Spring Skirt

Happy Monday Everyone! 

This past week I have been thinking about friendship and how friendships grow and change. I often write about how lucky I am to have all of my wonderful friends.

I was spending time with a new(ish) friend last night. (We have just started hanging out outside of work.) I, of course, was bragging about all of our mutual work friends when I realized that I have known/worked with/drank a few too many beers with/LOVED some of these women for five years. FIVE.

I decided that I should no longer consider them new friends.

I have been lucky to have a lot of different types of friends throughout my life. Friends that I have known my entire life, friends that came into my life for just a season. Friends that I was SURE that no matter what happened, we would always be close, only to realize that time and distance have separated us. And friends that I thought were just "seasonal" friends who I've come to love as long time friends.

In thinking about all of this, I realized that there is a WHOLE other class of friends that you can only hope to be lucky enough to have. The friends that become family. 

These people are the people who you no longer choose to have in your life, they just are. The friends that you no longer worry about keeping in touch with, because you know that you could no more stop talking to them than you could your sister, aunt, cousin, or mother.

These are the people who help your husband pick out your engagement ring. The people who ask for your permission to marry your best friend. The people who become ordained to marry you, come to your sister's wedding, visit you in the hospital, go to your grandparent's funerals, adopt your friends and family as theirs.

They are the people in your life that want you in the hospital when their children are born. Whose children think of you as aunt and who you have loved since the day they were born.

I have two of these friends, Haley and Maggie. 

Maggie is married to Mike and they have Grace. Maggie is pregnant with babies two AND three right now. Maggie's having twin girls.

Jeremy and I went out to see everyone yesterday. We had a great time basking in the mundane, as only lifetime friends can. We went out to eat, went to Target to run some errands, and played with Grace. 

In just a few short weeks, Maggie will bring two more little lives into the world. I'll be there, in the waiting room, wringing my hands and anxiously waiting to meet the two newest members of my "family".

In the meantime, here's a look at my new spring skirt.

I modified the pattern shown below.

And here's a look at the finished product.

Don't mind Mosby in the background. Now that's it's nice out, he spends all of his time looking for dogs.

And now, a quick update on my 27 list. I have been making good progress.

1. Finish changing my name on all documents. (I sort of stalled mid-change)-some progress MORE has been made
2. Write four three two one more blog posts featuring a craft.
3. Finish a knitting project for a friend's new edition. 
4. Run 27 22.5 14 6 miles.
5. Update information for my Illinois teaching certificate. -some progress has been made
6. Four three two one weekly visits to the dog park with Mosby.
7. Use a new pattern to make a fun Spring skirt for myself.
8. Clean out my (and Jeremy's) closets.
9. Donate items to Goodwill.
10. Try one new food. DISASTER! I tried a chicken foot. It was HORRIBLE.

11. Call Haley.(Hal, hopefully this weekend!!)
12. Do some landscaping on the back patio. (Even though we rent, it's nice to maintain for guests.)
13. Purchase the graduation gift I've been eyeing for a certain grad.
14. Catch up on Mad Men.
15. Visit Maggie (and Michael and Grace).
16. Organize my craft room.
17. Purchase a few needed items for our home (including a new pillow for Jer).
18. Take one instagram photo a day. So far, so good.
19. INSIST that I watch Sofia while my sister and Tony go out on a date. 
20. Formally introduce Jeremy to Moscow Mules. (I mentioned them here.)
21. Ask for a recommandation, buy, and listen to an album of a new band. (Feel free to leave me a comment with a recommandation!)  Thanks, Lizzy, for recommending The Civil Wars. They are awesome.
22. See The Godfather. 
23. Call my Gram.
24. Finish The Paris Wife. SO GOOD! 
25. Change my blog heading. 
26. Start our honeymoon photo album.
27. One random act of kindness.

Until next time, keep crafting.

SB