whobody loves their friends?

Okay...I am really trying to catch up on here...so, another post from the river.

 

The first weekend in August it was Keaton's bestie's birthday.  I called up Nikole...and invited their family to come on the river with us on the morning of Lily's birthday to have a river playdate. (These kids cannot get enough of each other....and we feel the same way about their parents :).  So...again, babysitter for Cruz....and we 4 responsible adults headed out to the sandbar with our 6 kids. 

 

By the way, it should be stated that we are a lot more responsible when the kids are with us on the river, than when they are not. :)

 

Nikole was sweet enough to bring lunch AND cupcakes. Nash LOVED the cupcakes.

 

 

 

Keaton and Lily have been best friends since they were born. Well, at least since Lily was born and Keaton was 5 months old and twice the size of her (see below):)

 

So...Lily and Keaton have always been great friends...I am sure this won't last forever...but it is great to see right now. It used to be when we would get together with this family, Keaton and Lily were inseparable, but this summer it has sometimes switched to Keaton and Colton playing and Lola and Lily playing!  Sad so see Keaton and Lily not being so close....but also good to see that the 2 youngest (Colton & Lola) have 2 great older influences looking out for them in school!

 So we spent the morning at the sandbar...(have I mentioned how awesome the river has been this summer for kids playing....the low water level has made for fun sandbar times).  The kids had a great time!  For awhile we were the only boat on the beach....then another pontoon rolled in.  We were surprised to see it was some friends of ours...and their kids (who, by the way, our kids LOVE to play with)! The kids had a blast playing with Willem & Sulliven AND Aidan & Charlotte  (p.s. Nash and Charlotte will be going to prom someday)!  Unexpected party on the beach! 

 The kids had a wonderful morning playing.... and Tate had a great time relaxing...okay...he played too...but this was TOO funny :).

 

 

 

The girls playing together in the water...yes, they are dumping water over their heads....

 

 

Lola likes to get soaked and then roll in the sand. She calls that "putting her clothes on".

 

 

After awhile the 2 "littles" got bored on the beach, and played on the boat.  Tate and Nash are SO funny...they are so different, yet SO much alike. 

 And I swear they communicate without speaking!

 

 

 We had a picnic on the boat...and had a WONDERFUL time with some WONDERFUL friends.  We are so very lucky to have so many truly good friends. There hasn't been near enough time this summer to see everyone as much as we would have liked! 

Busy, busy, busy! 

 You would think that living in this rural area we would be hard-pressed to find good friends and fun people to hang out with...but that is exactly the opposite of how it is!!

 

I have my friends from high school...and college...and summers home from college...that we get to see when they come home and visit...and if they are lucky, when I visit them. :)  For me, these friends are extremely special...the kind of friends that you can not talk to for 5 months...pick up the phone....and pick up RIGHT where you left off. (Sigh). These friends warm my heart...and RESET me when I need it.

 

  We have Jason's buddies from high school that we get together with often (yes, our small grillouts with Jason's buddies (and their awesome wives who have now become some of my best friends!) have turned into 14 adults and 16 children....).  It has been so much fun to keep up with these friends...and watch our families grow and change (and watch our husbands change too....)  I am sure that their get-togethers are a little different now than they were 15 years ago. 

 

Finally, we have some wonderful 'new' friends that we have made in the past few years that have been relationships found in unexpected places...but have filled in all the blanks...and given me some great shopping partners (online...and in malls)....and have really been fun to hang out with in families, couples...and just the girls!!! It is amazing to find people that you REALLY feel like you are "on the same page" with, in so many ways! 

 

If I have learned one thing this summer it is that we are TRULY blessed. 

We are blessed with some wonderful, wonderful, wonderful friends....for us and our kids!