Can I just say that one of the best things about living in King George County, Virginia, was the friends I made there? It all started with Michelle, who I met in the hospital when my son was born. He arrived seven weeks early, and her son was also born prematurely. We discovered not only did we share the challenges of being parents of preemies, but that we lived within a mile of each other in the same neighborhood! We were destined to be friends and so were our boys.

Michelle's warm personality and her love of entertaining drew her into an ever-widening circle of moms. Lucky me, I got to come along for the ride as she and some other enterprising women organized a playgroup and social network in our neighborhood. When the children were small, we took turns hosting weekly gatherings in our homes.

As our kids matured and headed off to school, the focus shifted from entertaining preschoolers to building closer ties among the moms, who began getting together once a month or so for a Girls Night Out in different people's homes. The group stuck together as members moved away and others joined, stay-at-home moms returned to work, and schedules got hectic as our kids embraced sports and extracurriculars. Often the ONLY time we'd see each other was at our Girls Nights Out.

One of the hardest aspects of moving to Belgium was leaving those relationships behind. Happily, my Home Grrrls have not forgotten me. For the second year in a row, they got together to celebrate my birthday. Heather hosted the first V-Grrrl fete last year with a Better-than-Sex theme. This year Michelle gathered the gang at her place for a tea party because I'm an avid tea drinker (and because she had an itch to break out her Grandma's china). :D

The Grrrls all bought gifts for me, packed them into an ENORMOUS wicker hamper, and shipped them to Belgium. E staggered up the stairs with this huge box last night, and I had the fun of digging into it as we received our first snow of the season here. There were gourmet teas, coffees, chocolates, cookies, and treats and lotions and books galore--everything a Grrrl needs to get through the gray days of February.

E-Grrrl, watching me as I unloaded the box said, "All I can say, Mom, is your friends TOTALLY spoil you!"

And they do.

Love y'all.

I'm one Lucky Grrrl.

February 7, 2007