Road Trip 2 - Hattiesburg, MS

Two weeks ago, Jake & I packed up & headed down to Hattiesburg, MS to visit my best friend Amanda. Amanda & I met when we were freshman sorority pledges at Troy University. We were both from small towns, knew hardly anyone & had both just broken up with our high school boyfriends. Our sorority had lots of girls from Montgomery, Troy & Dothan. We were the only ones from Red Level & Pine Level. We clicked immediately & the rest was history. A year after I graduated from Troy, I got a new job in Birmingham & moved in with Amanda who was already living in Birmingham. We lived together for the next 3 years until she got married. We have had a great friendship over the last 13.5 years. Even though we have lived in different cities the last 5 years, as soon as we see each other, it's like nothing has changed. I got to Hattiesburg Thursday evening. After we put the kids to bed, Amanda & I went out to grab dinner. When we came back, we stayed up until 2 AM just talking, catching up & reminiscing. Rather it was being out in college, sitting on the porch of our apartment in Birmingham or sitting on the deck outside their house, our lives have changed, our families have multiplied, but our friendship is still strong, true & faithful.

So now to the fun stuff.... the pictures! Amanda's neighborhood has a great little park nearby. It was perfect for the boys!

Jake

Gabe
The boys swinging

Sellers & Gabe

Gabe dressed up as a pirate sheriff

Beck the firefighter

On Friday, my other best friend Stephanie drove over from Fairhope to spend the weekend with us. I was like a kid on Christmas morning I was so excited. To get to spend a whole weekend with my 2 very best friends & all our boys. It was loud, crazy, but so so so much fun. And there were lots of little boys! Amanda's kids: Sellers (5), Gabe (3) & Beck (8 months) / My kid: Jake (2) / Stephanie's kid: Grant (2)

Jake & Grant taking a bath

Hanging out at the park. We were too scared to try to take 5 kids out too far! Trying to get a picture of the 4 older boys was NOT easy. (Go figure)

Kind of close

As good as it is going to get (from top to bottom: Sellers, Gabe, Jake & Grant)

Sellers! Amanda had Sellers when she & Mike were still living in Birmingham. I can remember Sellers being Beck's age sitting in the floor of my townhouse. I just can't believe that he is a little man now! He was SO SO sweet to Gabe, Jake & Grant. He let them play with his toys, he watched them up in the playroom while we were downstairs, he would help them do stuff. I hope that Jake becomes as sweet, funny & polite of a little guy that Sellers is. (Right now, Jake is pretty much stuck at a very bossy stage!)

Grant

Sellers & Jake (and little boy behind them giving the stink eye)

Gabe

Jake & Gabe swinging (that's stink eye's dad, brother, baby-sitter, ??? behind them)

Such a beautiful backdrop

Jake (love the static in the hair!)

Gabe & Jake

The boys

Jake was OBSESSED with baby Beck. He was consistently in Beck's face trying to talk to him, giving him choking hazards (& taking them away which of course made Beck cry). Beck like his brothers was just laid back & took it all. Amanda let Jake hold Beck & you would have thought that you gave him a train he was so excited. After that, he would just continually ask to hold the baby. Unfortunately, he thought that the baby was much more fun awake then asleep. If Beck was asleep, Jake would yell "Wake up baby!". I'm sure Beck's parents appreciated it.

The boys eating snacks getting ready to go out on the boat

Boat Ride!

Grant

Beck driving

Which of course meant Jake had to drive.

Sellers & Grant

Feeding the ducks

Jake & Gabe playing in the courtyard

Amanda, Stephanie & me our Freshman year (1997)

Post College (2001)

New stage - getting married (2006)

Another new stage - having babies. Amanda had just had Gabe & Stephanie & I were about 20 weeks pregnant with Grant & Jake (2008)

Today... 3 marriages, 5 kids & 13.5 years later

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man that falls and has no one to help him up." Ecclesiastes 4:10

Amanda & Stephanie have always been there for me to pick me up. I am forever grateful for their friendship, for the laughter, the memories, their thoughtful words and forgiving spirit. After all these years, we've celebrated the good times, cried on each other's shoulders during the sad times, held each other's hands during the tough times and laughed at the many many funny times. How much I dearly love these 2 friends and their precious children. I am so blessed to have their very special friendships in my life.