I managed to make it through a busy week and am now into my second full day of the much needed long Christmas weekend! [Insert huge sigh of relief] It is absolutely glorious to be at home on this peaceful Sunday afternoon, hanging out in PJs next to the fire with my kitties, while the hubby runs his last minute errands before the upcoming festivities. Knowing that I don’t have to rush back to work tomorrow is simply BLISS!
Something that has made this past week and weekend so lovely, has been celebrating Christmas with a few of my most wonderful girlfriends! There is nothing better than quality girl time! Catching up on life, sharing in fellowship, and usually all over good food and drink is absolutely necessary and complete joy!
Monday evening I met with my friends, Emily and Hannah, at a nearby tavern and indulged in some good old fashioned bar food. Actually, all three of us had the same exact meal: chicken fingers with BBQ sauce and french fries. YUM! I so appreciated spending time with them after a busy start to the week, not to mention a busy season overall. Both of them have such kind and faithful hearts, and have been a huge blessing to my life since we’ve connected this past year through church and bible study. It was great to see them for a bit and share in the Christmas spirit together!
Last night the hubby and I went out with our good long-time friend, Anne. We decided to head just about an hour southeast of our place for dinner at J. Alexander’s, including: wine, steak, and not-so-ordinary mac ‘n cheese. DELICIOUS! Anne always is full of hi-larious stories, so our meal was highly entertaining! After exchanging gifts, we explored the area with a visit to Trader Joe’s and then went to the nearby cinema to see “This is 40,” which resulted in even more hilarity. We ate too much, laughed our heads off, and got home super late – and it was PERFECT!
This morning I went to church and sat with Emily and Hannah. (So good to see them again) And then after the service I met my girlfriend, Catherine, in the church atrium who is in town briefly from Colorado for the holidays. Due to time constraints, we planned to use the half hour between services to touch base on what’s going on in our lives and share in some Christmas cheer! It was so great to see her, since it’s been about a year since we last visited in person. Hopefully I’ll be seeing her again later this winter when we travel out to Colorado for our annual ski/hiking trip!
Another wonderful girlfriend of mine, Kate, just made it back to town from her mission trip to Amsterdam. The last time we saw each other in person was late September before she left. We have been long-time friends, dating back to my sophomore and her junior year of high school. No matter the time or distance between us, we always manage to pick right back up where we’ve left off. I’ll be seeing her very soon to celebrate Christmas and can’t wait to hear about her exciting travels. She’s always an inspiration to me!
Overall, it’s been an awesome week of reconnecting with AMAZING ladies who have added so much of their goodness to my life. I appreciate the differences in ALL of the girlfriends in my life (near and far) and how in their own unique ways, they propel me forward with encouragement, faith, honesty, inspiration, joy, and transparency. I am incredibly blessed in friendship and celebrate all those God has brought into my life during this beautiful Christmas season!
“The gift of friendship among women is a treasure not to be taken lightly. Women friends become the face of God to one another – the face of grace, of delight, of mercy. … A woman must have women friends. … Our friendships flow in the deep waters of the heart where God dwells and transformation takes place. It is here, in this holy place, that a woman can partner with God in impacting another and be impacted by another for lasting good. … When God gives a friend, he is entrusting us with the care of another’s heart. It is a chance to mother and to sister, to be a Life giver, to help someone else become the woman she was created to be, to walk alongside her and call her deep heart forth.”
-Stasi Eldredge, Captivating