New Friends

One of our neighbors has often had her niece over to spend a few days with her at a time. We've tried to get my girls together with her niece for a couple of years. Finally, it has happened. And, you know what? They have a TON of fun together.
It's so strange to have the ability to have a child pop over or the request to go over to her friend's house without having to drive!! It's so wonderful! It's especially great today because they are out there swimming while Gianna takes an extended nap. It's great to let Gianna get the rest she needs while still allowing Emily to have some fun and get some special time with a friend.
This totally takes me back to my own childhood. We lived in a small town and there were several children close enough in the area to play with. However, there were no friends as great as the ones just across the street. Beth and Angie were the perfect match for the Liz and Rachel duo. I was obviously always the big lug in the group, but it was so fun. I remember things ranging from playing with their gerbils, to cleaning their backyard (way more fun to rake your friends' yard than your own), to the "secret clubhouse" that was actually the area next to the crawl space but it had a light so we thought it was great for a clubhouse. They were such great friends and I often wonder where they are today (we moved away when I was ten years old, so it's been eons since I've heard from or seen them).
I'm so grateful for new and old friends!