One Enchanted Evening!

When I first moved to Show Low, Arizona I didn't have much in the way of friends. I had my new husband and had a new church family. Three weeks into our marriage we got pregnant with my Pink Princess!

And then it started...friendship! I started having things in common with the women around me and many of us became fast friends! There was particularly a group of us that I dubbed "the Fab 7" several years ago. Through the years our group has grown and our circle of friends has grown but like the ladies of Wisteria Lane (I did-I just made a Desperate Housewives reference!) the seven of us have remained friends and stay close.

During the packing and moving process I have been reminiscing about all of the things we have been through and done together...

 Pretty amazing really, in the last six years we have 

had babies, 

lost babies, 

lost parents, 

battled cancer, 

dealt with our pasts, 

been through counseling, 

been through several moves, 

struggles in our marriages, 

struggles with our teenagers, 

struggles with each other, 

started homeschooling our kids, 

stopped homeschooling our kids, (: 

and just life in general. 

But what struck me as I reminisced and what is so amazing to me is how faithful God has been through everything. Here we all are-

still alive, 

still friends, 

still married, 

still in this church, 

and more in love with our Lord than ever before. 

How amazing is that? He answered those prayers that we prayed together countless times. I think those are some of my most treasured memories. Apart from all the play-dates we had when our kids were smaller, and the bunko parties, and the movie nights...(Ok, so we have had some serious fun together!!!) I love remembering the times when we got together for coffee and to pray. To pray for our families, for our husbands, for us as moms-some of the most powerful times we shared. And the times we got together just to pray for Deana and her cancer. I just get chills. I have been taking Deana for granted lately, but it really wasn't that long ago she was fighting for her life and we were all terrified of losing her. 

What amazing, special friends I have here. I will miss them so much! And yet it is so exciting to be able to move somewhere new and make MORE friends!!! :) Whoo hoooo!

So back to the evening I was originally posting about: (:

When the rest of the group found out I was moving, my amazing friend Deana (the planner extraordinaire!) decided that before I left we needed one last dinner party with the gals that started it all. Everyone pitched in and threw me SUCH a lovely party!!! They went with an Italian theme and we got to use a clubhouse up in Pinetop for our festivities! :) (Thank you Stacie!!!)

Then in case the dinner wasn't enough, I got PRESENTS!!!!!