my jules

this was probably one of the best days of my entire summer. my long time, bestest friend, came to visit with two of her kiddos in august. oh, how i’ve missed that girl! last time she came to visit, she was coming to take care of me. i was in a drug induced fog, at times comatose, after my first big surgery. for at least two weeks after my bilateral mastectomy i couldn't really take care of my boys. couldn’t hold my three year old’s hand going up and down the stairs, couldn’t lift them, couldn’t let them sit on my lap, or even snuggle. that was the worst part. they knew mommy was sick and they just wanted to hold me. but it hurt to even have someone touch me. tim was afraid to even move at night for fear that he’d jostle or bump me. i think he slept on egg shells for quite some time....

anyway, i digress... she came to lend a hand and be a stand-in mommy when i needed her. but it really wasn’t quality girlfriend time. and i certainly wasn’t my perky self. and so she came back! if i had known all i needed to do was get cancer to get her to visit i would have faked it a long time ago!

so last time jules was here, honestly, i don't remember much. or maybe i’ve blocked it out. either way, seeing her in august was like seeing her for the first time in a very long time... too long. tim was out of town with his kiddos, so it was just she and i, and our (5) children! so nice to hang with her, stay up late talking, catching up, helping me sort things out since i’m on this new path, and yet reminding me of the girl i’ve always been. there is such comfort in being with another person that knows you so well... someone you trust enough to show you things about yourself that even you don’t see sometimes.

it’s easy and a lot like comfort food. except better, because it doesn’t make you fat! AND she doesn’t care what my hair (oops! or lack thereof) looks like in the morning as we chat over coffee. it’s the best.

i love her.

these photographs were taken one evening as we played in the park with the kids.

beautiful evening light.
beautiful children.
beautiful friend.