For the Girls

Last Thursday I left my two little hooligans in the capable and loving hands of my mother-in-law, Kay, while I hit the road for a trip to visit my gal pals from Wheaton College.  I think it's interesting to note the difference between the way that I left them (photos one and two) and what they were transformed into on Sunday morning (last two photos)!  Max is always full of mischief and rarely stops moving (note the blurry photo!).  He is also desperately in need of a haircut--poor thing. 

Ruby has a unique fashion sense and general quirkiness about her.  She loves wearing rubber boots, especially when it isn't raining!  She also has quite an affinity to opening umbrellas inside the house.  I guess she hasn't ever heard about the all the bad luck that goes along with that.  Although, now that I think about it, she really should have caught on after all the times I've hollered at her for scraping up the walls with her crazy umbrella.  Ugh.  I digress.

Anyhoo, the point is that I was a real lucky duck last week.  I flew up to Boston Thursday night and met my good friend, Jenn, at the airport.  Then we stayed up far too late gabbing with the lights out just like slumber party days.  Friday morning, we flew together to Kansas City, Missouri (NOT Kansas!) for a Women of Faith conference.  Once the five of us met up (Lindsay, Rachel, Kate, Jenn, and I) we headed to our chic hotel.  We all agreed we'd never been in a room so charged with estrogen as when everyone was trying to check in at once.  Eventually they started handing out champagne to calm all the frazzled nerves.  A move which could really go either way with a mass of women heading to a Bible conference!  Luckily, it seemed to work.

The conference itself was really wonderful with the concerts from Steven Curtis Chapman and Mandisa (from "American Idol") and wonderful messages from Lisa Whelchel (from TV's "The Facts of Life"), Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, and Marilyn Meberg.  I laughed and I cried and I came home feeling better equipped to be the mom, wife, sister, and friend I've been called to be.  

The time with my friends was wonderful.  With half of us married with kids and the other half still single, our lives are by no means identical.  Believe it or not I'm the only mom who doesn't work!  (I know, stay-at-home moms do work, but lets face it--it's different.)  Our Wheaton days seemed like yesterday to some of us and a million years ago to others.  We still felt the bonds of friendship though and were encouraged to hear about each other's walks.  Most of all, we reconnected in such a way that we feel like we actually know how to pray for each other and how to encourage each other better.  

Monday night, I came home to a sight I had longed for for four days-- Ruby on Daddy's shoulders shouting when she spotted me coming and Max running into my open arms just smiling and rubbing my face to make sure it was really me.  It sure does feel good to come home knowing you were missed and loved.  

So, we're back at it again and I am refreshed.  

P.S.  Thank you, Kay, for teaching Max to sleep in 'til 8am!  I am in heaven!