Magic
I need to look back at this entry often, I can already tell. Whenever I whine or bitch about my "awful" plight of having to have moved to Seoul, I need to open up my LJ to this page and remember that I am blessed. Blessed with friends like these:
My amazing friends
Playgroup Mommies: Sheryl, Me, Lauren, Lisa, Sam
I've known these women for almost 6 years now. Their children are Maya's closest friends and have been since Maya was three months old. Here is a pic of the girls:
Maya's playgroup
Playgroup Friends: Hallie, Gianna, Makenzie, Megan and Maya
This was taken February 11, 2005 - Maya's 5th birthday slumber party.
These girls were all the closest of friends. Hallie and Maya went to the same preschool, all the girls took gymnastics together. They grew up together. As far back as Maya could possibly remember, Hallie, Gianna, Makenzie and Megan were her bestest friends in the whole wide world. I joined MOMS Club when Maya was just three months old and got placed into a playgroup with Lisa. Then the others joined and got put into our playgroup. Our playgroup fluctuated a lot. We had more members, but as time went on, others dropped out or moved away *sob*. But the five of us stuck. And we got closer. We all just clicked. We pissed each other off, I'm sure, on more than one occasion, but we let it go and moved past it because our children love each other.
But I don't think I really realized just how close our own friendships are until today. Until this:
And this:
There are 20+ gifts here for us. A huge box was delivered this afternoon and I fought the urge to delve into it until Chris got home. When he got home, he opened. And I cried. Tears of disbelief, tears of joy, tears of sadness and tears of love and friendship.
Lauren, Lisa, Sheryl and
Sam: I really don't know how to express what you've done for me today.
When we piled all the stuff up together, Chris said, "Wow. We don't have to worry about a sparse Christmas tree now!" We've been having a hard time finding presents for the girls. Only because we're not exactly sure where to go for good toys. I mean, there are lots of stores with toys, but nothing that really hit us that the girls would enjoy or wouldn't break in 5 minutes. We've gotten them some books and a game and a stuffed animal each, and dresses for each of them, but that's it. We weren't really worried about it, but it just didn't seem like Christmas for us. There has been no sense of "That's the present that Maya will absolutely ADORE!". I've even hesitated on getting Maya to do her annual letter to Santa. She usually cuts pictures out of Toys R Us circulars and it is a true joy when, on Christmas morning, she says, "I put this one in my letter! He read my letter, Mommy!!" But this year, that isn't going to happen.
But now, these presents, along with the presents that my in-laws and parents sent, will make the tree full on Christmas morning. Yes, this all sounds so materialistic, but really it is about seeing Maya's and Nadia's eyes on Christmas morning when they run out and see the presents under the tree that weren't there the night before (we put NO presents out until Christmas Eve). Truly magical.
That's what my dearest friends gave me this year. Magic.
Truly, truly blessed.
My amazing friends
Playgroup Mommies: Sheryl, Me, Lauren, Lisa, Sam
I've known these women for almost 6 years now. Their children are Maya's closest friends and have been since Maya was three months old. Here is a pic of the girls:
Maya's playgroup
Playgroup Friends: Hallie, Gianna, Makenzie, Megan and Maya
This was taken February 11, 2005 - Maya's 5th birthday slumber party.
These girls were all the closest of friends. Hallie and Maya went to the same preschool, all the girls took gymnastics together. They grew up together. As far back as Maya could possibly remember, Hallie, Gianna, Makenzie and Megan were her bestest friends in the whole wide world. I joined MOMS Club when Maya was just three months old and got placed into a playgroup with Lisa. Then the others joined and got put into our playgroup. Our playgroup fluctuated a lot. We had more members, but as time went on, others dropped out or moved away *sob*. But the five of us stuck. And we got closer. We all just clicked. We pissed each other off, I'm sure, on more than one occasion, but we let it go and moved past it because our children love each other.
But I don't think I really realized just how close our own friendships are until today. Until this:
And this:
There are 20+ gifts here for us. A huge box was delivered this afternoon and I fought the urge to delve into it until Chris got home. When he got home, he opened. And I cried. Tears of disbelief, tears of joy, tears of sadness and tears of love and friendship.
Lauren, Lisa, Sheryl and
Sam: I really don't know how to express what you've done for me today.
When we piled all the stuff up together, Chris said, "Wow. We don't have to worry about a sparse Christmas tree now!" We've been having a hard time finding presents for the girls. Only because we're not exactly sure where to go for good toys. I mean, there are lots of stores with toys, but nothing that really hit us that the girls would enjoy or wouldn't break in 5 minutes. We've gotten them some books and a game and a stuffed animal each, and dresses for each of them, but that's it. We weren't really worried about it, but it just didn't seem like Christmas for us. There has been no sense of "That's the present that Maya will absolutely ADORE!". I've even hesitated on getting Maya to do her annual letter to Santa. She usually cuts pictures out of Toys R Us circulars and it is a true joy when, on Christmas morning, she says, "I put this one in my letter! He read my letter, Mommy!!" But this year, that isn't going to happen.
But now, these presents, along with the presents that my in-laws and parents sent, will make the tree full on Christmas morning. Yes, this all sounds so materialistic, but really it is about seeing Maya's and Nadia's eyes on Christmas morning when they run out and see the presents under the tree that weren't there the night before (we put NO presents out until Christmas Eve). Truly magical.
That's what my dearest friends gave me this year. Magic.
Truly, truly blessed.