If you are lucky, and I mean lucky in the "blessed by God" kind of way, you have one set of friends like our Chuck and Julie. Ones you can wear your pj's in front of and talk for hours about everything and nothing. Ones with great kids with whom yours get along perfectly. Ones who raise a spiritual bar for you and cheer you on until you clear it only to raise it a bit higher the next pass.

Chuck was one of Luke's professors in college and through nothing short of Divine favor, his wife Julie and I became fast friends. There was no shortage of tears when Luke graduated and we had to say goodbye to one another. They have visited us in the past, but a missionary appointment for them and several subsequent moves for both our families have prevented us from seeing each other for 8 years.

I was SO excited to find out Chuck was speaking at a conference in N. Carolina and their path from Louisiana would take them directly through our neck of the woods in Alabama. A few emails and phone calls later, and we had ourselves a slumber party scheduled!

We had the most fabulous visit....here are just a few highlights from the trip..

1. The tooth fairy fee for 2 teeth? $4
Two boys who'd kindled an immediate friendship pulling the exact same tooth on the same night? Priceless.

2. A 4th of July Pool Party and Homemade Peach IceCream? $10

The Icecream maker tipping over in the car spilling the unmixed ingredients into the carpet of the Suburban? Priceless.

3. One Redneck Party Pack of fireworks - Cost $35
Whooping it up on the 4th in true Alabama style? Priceless.

4. Great Mexican food with your friends. Cost: $40

Our dignified, brilliant scholar/theologian/author, college vice-president friend karaoke singing, 'Old Black Train' with his boy - with a sombrero on his head? Priceless.

5. Package of pastel hair clippies for my little girl. Cost: $3

The same dignified, brilliant scholar/theologian/author, college vice-president friend sitting in our floor and letting that baby girl put all those clips in his hair? Priceless.

6. One pair of walking shoes? $60
A fast walk complete with lots of girl talk with one of your best friends in the world? Priceless.

6. Too much time passing between visits? I can not count the cost.
The promise to never let it happen again? Priceless.

We love you Chuck, Julie and kids! Words can not express what your friendship means to our family. You make us want to be better.

Thank you for gracing our home and our lives......We miss you already!