weekending at york's wild kingdom

This past weekend, we spent a whole day at a kiddie amusement park with two other families. The three of our families packed up our 6 kids, lunches for all, and headed out to York, Maine for a day of rides (and beach). This is the first time Jason and I have taken our boys to an amusement park...and I've gotta say, it was a good time for the whole family, and a nice day of fun and bonding with friends. Once we had 2 kids, it was pretty rare to spend a whole day with another family with kids. The kids (and parents!) schedules are always different, and it's hard to coordinate even a few hours together much less a whole day. This weekend was nice, because not only was fun had by all, but we were doing it with other families! Spending a whole day together, watching the kids play and laugh and run, and the parents trying (desparately) to keep up. It was just nice to be in the company of others who were also walking this journey of raising young children, being exhausted, and having fun together.

friendship

I am a big believer in seasonal friendships - friends and community that lasts for a season, but not a life-time. Circumstances, location, life-stages and whatnot may cause these friendships to be very close for a season, and then grow more distant at others. Many of my most life-giving and supportive friendships have been of this sort, and I am very grateful for them. But there is, on occasion, the ones that last more than a season - the ones that last through different life-stages, and ones that may even last a life-time. The tone and tenor of the frienship may change through different seasons, but the relationship remains close and strong. This weekend, I spent three days with such a friend, and it made me realize how rare and nice it is to have these. Funny how 10 years ago, we were single, law school students who loved hosting dinners together and talking about living intentionally, purposefully, missionally. Ten years later, we lugged our husbands and (my) children to the Cape to spend a weekend in a tiny house on the beach - we talked about marriage, parenting, our work, our families, and about living intentionally, purposefully, missionally. Many things have changed, but there are some that remain the same. And for that, I am grateful.