An old adage of one of my old pals goes like this: I always feel like God's little darling when I look around at my friends.

I have felt this grateful cup runneth over just-gotta-crow feeling before. But lately, I just feel it ALL the time. I mean, I almost wake up expecting to be amazed by how wonderful my friends are. They are all so precious to me. For the last few years, though, they've all felt so far away from me. And not that I mind logging the airmiles, but life is so much better when your favorite people are just a T ride away.

So this is where I am downright spoiled. Not only are my faraway friends just generally so good about reaching out, but I have also been so blessed, especially in the last six months to have gotten to know - I mean see their kids tantrumming pantsless getting to know - a group of seriously phenomenal families that live right in my neighborhood! As a few of us were headed out of Itsy Bitsy Yoga last week and discussing if we'd be meeting up after, in the shuffle of putting on boots and leaving wayward mittens behind, one of my friends Sierra said, "Oh yeah, we'll be there for Friday Pancakes. I've been looking forward to Friday Pancakes." I felt so relieved that she said that because I had been feeling the same way. Not only because we'd be celebrating Baby Girl's birthday with all of her pals at Friday Pancakes at our neighborhood cafe, but because I have come to look forward to Friday Pancakes as this sweet little cabbage patch dance in the endzone of a long week.

And maybe she only meant that she was looking forward to actually eating pancakes, but I know for me that feeling like God's darling tastes like maple syrup.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga:

Friday Pancakes, and the pancaking of Baby Girl to the couch:

These are the cupcakes I made for Baby Girl's first birthday to share with the churchies. I finished the last batch at midnight. The stars were not looking as good by that point. Le sigh.

I think they still tasted all right, though.