So Long Shanghai....

This friendship began about 3 months after we moved here to Prescott (approximately 7 years ago). I had one cute, rambunctious little 19 month old boy...and I was sick and pregnant with Laina. A friend told me, "join the Y(MCA)...that's where all the moms are." I was desperate...desperate for female interaction...desperate for playgroups...desperate for help in entertaining this ball of energy - the Indy 500. My first thought was "join a gym? I'm barfing all over the place...how can I join a gym??" Then my desperation took over and I convinced myself I could go and stand on a treadmill and ACT like I was working out AND still use the free babysitting from the kidZone. So I did, and I signed Indy and I up for a swimming class.

January of 2003...the first class of the tots swimming went great and I met a cute, but quiet (HA!)girl...who had an adorable boy. We continued chatting into the locker room and the next Sunday ran into each other at church. We laughed about it and became VERY good friends...she watched the Indy 500 while I finished out my contract with the Department of Education (reviewing the school lunch programs in Northern Arizona- my former life as the RD)...she also watched me balloon into a whale and cause serious water displacement as I, 7-8 months pregnant, would have to run after Indy when he hopped out of the kiddie pool and darted over to the big pool threatening to jump in.
Over the years, we've added a few kids. She cleaned and organized my closet at 4am while I was in labor at the hospital with McLaren. We've taken trips to the dunes (only ONE infamous trip to the dunes - after crashing 2 times Matt took her quad away from her :) and to Lake Powell (she and I were banned from driving together after feeding the kids red vines and chicken nuggets...some of which ended up stuffed down Matt's door :)
She bakes like no other and when she visits she is immediately put to work in the kitchen. She decided to leave all of us about 3 years ago and head to Austin, Texas...I still haven't forgiven her. NOW - she's hauling her bunch across the globe to CHINA - Shanghai to be exact. Her husband is from Shanghai (and NO, he doesn't miss communism - I asked him :) and he's headed over there to work. She will bravely take on the task of homeschooling and trying to fatten the Chinese up with her mad baking skillz.
I will miss her. Immensely. We always seem to pick up right where we left off - and our kids never seem to miss a beat. It's crazy to think we started with just 3 kids and its turned into this...(too cold for Ella - there's snow everywhere behind me - and notice how not one child has jacket??!#$%:)

*(left to right: Matt, Laina, Lily, McLaren, Piper, Mia, Indy)

OKAY...I gave Indy such a hard time and asked him to PLEASE BE NORMAL while I took the above picture...then it was our turn...and this was one of the last ones we took: (sorry Indy...you come by your insanity naturally...I will try to not punish you in the future for being controlled by the DNA I gave you. I really thought that your father's would win out...and Laina - the next time I tell you that your voice is so loud...ignore me...I was told that growing up ALL THE TIME - luckily my self-esteem is still firmly entact.)

**Did you really think that I wouldn't make Ella take some pictures?? My time is running out - she'll be crawling soon and no longer immobile. Mobile = NO easy pictures.

The first one Laina took (okay so she held the button down and shot like 30 before I could get up and take it away!) while we were waiting for Stacie to get here (we're happy because we were dressed early for church - and nobody was beat....I mean nobody was in trouble.)

The little leprechaun!

YUP - framing this baby.