My friends and I

I often reflect on how it seems like the more children you have, the more friends you fail to keep in touch with. Not because of lack of desire to have/be a friend, but more because of life and busyness and keeping up with all that you "have" to do. I've found that it's easier to pack up three kids, picnic, buckets, shovels, cars, boats, diapers, 7 changes of clothes, camera....and go to the beach on impulse than it is to call a friend and plan a play date. I mean, what if:
the weather doesn't cooperate
the kids are sick
Emmett is napping
I'm not in the mood for adults
Jeff is home
sometimes it's just too stressful for me to plan ahead amongst all these factors that could come up.

I've found that every single day I am with my friends, and they are with me, and we are happy.
Don't get me wrong, I love play dates too!
These are two of my friends. Braxton and Adelle. They are so fun and so easily amused. They love the beach and Braxton has a gigantic imagination. This is him and his car, boat trailer, and boat that we took to Birch Bay a few weeks ago. He used the rope to tie the boat trailer to the car and then backed it down the whole beach into the Bay. This boy amazes me and is so much fun to watch him strategically do everything with such order.
This is Adelle. She was my date to Costco the other night. She brought her purse and we got a smoothie to share. She dressed herself in her "pretty" and we sang Miss Mary Mack in the car the whole way. We both had hot pink fingernail polish, her pick. She loves hanging out with me but prefers her brother still. I can't blame her.
This is Emmett. He's super chill and loves to watch our other friends play and play. I'm glad I have Emmett to be my beach buddy and to work my arm muscles when I carry him down to the water to find crabs with the other two friends. No pictures, it was either Emmett or the camera. I couldn't carry both.

This friend is super handsome very entertaining. Jeff makes me laugh so hard everyday. He makes even 3 hour border waits worth it.
I love this picture of me because it expresses my genuine happiness. I can't even remember what he was doing to make me laugh (or maybe I'm just choosing not to post it) but it was funny.
This picture is priceless. I carried Adelle back up to the grass and we forgot her shoes on the beach. Without hesitation Braxton walked back down to retrieve them from the shore. He is the best big brother, one day she will appreciate him, today she was just interested in blowing bubbles.
Here we are at Boulevard enjoying the sun, water, rocks, crabs, and each other.
My friends will grow up. Make more friends. I will most likely be replaced for a time, except for in Jeff's case:) But I know we will always be friends, these special people and me. We are creating memories to last a lifetime.