretty great and I am pretty lucky they are mine.