Knox and I just had a very special weekend.
My three closest friends from college flew to Dallas from Boston, Iowa and Wisconsin to visit us. Katy, Laurie & Bethany.
And they brought two special little girls with them: Nya and Charity.
In college we called ourselves the "Little Women." And these will always be my Little Women.
This would be a great place to insert a photo of the four of us, but all my photos seem to be of our kids. So you can refer to yesterday's post to see all of us. :)
These women are very precious to me. We have lived together, fought together, made up together, grown together, served together, and worshiped together.
They are the kind of friends who inspire you, and encourage you, and pray for you. The kind of friends with whom you stay up very late having deep conversations, full of laughter and tears, about who God is and what He is doing in each of our lives....even when you know one of the babies is inevitably going to wake us all up at 5:00 the next morning. :)
Katy is Jo. Back in college a little wild, a little tomboyish...restless, spontaneous, full of energy. But she's also very inspiring and very deep. Like Jo in the book she has turned into a wonderful, solid, caring woman who is the sweetest Mommy to Nya and a little boy who arrives later this summer. She is full of passion.
Laurie is Meg. She has always been responsible and caring...a natural mother. But with a little more spunk than Meg in the book, I have to say. :) Laurie was the first one to meet her prince charming and to begin a family; she is an amazing, mother of 4 kids now and has always been a role model for the rest of us. Laurie knows how to encourage other women and moms and has an amazing blog that you should really read, here.
And our Bethany. She is Beth 100%. She is just very special to us all. As Laurie used to say, she has a "heart of platinum." She is gentle and loving and caring and strong and the past few years also became a mother...to 30 beautiful orphans in India who are HIV positive. But unlike Beth in the book, she is not going to die young :) but is now building an organization of her own that will care for severely traumatized orphans in India and also train existing orphanages to better care for their kids.
Last but not least, I am Amy. Because...well, if limes are in fashion I just might be tempted to spend my last dime on a lime. :) I have been known to be a little dramatic at times, a dreamer, and to have a liking for the finer things in life...you know, wine taste and a beer budget, as they say. :) But like Amy I have grown up to be pretty level headed, too. And - sorry girls - but I ended up with the best guy in the book. ;)
It's been 9 years since we graduated from college now. We've gone in separate directions, and don't get to catch up often. But when we do, it is just very sweet.
I love my Little Women.
Knox was a little outnumbered (we had to kick Josh out for the weekend)...but he didn't seem to mind.
Girls are interesting creatures. :)
And pretty fun!
We miss them already.
