AKT trip: NC

Thursday, February 9, 2017

As an almost perfect celebration to the closing of my semester long adventure in part-time teaching, my bff Kate, our Rusty, and I flew down to North Carolina to visit our other bff and her two baby boys for the weekend. #aktpluskids playdate (kind of).


Kate and I carpooled most of the way to the airport and after thirty thousand renditions of my "Mumma Loves You" song to keep Rusty happy in the car (hah), we arrived to the airport in time to meander to our terminal and grab a bite to eat and a nice, tall glass of celebration before boarding our plane for the quick hour and change flight south.  



It was Rusty's first airplane ride and he performed like a champ (read:  he fell asleep within minutes of take off), while I sat in silence staring at his little peaceful face.  It was clear this trip was already going to be the soul-cup refill that I needed.  best girlfriends, sweet baby cheeks, and spirits, desserts, &chatting...um, yes please.


Karpy picked us up at the airport and we all made enough of a scene of hugs and squealing that everyone within in a 30 yard vicinity recognized that we were best friends being reunited (maybe sisters because sometimes that's what people assume too).  #airportPDA  We headed back to the Hubbard house already in full-on catch up talk mode while also loving up on Andrew who grew so much since last April (!!)  Upon arrival 'home,' we spent the rest of the weekend snuggling up to sweet baby James - our groups newest addition! - and sharing child caring tasks, snacking, laughing, and talking, and talking, and talking on every imaginable topic and then some...because that's what best girlfriends do, okay!?

It's always so refreshing and incredible to me that no matter how long it's been between seeing each other (and it's been over seven months this time!) we step right back into stride like it's been no time at all.  We just pick right up and suddenly the months seem like they've collapsed and we're just right back in the groove again.  If you do not have friends like this, I strongly encourage you to go out and find some immediately.






A while back, I read this blog post about close friends who live far away and this mini-trip was the perfect reflection of that sentiment.  Just getting to spend time with each other as we wiped noses and cooked regular food for meals and snuggled up on the couch with blankets and a snoring puppy squeezed in close.  Just going through our regular motions, but together.

We have been lucky to meet up together with all the kids at the halfway points where we sight see and corral children and spend enormous chunks of time at the hotel pool.  But this trip, in particular, to one of our homes where we just hung out and made no plans and just lived together again - if only for a weekend - was exactly the dose of girlfriends that I think we all needed to refuel our momma cups.







After two cozy days, including one where the southern sun shone down on us and we took a long walk around the neighborhood, we reluctantly got packed up to head back up north until our next AKT plus kids playdate (tentatively June!) and made our way back to the airport where we hugged out our goodbyes.  Rust had another good flight (read: slept again!) and we made our way back to our other babies but lighter somehow.  You know Gretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project)  says "The most reliable predictor of not being lonely is the amount of contact with women." and my time spent with my best friends (and/or sisters!) is always verifiable proof of that.



Kate & Karpy, 
thank you.
always, always, always, forever
for being my friend. 
love, tab


And to my babies, 
you have been blessed in a thousand ways that your momma has best friends that are so kind and generous and patient and understanding to her.  Kate and Karp have inspired your momma to be a better mom and buoyed her up when she's been nervous or stressed.  And they are raising their own kids, some of your best friends in the whole world, with love and grace and kindness.  These friends of ours who share their hearts and homes and snacks.  Who laugh with us and cry with us and stretch out their hands to help when we don't even realize we needed the help.  

Honestly, darlings, we could not be more lucky to have these people as our friends through life. 
love you forever and ever, 
(even when you get bigger than me!)
Mum.

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