Here's to the best neighbor in the world!

Ok so I know I said Monday...but I was busy soaking up the last couple days with the most wonderfully incredible neighbor ever!

I remember when the house next door to us went up for sale. I didn't know our "old neighbors" very well, they were a quite older couple with no children. We waved and were polite but I didn't KNOW them at all. So when they moved out no biggie. As soon as the house went up for sale I started sort of watching people to see if I thought I'd like them. Dang I sound really nosy! haha

Well when Karrie and her family showed up I knew I liked her immediately. Then they showed up again the next week. AND the week after that. When I saw them 3 weeks in a row I knew they must have put an offer on the house and were scoping it out before they moved in! I specifically remember being on a walk with the hubs, babes and pups and sort of jogging back to my house JUST to say "hello!" to them!

I remember when they first moved in. I gave them a couple days but I was so excited I couldn't stand it! I baked some chocolate chip cookies and headed over. With my 2 1/2 year old and 3 month old Baby Belle. I knew they had kids (I'd seen them like 10 times at this point). So I made sure I put extra cookies on their plate to share! The house was disheveled (ha! who am I kidding mine is always sort of awry!) and Karrie and I sat in the media room talking. For no joke at least an hour. I knew we'd be close friends!

Since that day almost 3 years ago we have been so incredibly close! I've come to rely on my friend for so much, it truly is hard to say goodbye!

We "shop" at each others house because again we live in the middle of nowhere and the closest grocery store is a good 10 miles (not to mention the hassle of getting two sweeties in and out of the car, just for something little) away. So we would call randomly and borrow things. We would go out back and hand them over the fence (because we {usually me} were not "presentable enough" to do this hand off in the front yard! haha). Our house is sort of lower than hers, like the elevation changes a little bit so she would try not to drop things on me. Not to mention I am a shortie! Once she bombed me with a gallon of milk! That was HILARIOUS!!

yeah...were kind of dorks!

Eventually our children were in school together and we quickly determined that I am NOT a morning person. So she would take them (at 7:45 am! EEK! That is early) and I'd pick them up! If one of us had an errand that ran late while the babes were at school, no biggie they'd just stay here or there for a tad longer.

If I had to run to the post office she'd keep my kids so I could go quickly to make sure packages went out the same day. If she had a sleeping baby I'd go over and sit with them while she ran up to the school to pick her older daughter up from school. The babysitting (as with most things) went back and forth like this every day sometimes! And the best part?! It was always without any guilt! Sometimes leaving your kids with people you feel guilty but let me tell ya she is an AMAZING Momma! And I NEVER felt guilty about leaving my kids with her. I hope she never did either.

Here in the past couple of months when Belle was so sick (she said her ear hurt every other day), she'd check her ears to see if we needed to head to the doctor (because again we live in the middle of nowhere and it is a good hour each way to the doctors office). Because did I mention she is a NICU nurse! YEAH! She is a nurse for teeny tiny babies! Incredible.

At the very very end like the past 2 months when her husband was already working out of town, we kicked it up a notch! We did dinners together at least once a week. Her house is up for sale so there were constantly people coming to look at it. One night she called (clearly flustered), a realtor had called on a Sunday night right around dinner time. The kids were eating spaghetti of all things, and someone was coming to see the house. I asked how long do we have? She said MAYBE 45 mins! I ran over (luckily my Momma was here to watch my babes). We quickly turned the vent fan on, opened the windows and boiled cinnamon water (to get rid of the garlic bread smell, haha! Seriously of all nights?!). I quickly said you grab the kids I'll get the kitchen! We had the house cleaned and children bathed in like 20 minutes! It was like record breaking! Then they came over and hung out while the people looked at their house. All the while the hubs was out front "cleaning his bike" and listening in on their conversation! haha! (yeah I guess we are all kind of nosy!)

Did I mention we are big dorks?!

We really became more like family. Not really friends or neighbors. At one point we even joked about knocking down or putting a gate in our wall between our two backyards because we would send things back and forth so frequently! haha

If anything I have learned one thing over the past year or so is that you learn who your real friends are when they move away. I've had a couple friends move that we simply fell out of touch, and while I am saddened by the situation. I KNOW that Karrie and I will never fall out of touch. Our bond is so much stronger.

So if you are in Dallas and getting a new neighbor in the next couple days, YAY! for you! She is great, their family is great and the kids are incredibly adorable and funny!

Here is to the best neighbor EVER! And a very sad me...

Love and Hugs,