Did you hear I won a giveaway?? When I signed up for this Creative Journaling E-Course I immediately emailed my mom and pal Tawnya to see if they'd join. Mom was in…. but my pal… a mama to two young boys and a CPA couldn't. That girl eats, sleeps and dreams taxes this time of year. Bummer.
So as the course ended and Shannon offered a giveaway over on her blog, I entered in hopes to win and give the class to T. You see, the two of us have been sending this journal back and forth for about 3 years now. That journal is full of baby foot prints stamped in ink and letters that are happy and sad. I knew this course was something she would L-O-V-E.
And guess what, I WON! (Thank you, thank you Shannon!!!)
Oh my, do the two of us have a history together. A beautiful crazy history so intertwined no matter the miles between us, and I thought you might like to know a bit about it…. 'cause it's the stories that bring us here anyway, right?
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Rewind a little over 13 years ago. (uff-da that makes a girl feel old)
I was a cashier….. a check-out-girl if you will……
Tawnya was my manager. The Head Cashier Boss-Keep-em-in-Line person.
She managed all us not so inspired check out girls that tried to rustle up a bit of enthusiasm while enduring our jobs. If you've never rung up groceries….. you have no idea what you missing. Seriously, I love bagging my own groceries to this day because I know just how I want it done. Don't laugh.
So…. we became pals. We hiked. We laughed. We played board games. We talked about life to come. We did cartwheels. We drank cheap wine. We had huge bonfires. And she introduced me to Joe.
Skipping over many fun times and even funnier stories and a tearful goodbye between us, we fast forward one year later and she is the Matron of Honor and bestest pal that flew from California to Alaska to attend our wedding.
Steph & Tawnya in Cordova, Alaska ~ 1998
A few years later she follows us out to Cape Cod…… and decides to stick around…. meeting her own future Mr. Right……. we add a few more kids to the Gypsy tribe and move away to Alaska. Another sad goodbye.
My little bug (Miss 11) Me and T in Cape Cod ~ 2001
After that comes Tawnya's wedding….. and we ALL, 5 of us at the time, fly from Alaska to Cape Cod to attend. My oldest daughter as one of the flower girls and me as a bridesmaid.
after a whole lot of fun dancing at Tawnya's wedding ~ 2005
Tawnya and Jade (Miss 11) ~ 2005
Then, the best thing ever happens. I get pregnant with the littlest of my bunch and T with her first. Within 6 weeks these little bundles of joy were due. Our friendship took this whole new amazing turn as we were now mamas together. 6000 miles apart…. but that didn't matter. We talked. We emailed. We wrote. She's the kind of friend that can send you the perfect maternity tunic to wear….. that's how good she is. (see below)
Visiting DC ~ Me 7 months pregnant with Mr. Three ~ 2006
And then the boys came along. Two very spirited strong willed beautiful boys. Oh my do these two ever keep us busy.
And then the boys met. And the mama bond between us grew even more.
The boys, Ted & Luke, at Tawnya's place in Cape Cod ~ 2008
Neither of us are phone girls….. so most of our communication is through emails or letters…. our journal we send back and forth a couple of times a year…. I can hear her voice in every word I read from her. She's like a sister I got to choose for myself. And oh yes we've had our share of sisterly disagreements. We know just where those feisty boys of ours get it from.
I love you T 🙂 You really are the bestest ever. I hope you LOVE the class 🙂
xoxo
steph