Three little birds sat on my window, and they told me I don't need to worry. Summer came like cinnamon, so sweet. Little girls double dutch on the concrete. Maybe sometimes we've got it wrong, but it's alright. The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.

"You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow." 

I think it goes without saying that my life today, is NOTHING like my life was a year ago today. In so many ways, I feel like my life is the complete and polar opposite of what my life was a year ago. And in some ways, that notion has made me just a little sad. Like I've lost a piece of who I was. Thankfully, Joel came up this weekend (my first weekend off in 8 weeks!) to remind me that 'the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same.' 

What a relief!

Joel and I have been friends for several years now. We've made some great memories, we've shared a lot of laughs and even some tears. There was a part of me that was a little nervous about what it would be like to have Joel around for the weekend. Would things be just so completely different than they ever were? We used to have so much fun together. Would Joel not like the person that I am now? Yeah, we've been friends for years- but if I'm some boring, frumpy ol' lady, that only ever talks about her baby- I'm not sure that I would even want to hang out with myself. 

Aside from me perhaps being more tired than normal (this week was especially crazy with work, and me having an insane schedule and not getting more than a couple hours sleep at a time), things didn't seem all that different than they would've been last year. Jason watched the baby so we could go out to dinner and drinks with Grant. Conversation was typical. Laughter and lectures. Serious to funny. Our topics were a little different- Joel asked a lot of 'parenthood' type questions, but things were essentially the same. Some conversation was meaningful, some conversation was just for fun. Our bedtimes are earlier, note I said OUR... Joel was in for the night much earlier than I can ever remember, too. We also checked out some shops in Georgetown. I put Evie in the Moby wrap, and she didn't make a peep. You wouldn't have known that she was even with us.  

Phew! 

I don't love change. I LOVE having this sweet little lady to come home to every day, but I don't love the idea of changing who I am. And I have to thank Joel for proving to me that I didn't really change. I'm still me... Imperfect, dramatic, spontaneous, humorous, bossy, versatile, Enneagram 7, lovable- ME! 

And- the icing on the cake was that Joel made Evie laugh. Like really, really laugh! I've never heard her laugh quite like this before and it completely made my day, week, month, year... whatever. I love it.

Thanks for making the trip, Joel! 

Until next time!!