We met by chance, but as you know, I don't believe in coincidences.
{How does she do that?}
Thanks to facebook (would you believe it? HaHa), we crossed paths.
She was looking for an old friend, and I had a connection with her friends sister.
Through a few messages, we found a lot of common ground and...I don't know about her, but I had reached a place in my life when I needed her words of encouragement, example of motherhood, and the laughs we shared.
She quickly became a true friend in every sense of the word.
I've been fascinated with her traditional holidays, admired her charity, and felt her frustrations.
When it comes to our religious beliefs and what makes us tick, we have more in common then many would think.
Her Muslim (Sunni) and my Mormon faith greatly shape who we are and how we live.
But, more then anything, she's a wife and mother...and so am I.
Being a mom, she knows when my secret sweets stash is running low and frequently sends me a refill of Milka (yum!) for my nerves :)
I adore her cute family and admire her super-mom capabilities!
I've sampled her yummy cooking and drooled over pictures of her famous dishes (passed down from Grandmother's).
I'm up with her washing dishes, folding laundry, nursing babies, running kids from here to there, wiping faces, changing diapers, supporting husbands, doing homework, comforting friends and family, traveling in tight spaces with several kids to entertain for hours, experiencing fun vacations and cute moments, and catching the few hours of sleep that we can somewhere in between.
I've felt her excitement (and moments of stress) at the news of her last two pregnancies, and anxiously anticipated her new little arrivals.
My kids think they are very best friends with the four kid-Os across the ocean and ask when they will get to play.
Who knows? Maybe one day!
Until then, we look forward to reading all about life in Germany from our friends e-mails and letters.
Every so often, we get a surprise package from across the ocean, filled with goodies (where she finds the energy, I don't know!)
Sport thought it was amAZing that someone in Germany remembered HIS Birthday...
And my sweet friend knew we were expecting a boy weeks before we did!
The girls couldn't wait to see what was under all that pink wrapping paper!
We love games from Germany!
This is the pencil sharpener Sport's little friends use at school in Germany, and he thinks it's the coolest thing EVER!
He also got some colorful pencils to go with it, and he uses them every day.
Even dad was remembered with chocolate for his nerves (which he hid from me!).
Mom or dad are often summoned by the kids to read their new thriller
The Snail and the Whale...
they want a pet whale now, and love listening to the CD that came with it, because it plays "whale" music!
She always seems to know when I could use a pick-me-up.
Thank goodness for fabulous friends in our lives!
We need each other.
"Though miles may lie between us
We are never far apart,
for friendship doesn't count miles
it's measured by the heart."
-Author unknown
Thank you, Rebecca :)
I'm sipping my
Full-Leaf Red Tea thinking of you!
