How to slow down...

I just don't know how to do it. It appears this summer is just going to be filled with fun and going from one fun thing to another. This is such a great problem to have. So many friends that we have to say "no" to some.

I was sitting at the beach yesterday and mentioned to a friend that I just didn't know how to keep up this pace and still get to see friends and have fun this summer. She just smiled with a knowing look and reminded me about the time when I would have given anything for some friends to spend time with.

When I first met Becky we had lived here for two years, I had no church and one person I could call friend. It was rather pathetic really. When we moved here I had a one year old. Then soon after found out we were pregnant with K. During the pregnancy I developed gestational diabetes and needed to go to diagnostics twice a week to be monitored. How does a mom go to the hospital without the other child when she has no friends or family to watch child number one?

And you think that was hard... even harder to deliver a child and no one there to celebrate with you. My one friend felt so bad for me she tried to make up for all that was lacking. She smuggled in chocolate, brought balloons, cards, magazines (I had a c-section so was there for a week). She really did cheer me up and make me feel loved. She still is a great friend!

That was such a lonely, difficult time. I would have given anything for friends that "knew" me. For friends I could feel safe with. For friends to spend time with. OK, to be honest just a warm body that was bigger than my little baby would have been sufficient. Just someone to talk to during the day. Those were the days that I would go to the mall just to walk around and talk to an occasional stranger. I still can't believe I was bored enough to go to a mall. If you know me IRL, you know that I only go to a mall kicking and screaming!

Fast forward to today... I love my friends and I have so many people I want to spend time with, and my kids want to spend time with, that we are barely home all week. We have some wonderful friends and feel so blessed. What a great problem to have!!