Christmas at Heritage Park

By the time the Christmas party rolled around Saturday night, we had already had a really full day!
I got up around 5:30 so I could get the lasagnas prepped and the house clean because My Favorite Family of 4 was coming over at 10:30 so that I could help them out with their family pictures. And by help, I mean push the shutter button. That's pretty much all I did!
It was an experience!
If Everett was smiling, Ean was crying. When Ean would calm down, Everett would decide he was done with pictures! But in the end, they ended up with some really great shots. When your family is as beautiful as theirs is, it's hard not to.
Half way through the photo shoot we stopped for a much needed lunch break. Josie is getting a table and chairs for Christmas from her Nana and Grandpa, but for now the ottoman works just great for lunch dates when her best friends come over.

I love listening to these two have conversations. They seem to really understand each other even though we have no idea what they are saying. I hope they weren't talking about us! After we had enough of camera flashing, we all went to Heritage Park for the Christmas festival. It was F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G! (my Minnesota family would laugh that I was so cold when it was 40 degrees! That's like shorts weather up there!)
We let the kids see the fake snow and eat a sugar cookie. Then we rode in the little sleigh before making a mad dash to the car for some warmth!
So let me tell you about Tiff for just a minute.
I met Tiffany at the end of the Summer in 2000 at a Superbowl party the youth group we both went to was having. I had just moved here a few months before and didn't really have any real friends other then Andrew.
Tiffany was an instant friend. In many ways we are polar opposites. But in many ways, we are soul sisters.
When Andrew and I hit a rough patch right before we were supposed to get married (AKA, Andrew got cold feet and lost his mind temporarily), she didn't hesitate to come pick me up in the middle of the night and move all of my belongings into her house. I lived there with her family for a few months and together we got through one of the hardest and loneliest times of my life. While there was plenty of room in the basement for us to each have our own room, we slept side by side. We went everywhere together.
And when she had a rough spot in her life, I tried my best to repay the favor that she had done for me years before. I'm sure I didn't do enough, but I hope I eased her burden at least a small amount.
The night our caseworker called to tell us Josie was on her way, she was literally one of the first calls I made. Everett is just one month older then Josie so I knew she'd be able to help me. The fact that Josie made it through those first couple days with us is owed to Jason and Tiffany letting us know what and how and when to do things for her!
Over the past 8 1/2 years (OMG Tiff, can you believe we've know each other that long?!?) our friendship has been tested by fire and come out pure gold.
Between our 3 children under 2, our driven husbands, and crazy work schedules, we don't get to spend nearly enough time together. That's why days like Saturday mean so much to me.
And I think this picture speaks it better then I ever could. Thanks for being you Tiffany. And thanks for letting me be me. I love you.