Family and Friendships Far (but near)

I would like to take this time to highlight the randomness and greatness of our family and friends. Not 48 hrs after telling my (mostly mine, but sorta Danny's as well) friend Kelly (please see "Made from Scratch" blog on right,) I received this note card...


I understand that almost as soon as Kelly and Brandt join the same life stage as us, we graduate - and I would love to apologize, but I won't :) She might feel a wee bit abandoned, but seeing her excitement got me even more excited for our widdle biddy Jellybean!

Kristi (see blog "table for three" on right) on the other hand, is moving up in the life stages as well. Her little girl (who will either be best friends with our daughter or betrothed to our son) Olivia - Liv - is due Nov. 9th. One would think that I would receive wise motherly words from her. And I do! For example, I received a random voicemail today with the Washington state laws on spanking - don't worry, it's barely legal here, so nobody needs to worry about the Moore's disciplinary styles. Did she do extensive research on the subject? I do not know. Do South Carolinian's discuss the state by state laws of spanking regularly and today happen to be on Washington? Maybe. But this is something EVERY pregnant woman should know, right? Well, of COURSE.

My sisters regularly call me to see how often I am getting sick, what is helping, and what random things I can do to stop scaring the two year old's with this awfully inconvenient and miserable side effect - they tried to warn me it was coming - nothing you can do can prepare a lady for this...

But getting the random letters and phone calls reminds me of the importance of sisterhood, brotherhood and community. These are my closest friends and my family. I remember Feef (Kristi) sitting in my ol' Jeep Liberty with me outside of Alpha Phi telling me that she decided to move to South Carolina. (Good thing, or there would be no Duff-man nor a leetle sweet Olivia) I remember crying like a family member was leaving me. I remember leaving Indianapolis, with Kelly conveniently located down just a few blocks. Long walks with Milo and Punkers in the evenings, and surprise doorbell rings late at night were all the norm. I didn't know what to do without a best friend so close.

Sometimes I get caught up in keeping friendships and families in close proximity and whether or not I can handle Seattle with my family and closest and longest friends so far away. But, I realize that my sisters (and brothers) in Christ are there for me just as much now as when they were next door - though we can't IM each other and go eat fro-yo while playing DDR and charades - play the Ha Ha game with random variations - or cry until 1 in the morning on a work night - they are just as close. :) A bond in Christ is deeper than any other. How much more intimate can a friendship be than one Christ ordains Himself?

So thank you Mama and sisters for your love and help - thank you Mama Moore and Father Moore (the originals) for checking up on me - thank you Kristi for your sometimes random, but most of the time very meaningful advice - thank you Beth for your open invitation for me to send you my Potterybarnkids ideas - and thank you Kelly for your amazing love - and humor. (and thank you anyone else I left out...I apologize, and will add on as my pregnant mind remembers). We (Jellybean, Danny, Punkers and I) love you all dearly.