Apple Pie to Stir Fry: Saying Goodbye--#2

My girlfriends.......oh my sweet, dear girlfriends. I miss you terribly every day and pray that God will see fit to give me friends here in China that would love me only a portion of the amount you all did.

I want to take just a moment to try and express what my friends in Aiken have meant to me. I know that I won't be able to fully express all that is in my heart but I feel I must at least try b/c God really deserves the glory for what He did for me through all of you. We moved to Aiken and I knew only 2 people there and He just poured His blessings on me with wonderful, Godly, women of all ages and backgrounds to surround me and love me through the 7 years we were there. I have come to realize, as I have gotten older, how precious it is to have true friends that you can laugh, cry, rejoice and grieve with. I have that in you and I'm so very grateful for that. I do not take it lightly that God allowed me to have that season of my life there with you all. It was a precious time for me and your friendships are priceless.

I was given a great going away dinner one evening in downtown Aiken at Tako Sushi with many dear friends in attendance. I had such a wonderful time and felt very loved! Thank you Danielle & Emily for getting us all together.

We laughed and laughed and then I cried a bit when they presented me with a very special gift. I have always admired my friend Emily's necklace with special little drops for each of her girls and that night I got my very own. I absolutely love it and will fondly remember that night and all that it represented with each of you being there to make me feel so special. It was really a neat evening for me as well b/c my mother-in-law, Ann, was in town and got to be part of the evening. I was so blessed to have her at the house with Xan and I for 3 weeks and I know that she fell in love with my friends just as they did her. It was just a really great evening.....thank you!!

Again....I have lots of pictures from that night so I've put a few here and a link to the rest. It was such a good evening.