The birthdays keep flying by… Does she feel it like I do? Well probably after her 1st time flying… she just might! Happy Birthday to Emmie Lou! She is grabbing those heartstrings of ours… playing nothing but Texas tunes! She indeed Loves Texas. She was born there & lived 12 years there, but mostly connected her heartstrings to some very special friends. They are the kind you get on a plane for… rent a car & drive 2 more hours to spend a few memorable days with! This was such a fun birthday surprise & made my heart excited to plan.
One day it just hit me… I told Nate I know what we gotta do for Emmie’s bday! Just Me & her fly to Texas to see the besties! This called for my grandmother’s orange suitcases to come out & hold some birthday displays & even have some presents inside. I can get overly giddy with themes & this one was too much to hold in at times. I loved getting pictures of them since they were 4 & 5 all the way until now through the years & putting them in a scrap book to lead up to now & the plane ticket surprise! Seeing old pics makes it so bittersweet looking at their young cheeks smiling away & the creative things they had fun doing together! It’s one of those things that might seem like a lot of effort or expense or planning… but when it’s done.. it’s the best gift ever! I hope she won’t ever forget it, because I sure won’t.
She loved flying & window seat for sure! It was fun to pick out a fun car to rent (one that the brothers would approve of & look fast & cool)… even though the only time I would do anything crazy or fast would be when we rolled up into the little town to meet our friends for lunch… we had to roll the windows down & spin it around for a grand entrance. What fun! I loved them all standing out cheering & laughing! Pinch me! We were together again!
There is never a dull moment when it comes to us getting together with the Coopers! Always something going on! Always a party! Always fun! Always laughter & heartfelt tears! We love them big! Big as Texas! The girls got to reminisce as always, catch up with the new & take in some sweet time together just cuddling up talking or dressed up for a fun night. They loved the small town fire relief concert we attended with Texas guys William Clark Green (She Likes Texas…” & Josh Abbot Band. Great music & beautiful night! That was the best day because we started it off with some our favorite Colleyville guys surprising us with a visit to come be a part of the branding that we would be getting to do that morning. Wow! What a cool experience! Emmie helped flank the calf to get it down to get it all fixed up with its dewormer & tag em & the branding. Wow! Nothing but cowboys up in there! Truly an amazing thing to be a part of! I know that put the cherry on top of a memorable 15th birthday to say the least! Ha!
These girls won’t stop growing & getting more & more beautiful! I can’t hardly take pictures of these Texas besties without watery eyes! I am so grateful to give them the sacred gift of time together! Time becomes more valuable as we get older & distance makes the heart long for that next time when the stars align & we see one another again!
The tears just can’t help but come when you are sitting under the Big Texas sky with your soul sister listening to Texas Country Music at the small town gathering to raise money for the ones who lost their homes in the fires from no rain! With our girls 1/2 grown sitting right beside us, happy together & just being in the moment. It Literally started raining down on us while we sat on the grass together. Just amazing! I felt so grateful to be reconnected again! Live music & Big Texas Sky can really do a number on my heart… I can get a little sappy & want that season of our convenient friendship back. With our daughters sweet friendship that began when they were 4… we had no idea what would become for us Mamas too! Something I don’t know if we will ever find again & if you know, you know these friendships don’t knock on your door every month or year. That’s what makes them so sweet!
It’s hard sometimes to say goodbye again… until next time. But every time we say goodbye, it just reminds us that we keep coming back together to have to say it again. Coming back to relive the talks on the couch with coffee, with what seems like all of life’s problems getting worked through & deep thoughts considered to be ones that matter. Coming back together is worth it! Real friendships are worth it. I hope our girls know this in the fullness of their own lives as they continue on exciting journeys of this beautiful thing called Life.
I know that if we were living in old times… we would be old friends who would share recipes & gardens & maybe even a clothesline. We would share talks & tears with our stained aprons & drink coffee & laugh till the cows came home. I love this picture & I love it looking old. I love standing on the steps with someone that shares the same soul for Jesus & her family as I do. That’s the kind of friend I pray that each of my children have one day! The Soul Kind.
