B.F.F.

Memories (or at least the ones I can remember in my old age) with my best friend are some of my fondest! Continuous walks around the neighborhood. Swimming. Cooking. Beach trips. Non-stop talking. Inside jokes (R.P.C.B.P.C.A.B.).

There is just something about developing that best friend relationship with your neighbor who lives across the street. You are constantly together. You have dinner at each other's house often. Her mom becomes your "other mom" and vice versa.

Annabelle is growing up! And along with growing up she is developing friendships. But she has found her "favorite friend" as she called her last week. Someone that will actually play with the poor child whenever she requests it. Within the past month, she exclaimed to me, "I just love her!" shortly after her new best friend left to go home.

Some days she sheds tears when Elizabeth leaves or she has to come in for dinner. But we're working on controlling those emotions.

Annabelle has truly found her first best friend. Elizabeth is almost 3 years older than Annabelle, but they play so very well together.

My heart actually aches at the thought of moving now. Even though we could definitely use more space, I know that Annabelle would be heartbroken. I wonder if some people never find their true best friend.

I wonder if God is whispering to us gently, urging us to stay here. On Halloween, as we were trekking through the neighborhood, I took Sophia trick-or-treating to my favorite house in the neighborhood just so I could ask the owner who built their house. It was a tear down and rebuild a few years ago. The owner said, "That is the builder leaving right now." The builder was the owner's friend, and as we walked to the front door, we had passed the builder who was in the driveway with his wife buckling their little girl into her car seat. Yes, the owner and builder are friends, but isn't that ever so strange?

It is bitter sweet to watch Annabelle grow up, but it is such a blessing to know that she is developing a friendship with a very sweet, young Christian girl.

And this evening, Annabelle has joined their family for pizza and movie night.

Oddly enough, my best friend was three years younger than me and lived directly across the street from me.