girls.

We are a funny bunch. That is for sure.
Tonight we had PGBS (Pretty Girls Bible Study) at Malia's house.  As usual, she dazzled our palates with a fresh middle eastern wild rice salad.  Sounds complex, but the fresh orange and lime zest were amazing.  Plus dates!  I know they will kill you, but I could eat dates until I am dead.  They are hands down better than chocolate any day.  Anyway, food was good.
Although we gathered to study the Bible, we pretty much just watched Sex and the City and made Malia give us a fashion show for her med school interview outfit.  Normally we are more on task, but tonight we were exhausted between sickness (Malia), work travel and oddball dates (Mar) and walking home from downtown after being on a jobsite all day (idiota =)) - we were down for the count.  But still it was so therapeutic.  Right before we rushed home to get in bed by 1015pm.  We talked about our prayer needs and prayed for each other.
I can't really explain the rhythm we have found as a little DC family.  But its exactly what we need and it is amazing.  Somehow we always manage to together.  Sometimes in duo, sometimes in trio, but always together like little nucleus. =)
Monday night I needed to go to Pentagon City Mall and asked Mar if she needed anything.  She didn't even respond to my question.  She just said sure, I'll come. We ended up finding a great little hoody Japanese spot to eat, took a trip to the Sweet Factory (ohh junior high how i miss thee) and finally pondering gynormous fake ring jewelry.  One of which almost had to buy because it wouldn't come off her finger.
Tomorrow night I will hook up with Malia to send her off to Roanoke in style and encouragement.  She says to me tonight, yeah, we can do shooters.  Hahaha! Sure.  We talk about drinking our troubles away all the time, but rarely do every make it that far.  In fact we have been meaning to go to this bar in dupont for like a year.  Unfortunately for the bar, its right across the street from Tangy Sweet (our beloved yogurt spot).  After lounging over some yogurt, fruit, and honey, we feel more relaxed and have chatted and ready to go home.  No bar, not today.
Oh and for Lent, we are giving up swearing.  I dont know when it happened, but we sound like a truck stop in Bozeman, Montana.  Wow.  But Lent doesn't start until March 16th (I am told), so I have committed to the most amount of swearing possible until then.  It really hasn't been much of a struggle, this commitment. ;-)

All of this is to say, wow.  For the rest of my life I will look back at this time as one of the most amazing periods in my little history.  Randomness, closeness, encouragement, occasional skirmishes, tears, way more laughter, food, errands, new years eve dinners, cute dresses, horrible hair, leisurely brunches, horrible work days and a lot of love.
Thank you Lord so much for surrounding me with a beloved family on the far side of the earth.
Keep us together somehow, even when start to spread our wings this year to different destinations.

my birthday princess hats.  yes, i am 32. haha!

New Years Eve at Nora in the booth.  Did I mention we didn't decide where to go until 830pm? Classic.

sledding in Pennsylvania or Maryland.  I have no idea where we were, but it was fun.  the best part is the photo got tagged on facebook.  someone, not me! tagged mari (far middle) as "large man".  nice.

mali, mar and janet at july 4th.  yeah, it was a while ago, but crap that was the best july 4th i have had in a while. =) we didn't miss anything!

^{Psalm 91.11 This is true!}

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you 

   to guard you in all your ways; 

¹² they will lift you up in their hands, 

   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.