Archive for the 'Friends' Category

Fellowship. Community. Support. All of these words bring to mind warm and cozy feelings. In the stay-at-home mom “world”, there is nothing more important than getting connected to a group of like-minded friends who you can converse with, laugh with, and love. I have been so fortunate to find this type of friendship. It all started when we moved to town and I attended my first La Leche League meeting. I met new people and had a great time. Not too long after that, I was invited to one of their homes for a “cloth diaper party”. Basically a playdate…and we talked about diapering our babes. After that meeting, we had a huge increase in the number of “natural parenting” groups in town. I started a babywearing group, my friend Sarah started a cloth diapering group, the Holistic Moms Network started meeting, the Attachment Parenting group was growing..and POOF! A community of like-minded families rallied around each other and we started our own little tribe. We have meetings of some sort nearly every week, as well as a weekly playgroup. Several of us get together in each others homes as well to chat and let the kids play. And it was during one of these playdates that a couple of us started talking about the importance of community, especially with mothers of young children. When you get together with other moms, you realize that you’re not the only one who has a messy house. You’re not the only one who get burned out. You’re not alone in your frustration with your 2 year old. When you can talk through these things with others who have been through it, your load becomes lighter. It’s also reassuring to know that I’m not the only one who is obsessive about organic foods and non-plastic / non-commercial toys for my child.
Here is a great article detailing the process of helping out in each others’ homes…and building your own tribe. Put some hot water on for tea and invite another mama over today!

Capoeira. A few months ago I would have said…”capo what?” But thanks to my friend Rebecca, I’ve learned about the interesting new world of Brazilian dance and martial arts. Rebecca and her husband, Mauro, run the Des Moines capoeira group, which originated in Sao Paulo, Brazil in the 1970’s. I have attended 3 of their “events” (most recently, The World Food Festival) and have thoroughly enjoyed learning about a new culture and new form of expression. I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures and would love to travel to Brazil some day.

Capoeira first came about in Brazil, where slaves from several different African cultures were thrown together. The slaves combined fighting, music, and dance elements of their cultures and came up with what is now called Capoeira.

African slaves developed their own fighting style to protect themselves from white slave owners, but hid their training by making it look like a ritualistic dance-game.
It was practiced by Brazilian slaves up until they were freed in the 1888, at which point Capoeira became the fighting style of criminals. Capoeira gangs would have their own turf, where they controlled the criminal activities. Capoeira at that time incorporated less ritual and music and involved the use of weapons such as knives and clubs. In the early 20th century, the first Capoeira academies were opened, and Capoeira went from being the art of outlaws to being declared Brazil’s national sport.

(www.capoeiradesmoines.com)

They also teach Afro-Brazilian dance, which is delightful to watch as well. There is so much energy…the music made by the drums and other instruments is amazing. Check out some more photos here. Hear music and learn more here.

In early August, we flew out to Denver/Boulder. Matt flew onto Boise to pick up our bus, and I stayed in Denver with my brother, and then in Boulder with our friends, the Cheeks. I love Boulder. I love the people. The atmosphere. The food. The coffee. It’s just good stuff. Check out the photos here.

We went to the Farmer’s Market, the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival, the Emmaus Road Church “dedication”, out for Thai food, out for coffee. Fun times.

We love spending time with the Cheeks. Even though we may not see each other for months and months…it’s as if no time has passed at all. It’s crazy to think that we’ve been friends for just 8 years. It seems like so much longer! I could sit for hours talking to Natalie, and I know Matt could do the same with Kris. In fact, we used to do that a lot more BEFORE we had kids. Now, freetime is a little harder to come by, but it makes every moment all the more sweet.

It was great to be there and see the great things that are happening with the church plant. I praise God for what He is doing there and also that He has allowed us to see so many friends and family this summer.

Earlier this year I went to see my friend, Kristin, in Kansas City. I just now got around to uploading the photos. Here are the photos of our fun.

A few weeks ago, I made another trip down to spend time with her while Matt was in Scottsdale. Photos here.

It’s always wonderful being with Kristin…she is a beautiful soul. We also love the exact same things. We are sisters.

We went to Lawrence. We ate Thai food. We drank tea. We went out for coffee. We talked about Jesus. We watched Miami Ink. We played on the Internet. We cooked. We laughed. We hugged. We rode around in the bus. We watched a movie…possibly one of my favorites. Can you guess what it was? Here is a hint:

“I like to look for things no one else catches. I hate the way drivers never look at the road in old movies.”

We have the best time whenever we are together. This last time, I was there for 5 days. That’s a long time to spend with anyone you aren’t related to. I loved it though…because once you get past the first couple of days, you just get to live life together. Meals, emotions, bedtime, etc…the “daily-ness” of our lives. When you can be together in the mundane daily routine, and you still love each other, that is true friendship. One that will last a lifetime.

I love mail. Real paper mail. Cards. Postcards. Packages and such. The problem is…we have lost the fine art of correspondence. Letters used to be the only way to “get word” to someone. Then came the telephone. Then came email. Oh the email. Don’t get me wrong…I love email too, but there is just something cold, electronic, and impersonal about it. When I go to my mailbox and see a handwritten note, I am GIDDY with excitement. If that letter is 3 pages long with doodles, quotes, verses, a teabag, and such, I am ECSTATIC. You would think I won the lottery. I I know exactly when my mailman arrives everyday. I loooove having my mailbox right on my house so I can grab it quickly! Ninety percent of the time, I recieve junk mail or business mail, but I am blessed to have a few select friends in my life who appreciate the value of a handmade/handwritten note. I love them for that. Their letters need not contain deep thoughts…I just love to hear about the happenings in their daily lives.

When you send real meal, you are basically saying that the person on the other end is worthy of your time. You are putting your feelings onto paper…a permanent expression of your love for them. I have saved many letters over the years…from my dad, my grandma, my sister, my brother, my husband…and everytime I open that letter again, I am transported back to the first time I read those words.

So my challenge for everyone reading this…is to write ONE letter this week. Brighten someone’s day, send photos, send goodies, send your love.

More thoughts on letter writing.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user “Living in Monrovia”.