Retreat with friends

This last weekend I spent at the coast with my wonderful friends of about 20 years. Some I've known longer - some shorter but for the most part 20 years of friendship. love and I must say service to one another. We usually do a cookie exchange every year and this year thought it would be fun to spend a few days making the cookies together. It was a great idea but with only one kitchen and 8 cooks (Tracie could not make it she had a sick child) it was a little tricky. We spend a lot of our retreats at the coast. It really is a great place to renew and get the much needed girl time that we need. We all have very busy lives - with 45 children between us and now grandchildren entering the picture you can imagine that when we are together it is full of lots and lots of entertaining fun! It is a time to just "hang out" and not be on any ones schedule but ours. If we want to eat, we eat. If we want to go play, we go play. If we just want to sit and do nothing, we do nothing. But usually there is not time to just do nothing. I was thinking on the way home how wonderful these ladies are and they are my sisters more than friends. We have gone through a lot of ups and downs together and I can not imagine my life without them. It was just a wonderful way to start my holiday season.

Now that I am home decorating needs to get done, cards finished and mailed, gifts to finish making, gifts to mail and lots of loving and laughter to be had with my family. I am rejuvenated and up for all that this month holds. I just love all the hustle and bustle, especially when the hustle and bustle bring joy and love!