A good old fashioned sleepover

When I moved to Harrisburg, the church I started attending needed someone to work with the middle school youth group, and I--being new in town--needed something to do.  Plus, I thought it was important work.  I figured it'd be good.  Little did I know it'd still be bearing fruit, 6 years down the road.

You see, within that youth group, I worked closely with a 'small group' of girls.  During our weekly big group meetings, we talked together during a specified 'small-group' time about what the speaker had said, about who God is,  about what it means to seek Him, love Him, know Him, about what it means to be a Christian, about how to live our lives in a way that honors Him.

But then, we also got to have some time outside of the weekly meeting.  We went shopping, we met for coffee, we went shopping, we met for coffee but ended up going shopping....  We did a lot of shopping.

But, we also had  some super fun sleepovers at my house that did not involve shopping.  Instead, we made food, laughed, became strangely obsessed with certain songs, did art projects, [they] cut each other's hair in my bathroom in the middle of the night, talked, and did all of the fun things that go along with sleepovers.

After two years with them I moved away, but that didn't end our friendship.  Instead, we see each other somewhat regularly when I get back to town.  And, this past weekend, I drove home from my baby shower to greet them at my door.

For?

A sleepover.

A much more grown up one, since they are now all grown up.

Just because we're grown-ups now, however, doesn't mean the super fun is over:

Meg kept us laughing with her directness and her wit.  

Lydia kept us interesting with her sense of refinement and grace.

And Hailey kept us focused with her infinite wisdom and quiet strength.

There was really no question about whether or not super fun would happen, because--truth be told--we are all pretty goofy:

But, what I have always loved about these goofy girls is that they are willing and desiring to go deep, to talk about what matters, to seek answers to the questions they take the time to have.

Hence, over dinner of extremely-thick-crust pizza,

during a walk through the dusky air, in my candle-lit living room on our return home,

over delectable dessert, 

and over breakfast the next morning,

we talked.  We went deep.  We laughed even more.  We missed the presence of Jesi and Abby.  We asked the good questions, and looked for the answers.  Together.

And I am left with the reassurance that--as these women head into new adventures (college?!) and as they continue to walk in the situations and relationships they are in--they are going to be just fine.  I also know that my life is fuller because they've spoken into it, and because they continue to speak.  And--that good old fashioned sleepovers shouldn't just be a thing of the past.

Blessings

The last time you saw Marina on this blog she had barely a tummy,

but as we creep closer to her due date

it is quite clear that there is a beautiful little blessing being knit together as we speak.

That would be why there was a baby shower for her

this past Saturday while I was still in the Harrisburg area.

Amanda (seen here with her own beautiful blessing) hosted a party for Marina's friends that involved much good food,

much good drink,

much good conversation,

much good anticipation,

and many fun gifts.

As if the day weren't special enough, Marina's mother is newly arrived from Russia as a resident in Rick and Marina's home, and was able to take part in the celebration of the day.

We gazed on our dear friend with love as we reflected on the gifts of each other and the gifts of God in her life.  

And, we cannot wait to meet this gift of a boy we are waiting for!

A Piano Camp Vacation

Here are Kristen and I functioning as one brain.

For one week every summer, we meet up in Harrisburg and put on some of the most fun piano camps ever found.

We are, after all, an awful lot of fun.

Without needing to speak in order to understand each other, we operate as a team,

teaching everything we know to these middle school kiddos in the mornings

and these elementary school babies in the afternoons.

We teach them about music,

we teach them how to play it on the piano artistically and thoughtfully,

we teach them how to find it all around them,

and we teach them how to remember everything they've learned in order to beat the other teams in Friday's Jeopardy.

We show them new and exciting things in the solos they bring in,

and we give them a brand new duet or trio with a person they've never met.  After much effort on everyone's part, these little pianists perform them on Friday in the closing recital, and Kristen and I remind each other--once again--that we are changing the world.  [We like to feel important...] 

It's a lot of work, changing the world,

and we spend a decent amount of time making sure we know what we're doing each day.

BUT,

if those campers can have the most fun ever,

we think we deserve some fun too.

Hence, we treat ourselves well, focusing primarily on food:

Our daily lunches are phenomenal.

Sometimes we take them outside during our lunch break,

basking in the sun and the wind in our hair as we figure out what happens that afternoon.

Then, our evenings are spent in a variety of ways that allow us to take advantage of the fact that we are together in a different location than where we live our normal lives.

For instance,

shopping at the near-ish outlets in Lancaster

and dinner in the quaint sketchiness that is the downtown there.

A treat.

Then, there's movie night, which includes a jaunt to our favorite Neato Burrito with our favorite Mrs. Noll,

our Administrative help at the school,

and our hostess for the week.

With a 'hotel' like this, who needs the tropics?

Even the fish make us feel welcome.

This year we included pedicures,

followed by some delicious Thai food.

You see, there is nothing better than changing the world while experiencing all it has to offer at the same time.

Piano Camp Vacation is the best.

Curious?

Here are some things I'm loving about my new place:

The garbage disposal.

[I have always wanted a garbage disposal!!!!!]

An actual cabinet from which to take my plates.

[You have no idea how annoying it can be to have to remove a pile of other dishes off the top of the plates, just to get one!!!!!!]

A dishwasher, along with plentiful counter space.

[A dishwasher!!  Counter space!!]

This downstairs bathroom wallpaper causes my soul to sing,

along with this upstairs bathroom shower curtain.

And, since I can't spend all my time sitting in the bathrooms, admiring the scenery,

these two other places are providing me much serenity:

My cozy little bedroom

[including built-in bookshelves!!!!!]

and this outdoor extension of living space

[I can't survive without trees!!!!!!!]

Add in this sweet friend

and the other one moving in in a few short weeks to all of these,

and you come up with a pretty great place to live.

[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]