...from a friend i haven't spoken with in years and years. (i know, i'm only 26, so have i even been alive for "years and years"?? probably not...ok, so just years...) anyway, when i was in high school, God blessed me with a unique friendship... she worked with my dad, and she needed a babysitter for her family's kids during thanksgiving. i don't really remember anything about the babysitting, but i found a friend in lori. she was a joyful Christian wife, loving and completely enthusiastic. i remember going over to her house like it was yesterday- she and her husband were so in love, and i couldn't wait to find that one day. (thanks, God!) we would make those oatmeal chocolate peanut butter cookies that have to cool on the wax paper... oh how tempting those are just sitting there! i don't think we ever left too many for later. i would stay with her when her husband was out of town because she didn't want to sleep at home by herself- i followed in her footsteps this summer when brian went on travel! (thanks, bennetts, for babysitting ME!) :) like a good friend, she even attempted to set me up with her brother-in-law at one point. lori knew that this high school kid would love to make some extra money, and she hated cleaning her house, so she paid me to do it. i'd go over there, and she'd visit with me while i cleaned. :) looking back, i wonder why in the world i ever thought i could clean somebody's house when i couldn't even clean my own room! ha! i'd never windexed the mirrors with newspaper before, but that's how lori liked it done... so now, everytime i clean the mirrors with a paper towel, i think, "i should probably do this with newspaper". :) (are you laughing, lori??) she was due to have a baby my senior year of high school, and shortly after he was born, they moved away. i think we briefly kept in touch.. i remember writing to her my freshman year at harding, but i unfortunately didn't keep that up. gosh, that's a shame... after talking with her today, i can only imagine the times i could have used her encouragement over the last several years!
so... she called today. ethan was down for a nap, and i was in the middle of my list of projects that must get done before nichele's wedding this weekend (another post for another time).... i didn't recognize the number on caller ID, but the MINUTE she said, "emily, i don't know if you remember me..." i wanted to shout her name into the phone! of course i remembered her! we spent the next 30 minutes or so catching up, exchanging updates on our life. i told her how i did try to find her a couple of years ago when i dreamed that i ran into her in a store...she told me about how she did homemade speech therapy on her daughter and had her saying "her" and "were" in a week! (i'm impressed, by the way, lori!) :) i found out that she lives not too far from some friends and family that we usually visit once a year or so... how fun is this? is God good or what? her newborn baby that i remember is now almost NINE... and she pointed out that i am 2 years older than she was when she lived in my town... that is crazy. she seemed so mature and knew what she was doing... i feel so 14. :) she said i just grew from 17 to 26 in one phone call. :) we talked about our similar parenting styles and how we love the job God's given us of raising our children. i am so thankful that God has re-crossed our paths! He knows i could use another Godly mom to guide me in this parenting adventure!!! she emailed me pictures of her 3 kids while we were on the phone, and she went to my blog and said i look just the same. oh... and the best part??? she has a blog, too! SO, through the wonderful blessing of the world wide web, we can keep up with each other's happenings. oh, i'm just so excited. well, ethan's waking up, so i'd better go. thanks so much for calling, lori! i so look forward to keeping in touch this go around. :) and, if there's any other long lost friends out there who have somehow found my blog, please get in touch... and i promise to write a post about you, too. :)
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