Framily

A few weekends ago my parent's hosted a bonfire for our big group of people I like to call our framily. You know those people who are friends, but they have been such a large part of your life, they've been by your side for all of the happy times like weddings, birthdays, and births but, have also been there for all the really tough times like deaths, injuries, and money troubles? Yeah, those people, they deserve to be one step up from a friend, and that's why I like to call them "framily"! :)

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It was the perfect weekend to just unplug, enjoy the first day of crisp air, s'mores, fire roasted hot dogs, and most of all friendship. The majority of my memories growing up are with these people. Superbowl parties, 4th of July, New Years, family vacations, mission trips, weekend get-away's...yep, all memories with these fine folks. Our group continually gets bigger as the years go on and all of the "kids" are getting married and having babies...and I LOVE it!



My dad is a "go big or go home" type of guy, can't you tell?!




The big girls helping Poppie set everything up!



They took a break for a little fun in the swing though. These girls are just at the start of a lifetime of friendship. Cousin's make the best friends. I don't have a lot of cousin's (4 total to be exact) and I know that no matter what's going on in life or if it's been six months since we have seen each other I can always count on them to have my back! I know these two are going to be no different!



This is what Wyatt and I were doing :)



Bonfire time!! This is all the kiddo's except Jaxon. He's only 6 months old and I think everyone was a little too busy to hold a baby for the picture! Group photo at its finest!!






S'more's with Poppie and Papa!

Me and my main girls!



Pure childhood bliss! Everyone chase the boy!!




Nope, not one bit of sass in this picture! #yeahright



Wagon ride time! God bless grandma's! :)



Frankie playing in the hay!

It was an amazing Sunday to say the least! Perfect way to kick of the cooler temps and new season!
I love these people with my whole heart and pray that our generation can and will keep this group of friendship's alive for the year's to come.

I am so thankful for my parent's and their dedication to being good friends even when times are tough. Now that I am a parent I often think how lucky I am, to have the parent's that I do. I mean they did a phenomenal job at raising my siblings and I. I just don't mean teaching us how to say please and thank you, or respecting our elders. Yes, that stuff is important, but they also taught us so much by their actions. Taking meals to people in need, being our little league soccer coach, having family work days in the yard and our elderly neighbors yard. They taught us the importance of family dinner, writing thank you notes, and always making our house feel like a home to anyone who entered. It was their choice 30 years ago to decide they were going to get involved in a church and find friends that they knew they would make a lifetime of memories with. I just pray I make friendships a priority and my girls see that friends are some of the most important people in life. They are the ones that will be there for you in the toughest times and the best times.  I want our girls to learn by example how to be a good friend from Pete and I (I could go on and on about this topic, but I will stop so that no one's eye's go crossed from too much reading). Finding a Godly group of friends that we laugh, cry, and just enjoy the simple moments in life with. Those people are what make the memories sweeter. Thank you mom and dad, and all the other "parents" of the framily group. Thank you for making your friendships a priority. I don't think you will ever know what an impact it has made on your children.