What About Yo Frennzzzzz?

I think I've posted before about how blessed I am, that I really am living a charmed life. My husband is great and I have two adorable, sweet, healthy boys. I have family nearby who are almost always on call to provide free babysitting and I am involved in a tae kwon do school that nurtures me physically, socially, and spiritually. Oh, and I go to a wonderful church, too. My life is terrific, really. One way God has always blessed me is through friendships. In high school I had a tight-knit group of friends from both my church and my school. Even though most of these friends and I rarely talk anymore, having them still kept me out of a lot of trouble when I was younger. In college I had friendships that were even deeper and more beneficial, and I even had those kinds of friendships once I graduated and started teaching, especially with my two roommates, both of whom were in my wedding. I kept some of these post-college friends even once I married and had children, although some of them are single or married without children. My bestest friend lives in Vero and while we have a hard time catching each other on the phone, we visit pretty regularly. Another of my besties lives here in LW and thanks to AOL Instant Messenger, we talk pretty much every day. She and her mom also babysit my kids from time to time. Another good friend of mine is a nurse and has regular weekdays off, so sometimes she'll come over and we'll take the kids to lunch then play video games or watch TV on DVD while they nap. She's 10 years younger than me, but we get along fabulously. Facebook has made it easier for me to keep in touch with my current friends and people I haven't talked to or seen in decades. In addition to these wonderful people in my life, I now have my newest friends - my Mom friends. I see them at MOPS, at the playpark, and at playdates at various homes. This was the missing link, the piece of life puzzle that I didn't even know was missing. I admit that it's hard for me to make new friends and that when I first had Ethan, I didn't think I needed Mommy friends or MOPS. Boy, was I wrong. The friendships I have made through MOPS have given my life a new fullness. It's great for my kids, too; they now have playmates and other adults to love and who love them. So thank you, all of you. Thanks to those of you who knew me in high school or college, those of you who were in my wedding and saw me through the post-college/pre-Todd years, and most of all, just for today, thank you to my Mom friends. You all make me feel a little saner and a little less alone in the craziness of 24/7 childcare. And thanks for loving my kiddos, too.