Bloggity Bliss

Whew! It's been a busy week for The Gang. And this Momma is feeling the bloggy love for sure. No one can ever convince me that the friendships built here in the blogosphere aren't real. I have had some awesome friendships spring up over the years I've been reading and writing here and this week not one, but TWO!, of my bloggy buddies came to my home for some IRL (in real life) face-to-face time with me and my gang.

First, we got the honor of hosting my sweet friend Kateri and her three munchkins for several days. It was a "normal" week for the Gang, in that we still had band camp, football camp, part-time jobs, and errands that kept me hopping in and out of the car. But Kateri and her kids graciously rolled with the punches and in between all my taxi runs to and fro, we got to enjoy plenty of pool time and girl talk and even a little retail therapy. Best of all, our kids get along just beautifully and really, really love each other.

Our story is an unusual one. We "met" through my sister-in-law, when both of us were new to our adoption journeys still waiting for our daughters. I say "met" because for a very long time, after my sister-in-law gave me Kateri's email and blog address, we just read each other's blogs and commented or emailed. Our first "IRL" meet up was on a visit to my sister-in-law's home for the holidays. I remember being sooo nervous. Which totally cracks me up NOW. When we finally got to meet in person, the connection was instant. It was like we'd known each other for years and years. And in the years since our long waits and crazy paper-chases, we've had many, many opportunities to continue building our friendship. Sometimes, I forget that I haven't known her for my whole adult life! It's such a pleasure to have a family with whom we know we will have a lasting and enduring friendship. As I said to her the other day, this friendship of ours is the second best thing to come out of our trip to China and back!

Alayna was so proud to jump off the board

for the first time!

She and Li'l Empress just kept jumping and jumping

and jumping and jumping.....

I walked in from dropping Dr. D at football to find

them all embroiled in a fierce game of Sequence.

They were totally cracking each other up!

THEN! The fun didn't stop there. While Kateri and her gang were packing up and getting ready to hit the road, ANOTHER bloggy friend pulled in for a first-time, face-to-face, IN REAL LIFE meet up.  Miss Beverly, her sweet hubby Danny, and their spunky and delightful daughter, Hannah, came to visit on a little side trip from spending time with family who had recently moved to the greater Philadelphia region. You might recognize the tag line "Happy In The Moment" if you have been a regular around here.  We were trying to figure out just how it is that we found each other's blogs and began our on-line correspondence but given that it's been well over four years now, both of us gave up the search.... All I know is that sweet Miss Beverly is, in person, EXACTLY as she is on her blog. As she is in our interactions on F@cebook. As she is in our emails. She's just as sweet, just as funny, and just as wise and compassionate as her written words are. I don't know about you, but I find that rare and refreshing and beautiful.

I was a tad chagrined that I was serving "gourmet" Dominoes pizza and "I slaved over them all day long" ice cream sandwiches from a box to this classic Southern belle who likely offers that famed Southern hospitality as first nature to guests in HER home. You know, with sweet tea, home-made biscuits, mint juleps and all. But she totally took it in stride and p'shawed my attempts at apology for my slacker Yankee presentation. For crying out loud, I even served it on the patio, from a box, in my cover-up. Heh. I must have REALLY felt at ease with her. Even I was wonderin' what I was thinking!  I did put make up on though, so I guess I didn't go tooooo Yankee on her! :)  JUST kidding. I'm kidding!  Seriously, though. It was a delightful visit and I can't even believe how blessed I feel to have made yet another "real life" friend out of this crazy blogosphere of ours.

So that leads me to ask: What bloggy friends have you made that have successfully translated into "real life" friendships? How did you meet for your first "face-to-face?"  I'd love to hear your stories.  And I hope you have been as blessed by these unique and creative friendships as I have been with my two lovely bloggy friends!