Fun, Fun, Fun

I don't even know where to start.
The past two weekends have been moments that I will remember forever. Mark and I have been blessed with wonderful friends over the years. Friends were something that I had a hard time with growing up... we moved five times until I was in the 2nd grade... I don't have memories of being close with anyone... I didn't spend the night with anyone... I didn't have people spend the night with me. I am not sure if I thought Mama and Daddy would pack up and leave me in the middle of the night... or if maybe one of my older brothers told me they would...so I lived in fear of being away from Mama and Daddy.
When we moved to Lincolnton, I was fortunate enough to be in a class with a huge group of girls. Depending on what we were doing or where we were going... I could be involved or not. I never felt the pressure of doing something I shouldn't because there was never a time that we ALL got involved in something...except for maybe when we got shot at... (another story). Anyway... I never experienced that "best friend".
When Mark and I got married, we moved to Greenville. He would leave on Sunday afternoons and fly back in on Friday nights. God placed a special angel in my path named Holly. She was buddy, we hung out, and we entertained each other while our husbands were on the road. Not long after I met Holly, she told me she was trying to have a baby... I was as far away from that as I wanted! She also told me about this new girl who was coming to town. Kathryn had gone to college with Holly and she was "so much fun". I have to admit that I was a little jealous that this new girl would be taking my time away from Holly... needless to say... Kathryn is now a part of my life... through emails, texts, phone calls, one-liners... I think of her daily. I should have known how much she would mean to me the first night I met her because she made a pie...that didn't "set up"... and she handled it beautifully! The next day her husband, Mike, invited us to go play golf... The four of us have been thick as thieves since then. She has been there with me through it all... I could tell her things that I couldn't tell anyone else. She knew me so well that when I was in the hospital about a month before KB was born... she could tell I was down and walked in the door with McDonald's apple pies... She knows me like a sister would....
Not long after Mike and Kathryn moved to Greenville, Mark's best friend growing up moved near us too! He ended up working with Mark, so we were all together all the time. I can remember the night I knew he was hooked on Tatum. I had invited him to eat supper...and usually...he would leave... but he asked me to come sit on the screened porch with him. I think we sat there two hours with him telling me how perfect she was for him. Of course she joined right in our little group and we have traveled on a cruise, to Las Vegas, Hilton Head... anywhere we can imagine... we go! Tatum is one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. On the night before KB went to K-5, she called and told me that she had a little gift for her. While KB may not remember what it was... I do... and I think of it every year on the first day of school. She goes above and beyond in kindness, thoughtfullness, and manners... Sometimes she can't get a word in because I talk so much!

We started our two weekends of fun by everyone meeting at our house last Friday night. After sitting around and watching the Masters, we went to eat at Soap Creek. The six of us hadn't been together in a year. No one would have known it because we picked up right where we left off. After supper...we came home and played in my attic (looked for clothes to fit their girls). The next morning we got up bright and early to head to Augusta. Mike had a surprise from his boss for us~ we got to eat in the tent that the Champions Dinner is held in... a buffet with everything you can imagine... While I love a pimento cheese or egg salad, I wouldn't have given up this meal for anything! After lunch, we headed over to Eisenhower Cabin and walked around like we were important... We laughed, we watched golf, and we enjoyed friendship.
This past weekend... we went on our annual trip to Hilton Head for the Heritage. I could type for hours about the laughs I had on this trip... We literally laughed until we cried. Many things are too much for a blog, but I know that they will never be forgotten!
This year the trip was different. Normally, I have a homesickness and I am ready to come home. This time... I was so sad to be leaving my friends. I am not sure if it was because I knew it would be a year before we were all together again, if I was sad because I haven't laughed this hard in so long, or if my children were happy when I called and didn't think they missed me.
Last night I almost couldn't eat my supper because I was thinking about how sad I was... this group of six... we have been through a lot together... Mike and I are the only two who still have our daddies with us... each death has been different... but we have felt the deaths like they were our very own. Several times this weekend I thought about Jefferson's daddy... I heard Jefferson laugh coming up behind me and I said... that sounds just like Lee.... I thought about Bobby... I know he was with us in spirit... we made fun of things he did on the golf course... I know Kathrn's daddy would have enjoyed the giggles we had with two of his daughters sitting with us. And of course I thought about Tatum's daddy because the last time I saw him was in Hilton Head.
This morning I got up early to a text from Jeffo... he brought tears to my eyes...said he hadn't felt this way since his daddy died... melancholy... he got it... Mike had it too... got a text from Mike saying he wished these last two weekends could last forever. I feel the same way big guys... I miss ya'll so much already.
We discussed selling our houses and moving into campers on Jefferson's land, but I'm afraid we might better keep working. If we want to keep going to HHI every year...we are going to need the money!
These weekends are more special now because we don't see each other everyday... I'm afraid if we saw each other every day I may have to be ugly to them when they snap their fingers and tell me that I need to hurry up...Thank you God for these precious friends who made me laugh until I cried, who made me almost wet my pants, and who made me feel so good about getting a cab when everyone else had failed!