26 hours of Laughter.

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was everything you needed it to be. I know for myself it was more than I could of ever asked for. Remember how I told you I couldn't tell you everything about my weekend? All I could tell you is I was leaving. Well, it was because myself and two other of my girlfriends planned a getaway for our dear friend who is turning thirty. Her awesome husband booked us a hotel at the Westin and well we came up with the rest. 

Let me preface this my saying Amy {Birthday Girl} and I are pretty much the 'old' ladies of this 'club' while Carrie and Ricki are {older in age but 10 years younger in the way the act}. They are so gonna love reading this! All four of us together is pretty much a sitcom in itself. 


Amy had NO IDEA until we pulled up in our sweet minivan {with writing all over it} and matching shirts. Yes, I wore a matching shirt. {the things I do for my friends} While we were driving up I was seriously sweating I was so nervous and excited for her. Can I just say she was in shock! I think I was so nervous {we all were} because we just wanted it to be special for her.  

We gave her 10 minutes to get her stuff together for the night. I was actually impressed. She totally did it in 10 minutes and we were out the door. We were gone for a total of 26 hours and let me just tell you it was truly the most fun I have had in years. We laughed until we cried, we danced, we wore matching shirts, we took a carriage ride around the city {thought we were going to get jumped but great memories}, we celebrated Amy, we were real with each other, we made each other laugh till we cried, we encouraged each other, we shopped and shopped and most of all we just enjoyed our our time together.

I feel like when you are in this stage of life, where you have little kids, it's hard to carve out time to spend with friends. Everyone is crazy busy. Everyone has different schedules. It's a choice and it takes EFFORT but the beauty of having good girlfriends far outweighs the effort it takes. Perhaps, for me I am finding some freedom in being myself, speaking my mind and yet having girlfriends who don't judge me, don't care if I'm ready to pull out your hair, they show me grace and I am thankful for these women. I am thankful to share life with them. I am thankful that when I am looking my worst and being an idiot they show me grace. They pray for me they encourage me. 

Perhaps, the true gift of this weekend was the realization that it's worth the effort, it's worth the time away from family, it's worth mixing your schedule up a bit, it's worth taking time for yourself, it's worth asking for help, it's worth celebrating a friendship. ITS WORTH IT!

My question for you is... Are you taking the time and effort to really strengthen and develop your friendships? Because if your not, I challenge you to start today! Make the phone, set up the play date or the dinner {with no kiddo's}. We need good girlfriends, who speak truth to us, laugh with us and help us walk this crazy life together!