I have a friend!

Last Friday afternoon, we (Scott, the Picklebean, the Potato Bug and I) were all hanging out at my mom-in-law's house. I was sitting in her office with Eden on my lap playing some silly hide -n- seek game on the computer. I love that office. It has a huge bay window that lets in a ton of light. It faces the front of the house, so I have a great few of her flower bed... and the neighbor's house. 


We love her neighbors. This is where Bella (Jeffrey's little girlfriend) lives. Michelle & Jeremy (mom & dad) are seriously two of the sweetest, funniest, most generous and thoughtful people we know. And being in Oregon, they pretty much stick out like a sore thumb. Just sayin'. (I don't want to forget Brayden, since I'm doing the big introduction. Brayden is their almost 2-year old son. Oh my goodness, what a cutie patootie he is! More about him later.)


So, I'm sitting there playing reindeer games, Eden had just fallen asleep, and I notice Michelle pull up the drive. She parks... gets out... runs inside... comes back outside... and I hear, "Hey, lady!" I yelled back, "HI!" very enthusiastically. (I get excited when people say hi to me. I don't know why.)  I figured she was going to jump back in her car and leave, but noticed she was walking over to mom's house. So... I got up and met her at the door. 


She said she was going to EZ Orchards (this great local produce market just a half-mile away) - and one of our most favorite little places to get fresh fruits and veggies; not to mention their fresh, homemade donuts! TO DIE FOR - and asked if I wanted to go. 


Um.... WHAT??? 


Remember in cartoons when, say, Bugs Bunny got hit with something, and he'd make that "Aye-ee-aye-ee-aye-ee-aye" sound? That's totally what I was thinking at that moment.


Scott was in the kitchen cooking up a late lunch so I ran in to ask him if I had enough time to go with Michelle before lunch was ready. I came around the corner and just blurted out, "I have a friend!!!! A REAL FRIEND!!! Michelle just asked me to go to the Orchard!"


Now, you may be thinking, "I don't get it. Why is this such a big deal?" I'll tell you why. This was not a planned event. We didn't pencil this in our calendars 4 weeks ago. We didn't even talk about it over the phone or text message. This was completely spontaneous. She was going... saw me there... and thought, "I wonder if Kyra would like to join me..." 


THIS, people, is what I've been talking about all these months. THIS is what I miss. No big event. No fancy dinner planned. No big to-do about checking the calendar or I'll-have-to-get-back-to-you thing. It was the spur of the moment request. She was going and thought perhaps it would be more fun if we went together.


Excuse my language, but that was a Holy Shit moment. 


We went to the Orchard (to pick up a bunch of donated apples for an event she was having at the YMCA - where she works...) and on our way back, I just told her, "Thank you." And then told her how much she and Jeremy mean to us. 


I just want to say publicly that I SO appreciate this kind of friendship - at last!!!! If you don't have that kind of friendship, try it. It's awesome. Shopping trips, a run to Starbucks, a trip to the gas station, all those mundane tasks that we all have to do are much more fun with a friend in tow. If you think that no one would want to do that, just ask. You might be surprised.  This was (is) a normal occurrence in all the other parts of the world where I (and Scott) have lived. It's different here in Oregon. People just don't do that. 


But I found one who does. I love it!


The next day, I was going shopping for Mamasan - kind of a personal shopper kind of thing - and asked if Michelle wanted to go. I was planning on going first thing in the morning. She said she had this event until about 1:00. I said, "Well, I can wait until 2:00 or so if that would work for you." She said it would and that she would love to come with me.


Again, this is what I'm talking about. I didn't say, "Well, I'm going at 10:00 so if you're busy, I'll just go alone." I changed my plans to accommodate her schedule, so that we could be together. 


I did, and we were. And we had a great time! Then, later on our way home (after a couple hours of shopping) Jeremy had ordered pizza, and the rest of our families were over at her house waiting for us when we pulled up. We ended up staying until 11:30 (when Jeremy had to work at 5:30 the next morning). We laughed so much I think I might have broken a rib. And I came **this** close to making her pee her pants.  Just all of a sudden she got up and literally ran to the bathroom - the pee-pee dance at a full sprint. Awesome.


This is always the goal: to make her pee her pants from laughing.  


The day prior, Scott and I went to the park with the kids. I called Michelle to ask if she and the kids wanted to join us. She said they were headed to the circus and asked if we wanted to join them.


See? Just two spur of the moment invitations.... 


So, I just want to say that all these months of talking about community (or the lack thereof) wasn't because we didn't have any friends to speak of. It's just that friendships are done differently here.


But not anymore! I have one friend who does friendship in my language. 


Readers (whoever you are), I want to introduce you to my friend Michelle (and her little guy Brayden). I love this woman. I love her family. I love that she (they) is such a great neighbor to my Mamasan and that they watch out for her. I love that she is SO dedicated to her work at the YMCA that she puts in over 70 hours a week to help make the Y a welcoming place for people in the community. I love that she has such a fun spirit and loves to laugh! (Totally my kind of gal!) I love that she can laugh at herself. I love that she adores her children and her husband. I just love her to pieces. She's a great buddy to hang out with, a great friend to talk to, and a great distraction to all the chaos that is happening in my life at the moment.


We have known Michelle and Jeremy for the last 3-ish years, but it wasn't until last summer that we really started spending a lot of time with them - mostly in the shared drive while the kids played together.  We both have commented that we wish we had known each other longer. We both have had the same experience trying to make friends here.... It sure would have been nice to have each other to pal around with all this time. 


And, to top it off, we share the same birthday! 


I have a friend! The kind of friend I've been missing since I moved here. Life in the last several weeks has just been so much... brighter... because of her.


Michelle - You're awesome. I love you. Bing Bang Bong!


PS - Here is Bella and Jeffrey cuddling on the couch under a blanket. Bella wanted to hold him... She probably weighs maybe 5 pounds more than he does (but is at least a foot taller). How cute are they? And look at little Brayden sitting in the corner all by himself. Soon, Eden will be big enough to cuddle with him. 


Seriously, how cute is he? He has the most tender little face! And, oh, those eyes!  


I have some more shopping to do for my Mamasan. I think I'll give Michelle a call....