Special Visits

On Tuesday, we were able to meet up with Mom and Dad at Oakway Center for some lunch and fro yo.   I'm so thankful that we all live close enough to see each other so often and celebrate holidays and birthdays together.  They gave us cards that nearly made us cry and we had some good catch up time.

Of course, this little one somewhat stole the show.  She passed up sorbet and preferred instead cucumbers from Mom's salad.  That is definitely NOT my child!

Then, on Wednesday, this gal came to town and spent about three and a half hours at my house.

Her name is Nina Huckabay and we met when she was a freshman at UO.  I had already graduated from Western Oregon and was on leadership with CCF.  I noticed her walking in that September to CCF one Sunday morning and made a special effort to reach out to her because she seemed like a genuinely "really neat" person.  She made an incredible first impression, but the more I got to know her, the more I fell in love with her sweet spirit and zest for life.  As the years went on, we got closer, she was part of a small group of about six gals that was the best group of women I could have ever asked to lead in a Bible Study.  Time and time again, I would comment that Nina made me laugh out loud more than any other person.   While she was a fun person, it's not like she was a "class clown" - it's just that we got each other and enjoyed laughing about anything together.

We've stayed in touch, but only through social media and Christmas cards.  Her life has led her back to Santa Monica where she grew up.  She's been teaching third grade for the last twelve years.  I can only imagine how much her classes adore her.  In 2007, she came up for a wedding and passed through town and called to see if she could stop by.  My kids remember her because she showed up in a convertible red Mustang that she had rented and let them ride in it.  =)

So, it's been six years since we've even talked on the phone, much less seen one another.  But, you'd never know it by our conversation.  It's as if no time had passed.  Conversation was easy, two-sided, encouraging, and often lost in tangents as we touched upon "like" stories of how God has worked in our lives.  IT WAS A JOY!

Of course, I wish Nina lived closer and we could do this more often, but I'm thankful for the relationship we do share.  Sisters in Christ who can pick up in each others' lives at the drop of a hat...and love and pray for each other in the meantime.