I have a dear friend that I met over 16 years ago on my mission. She was one of my companions (twice actually) while I served in Oakland. This friend is Juli Schiess, but more commonly known as "Tippets". I have been fortunate to maintain and develop this friendship over the years. We went from being single, to newlyweds, to mothers, to exercise partners over this time period. We have discussed everything from child raising, to meal cooking, to scrap booking, to being a wife, religion, clothes, the mission, and even what we will be like as grandparents. She has been part of my life for so long and I can't imagine life without her.
Since we are friends, our children are friends simply because of our circumstances. Ever since Alyssa was 3 1/2 years old we have gotten together for play dates, field trips, park visits and even sleep overs. Our kids our getting older now and there visits are farther apart and yet they still love to get together.
Today, we were able to go to their house to "hang out". I was a little curious about how it would go. Juli has a 13 year old boy and Alyssa is 12. We have wondered how long they would still enjoy getting together or when it might start to get a little awkward. Well it took them a little while to warm up but by the end they were up to their silly antics as usual.
They have a wonderfully huge yard with so many fun things to do. We built a fire and had a cookout for lunch. My kids thought it was great to roast marshmallows in the middle of the day and I swear it was the best smore I have ever had. (Maybe it was because I could actually see it and didn't end up with marshmallow in my hair).
The kids are quite creative and this time was no exception. They created their own "country" called deathopotemia complete with a bill of rights, laws, declarations, costumes and even a flag. It was quite unique.
They had a wonderful time and always hate when it is time to say goodbye. Maybe they will maintain their friendships even after they have grown. Only time will tell.
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