well, ya gotta have frienddddddssssss....

Brenda Funk (she's in choir and surprised Judy)
Judy (WOOHOO! SOOOOOO great to see her!!), Birgit (maker of flirtini's), Sherrie(with a new haircut), Cindi Goron (told one of the funniest Target stories I have ever heard) , Theresa (had a ball and got louder with each refill, but still wasn't the loudest one there!!)
FRONT:

Christine (I'm so glad she came...first time!!), Lynda (two nights in a row with this little party woman!!), Nicole (first time in my house!!), Kimberlee(said she was staying 10 minutes and stayed wayyyyyyyyy longer), me (in my new "hanging with my peeps tshirt!!) and Michelle Cabeza (turns purple when she has a martini)

Another weekend, another excuse for some fun and laughter and being blessed by the peeps in my life...even if I couldn't be in FL (sniff, sniff)Friday we had appetizers and martinis for Judy and 12 other women who I just love!! I can't remember laughing that much...well...probably since last weekend.

It was a dream of mine, at the beginning of the year, to keep having this casual drop in nights that give us all a chance to just hang and talk and get to know people we wouldn't normally. I am so aware of how blessed I am to have the friends I have, and I think everyone should be blessed with strong, funny, confident, honest, transparent, non-judgmental friends!!

The night started off great...I opened the club soda and it attacked me, the clothes I was wearing, my counter and floor....I didn't know club soda could make an arc the way it did, on the way to half drowning me, but it did!! Luckily, we didn't need much for the cosmos...we still have some left...and now I"m "vodka girl"...I don't THINK SO!! I made nametags for everyone with silly things on them like "my filter falls off" and "I"m obsessing about..." and "bad influence"...and don't think Theresa's drinking pop...it was some concoction that she kept changing all night!! Doesn't Judy look great??? I hate to admit it, but Seattle does a body good...at least hers!!

We stayed up till 1:30, Judy and Theresa and Sherrie left at about 1, Sherrie leaving just about 20 minutes before one...coward!! She brags about hanging with the big dogs, but all the 40-ish women outlasted her!! LOL Then it was up at 7:00 for the card swap Saturday...

The card swap started off glowingly..none of us knew how to get there, so we had to stop Fran (the one who did, but we didn't have her cell phone #) and ask how to get there, then decided just to follow her. I don't even know what we talked about on the way up there, but I know we laughed out butts off (sadly, there is no actual physical evidence of that happening!!). Made 46 cards in however many hours we were there...and then I WON the BIG BIG door prize...a cuddlebug (I think that's what it's called...I'm a die-hard sizzix girl). I met a lady who was on flylady with me too...small world!! Anyway, the greater library area new I won coz I screamed and threw my hands up in the air and you'd think I won the lottery, but that was NOTHING compared to Kimberlee winning the software she hoped for. On the way home, we had to turn around twice, drive through pouring rain, and looked at all our cards while driving (no ace driving awards for us...but oh well!!) Get home, to have yours truly pour her tea INTO the waterproof bag I chose to hold everything for the day...so I look in the bag (and say Thanks God for giving me the idea to pack up all my cards at the library) and see my camera floating in a pool of chocolate mocha tea...it's a little sticky, but it has lived to tell the tales.

another fun, fabulous day....rushing home to get to small group on time...which was amazing. I mentioned having a martini night and one of the women in my group asked me (imagine eyes opened wide and jaw a bit slack) "real ones??"...I still smile at that. Shes so, I don't know, sheltered, maybe? Everyone continued to share their stories (we started two weeks ago) over yummy lasagna and chicken tetrazzini, salad and super garlic bread (thanks to Sonja D...her mom made it that way and I will till I die or swear off garlic bread!!). Fabulous dessert with layers of yummmmmm....and then of course, stay late and get stupid with D&R. Are they warped? Perhaps...but I love them to death. There is nothing that brings an instant laugh than the twinkle in R's eyes when he's making fun of someone and trying to come off serious. And D..."I may be dumb but..." as IF...I think she's one of the wisest women I know and I love hanging with her...and that freaky dog with the underbite and weird teeth...honestly. He thinks he's a cat!!

Judy leaves on Tuesday...I am soooo hoping we can hang out a bit tomorrow...she didn't make it to church today...and SOMEONE CALLED MY FREAKIN HOUSE AT 730 THIS MORNING!!! ARE THEY INSANE??? No, they just couldn't get their key unstuck (I am NOT kidding..that was the big emergency) I think I'm going to start answering the phone instead of passing it on to Paul..."Hello, if there isn't blood or death involved, there will be for calling at this hour. Please call back after 10" Think they'd get a clue?

Service was great...what is the seed within the seed (each corn kernal produces 2 ears of corn that produce 800 ears of corn, etc) But the point was: the passion within you, the gifts you have (and they aren't all church related) are YOUR seeds and it may be preaching or singing but it may be athletics or being kind or welcoming or whatever, but those seeds are what GOd gives each of us to grow his kingdom...

Oh..nap...well, sorta. Paul was snoring next to me...so maybe a rest is more like it. Which was desperately needed: I think I got a total of 10 hours sleep since Wed. night!!

Then...went to Premonition with Sandra Bullock. Good movie, if someone predictable at the end. Really, you have to think to watch it.

Trail mix for dinner...and thus ends a great weekend...and begins a "normal" week. Just Joseph's 57 social engagements (now that he's off grounding) and Victoriously Frazzled on Thursday...and I"m PROMISING myself not another 4 am gabfest. 345 at the latest. No really!!

Tomorrow is weigh in...it's probably gonna be ugly. This past week I was just BAD with exercise and this weekend, eating bad bad for me stuff! And how many calories are in a chocolate peppermint martini (that was Sherrie's idea...)