Celebrate

 A friend loves at all times ... (Proverbs 17:17)

This weekend, our family had a little getaway to the mountains of western North Carolina. We stayed in a rental unit with two couples who are longtime friends: Pat and Analisa, and John and Kim. Pat and John were both in our wedding; John was Dan's best man. Anne also got to reunite with one of her old friends; she and Gabrielle became best friends in Pre-K, and they remained so until we left North Carolina for Georgia after Anne finished first grade. They've stayed in touch through Messenger Friends, and we've gotten the two girls together a few times over the years. They are still best friends.

We went to one of those tourist-trap gem-mining places on Sunday afternoon, and Anne and Gabrielle's bucket included a big hunk of tourmaline rock. They traded it back and forth; each one wanted it. So we decided to have it cut into two small jewels for necklaces. It will be ready in a few weeks, and they'll have "BFF" necklaces that they can treasure for the rest of their lives. (At least I hope they do; we got a big discount on the necklaces, but they are still quite valuable, particularly for a couple of 10-year-olds!).

So this weekend was a weekend to celebrate old and lasting friendships. It was a good few days. Here is a picture of Anne and Gabrielle at Bridal Veil Falls, outside Highlands, NC.