weekend with family friends

Group shot

In life there are people that you become friends with at that is all it is, friendship...and then, there are those few friends that become more like family than friends. This past weekend, Zack and I were able to spend some time with friends of that nature.

Zack's parents had a group of friends that they hung out with for years...and while they have all moved and grown and changed over the years, those friendships have remained strong. They have lived life together...and later apart, and the friendships have stood the test of time and even in some cases grown stronger over the years. They raised their children together, they went through hard times and happy times together...they share a lot of history together...and they love and care for one another.

Love these girls!

Zack calls many of them Aunt and Uncle...and so, I have adopted this tradition as well. We love them and always have such a great time with them. It is at times difficult to remember that they aren't actually family.

I have several friends from my high school and college years that I would lump into the friends that are family category...and even though we live in different places and don't see much of each other, they still hold a VERY special place in my heart...they are in a very real sense like family to me.

I hope that when Zack and I are in Zack's parents stage of life, with kids of our own, that we will have a group of friends that we still get together with that will mean the same thing to our children that these people mean to us.

The girls went for a walk...this is our attempt at a group shot! lol!

We were so excited to get to spend a weekend with them up in the mountains. We had a great time playing games and visiting the swimming hole...and eating WAY TOO much food! It was a weekend full of blessings and I am so glad that Zack and I were able to be there!

We played a game of "squishy" ball

...then after getting nice and sweaty,
we had some of Rachel and Ben's home grown watermelon!

and of course, then we had to go to the swimming hole!

..and of there had to be some guitar pick'n and singin'

...and most importantly, a time of praise/ corporate worship

to the strongest common bond that we all share...The Lord.

We feel greatly blessed to have such friends as these!!