"Thanks me old mucker..."

To say "me old mucker" means my old friend. To muck about is to mess about. When you hang out and mess around that is to muck about and you do this with friends.

My Easter was spent with an incredible group of people. My best friend in high school was Jamie Hopkins. She went off to UPS in Tacoma, WA, and met the wonderful Brad Forbes. Her parents, Gary and Judy Hopkins (see photo left) were the Young Life Area Directors in the Tri-Cities and also spent this Easter with us! Well, Jamie Hopkins is now Jamie Forbes, a Mom of two young boys, Aiden and Oliver (Ollie) and living in the exotic London, England... (tongue in cheek - as she's laughed at peoples' perceptions of them whilst they've been here visiting).

Brad, Jamie, Aiden (3) and Oliver (1) flew over from London to visit family, spend Easter and 'check in' with the headquarters of Russell Investments in Tacoma WA (Jamie's current office is in Picadilly Circus, London - see photo) which is the company Jamie works for abroad. We felt so privileged that they chose to spend the Easter weekend with Kyle, myself and the kids - we vegged out, sipped glorious wine, watched golf, lost ourselves in wonderful conversations, celebrated Jamie's 30th birthday, shopped at Nordstrom where I became envious of Jamie's post-pregnancy physique - absolutely beautiful! - and slept under one roof for two nights in a row... it made my heart SWELL. It was wonderful and more so than I was anticipating even.

It has been a weekend of laughing about the things that never change... such as grey, GAP zip-up hoodies and white v-neck GAP t-shirts... GAP jeans and how easily cheer chants come to us after 12 years of being 'away'. I'm not necessarily advocating the 'cheer mentality' BUT I'm also not ashamed of that year in my life -- go Kamiakin Braves! **The following pictures are for Jamie -- I thought she'd get a kick out of them -- these are not for the rest of you. They do not know how Kanye got one of our lettermans jackets... funny, eh?**


We spoke of Maggie Sinclair - now Maggie Lynch, whose birthday is only weeks away. The moments the three of us girls spent together laughing and enjoying life. We were inseparable and to this day enjoy the moments we have to reconnect. Maggie is in Eastern Washington... I'm in Western Wasington... and its 'just like Jamie' to live in London, England. Not to mention, God just called her parents back to the states after four years of serving Him in Malawi, Africa. Aaaahh... the fun calls God puts on our lives. Isn't it fun to see common threads woven through families when it comes to His calling?? Jamie's sister in now in Malawi with her husband and I've yet to hear when they plan on returning to the states, if ever!


Brad, Jamie, Aiden and Oliver, Gary and Judy... thank you for celebrating this last weekend with us. You were each a breath of fresh air and I will remember Easter 2009 for the rest of my life as the Easter we partied with 'me old muckers'.