Scrapbooking Weekend!

This past weekend I had the awesome privilege of meeting up with some of my college buddies for some catch up time that we affectionately termed "Scrap booking Retreat". My friends Shannon and Frances came up Thursday and spent the night at my mom's house. We had a blast just sitting outside talking into the night and into the next day! We grabbed a Subway lunch and headed to the park the next day where we were able to just talk about what God has been doing in our lives. It is so good to just share our joys, frustrations, challenges and triumphs with kindred sisters!

Being the amazing photographer that she is, Frances could not pass up a picturesque field of wildflowers. We had to stop and have our pictures made. Just check out the photographer at work! What would we do without that little timer button? It is always a blessing to be able to spend time with my sister-friend, Fran! We have known each other a long time and have spent many of our big moments together (weddings, seminary, births, deaths, ministry: the good, the bad and the ugly, and special trips and visits). What would I do without her, well, lets just not think about that. I am always grateful to my Father above for the special friendship He has given us.

Ahhhhhh!

What a cutie!?! It had been a long time since I had been able to spend time with Shannon. Shannon was in my master life group in college and has remained a friend ever since. We were the transfer students. Oh, the memories that we share from that first year at college--me, fresh after becoming a christian the summer before! I am so thankful that God has joined us on many occasions (including major events like our weddings, other people's weddings, scrap booking retreats, camping adventures, etc.) with the opportunity to share life together. She is truly a blessing to me. And, I don't think she has aged a day since college! She is kind of like Dick Clark--timeless! We must discover her secret!!!

Wendy and Meredith joined us at our hotel that evening and we were ready to scrapbook. Meredith and I have known each other since 6th grade. She moved away during high school and then we met up again in Auburn as we all went to the BCM there. She married another friend of ours from Auburn and they are serving in youth ministry in a church. Meredith is great with child and we are so excited for her and Shane as they add another sweet baby to their lives. It was truly awesome to be able to spend time with her this weekend and just hear how God is blessing their lives.

Wendy and I also met at the BCM at Auburn. She and I had so many education courses together and we would laugh and talk about school and about boys, of course! Wendy married a friend of ours from the BCM also and then moved to my hometown with her husband to serve in ministry there. She and her husband are very close to our family and we are fortunate to be able to spend time with her and Kevin and their precious girls when we come home to PC. God has blessed her with a great sense of humor and she makes me laugh out loud! She has great stories--just ask her! Wendy is a sweet sister to me!

My how scrap booking has changed over the years! Meredith is demonstrating a more traditional approach to the scrap booking that was going on in our room. Pictures, scissors, tools and letters make for a fabulous album. She was extremely diligent. Wendy also went with this approach and won the award for the largest scrap booking bag I have ever seen! That girl is stocked with supplies!Shannon is demonstrating the other approach. This approach to scrap booking is definitely less messy. It requires a laptop and access to Shutterfly. Oh and also a great pillow. Look how happy she is with her album! It was really cool! Frances and I took another route. She taught me how to backup my blog and save it into printable Word documents. She spent her time backing up her blog and getting it ready to print. She is always full of fabulous ideas. What was I doing? Battling computer viruses, of course!

This was the frustrating part of the weekend. My computer was infected just before I left for the retreat and did not show the damage until I got to the hotel. Would you believe that I got these viruses (plural) while looking up home school curriculum? Home schoolers, ARG!!! I fought my computer the entire weekend but I did get my blog backed up. I do feel like I owe everyone who reads a major apology for not using my spell checker. How annoying!!! The spelling errors were atrocious (I spelled that right) and totally unlike me. I am actually a good speller. From now on I will use the spell checker and save all of you from the nightmare that is my late-night blog spelling!

The computer is still infected, we bought the anti virus software but something is in there deep, so if you think of it, say a little prayer for her. "Out with the demons" is quite appropriate!

I thank my God above for this sweet retreat with these special friends. How blessed I am even if I do have an infected computer!