Vacationing With Friends

We are in the midst of planning a vacation with our friends Jonathan and Lesli for this summer. It is a trip we have talked about since before they were married, always saying, "we should sooo do that sometime!!". Well, sometime has arrived and we are headed to the beach together this summer as soon as school is out! Can I get a yahoo?!?

As I thought about this trip tonight, I could not help but look back at the trips we've taken with friends through the years. There are weekend jaunts here and there, but the three that stand out to me are the BelWoodBourn, the Cruise to the Bahamas, and St George Island 2010.

BelWoodBourn (named for the Beltzes, Woods, and Milbourns) wasthe first trip we really took as grown-ups, married, leaving our kid, etc. It was SO MUCH FUN. We arrived in Florida late at night, walked on the beach, then went to the Waffle House in the middle of the night JUST BECAUSE WE COULD!!! This trip deepened some really special friendships and taught us that time away from the kiddos with other adults is precious.

The Cruise to the Bahamas was with the Scotts, and it was SO RELAXING AND FUN!!! We did WHATEVER we wanted. It was so great to just lay by the pool, read until the sun went down, eat whenever we felt like it, laugh and talk, walk around, buy souvenirs. Our waiters treated us like kings and queens, never letting Tim or Sherri run out of Sweet N Low.

St George Island was just last summer with the Shipps and the Gobles. What a RELAXING way to spend a week, not having to be anywhere...just playing and loving and talking and playing some more and eating and talking and eating some more.

We are blessed with friendships that build us up, make us better than we were before. Thank you, sweet Father, for giving us these people who we don't deserve. Teach us to love them well. Oh, and help us have fun on the beach this summer with Jonathan and Lesli!!!!