I am thankful for good neighbor-ship

my husband and i moved into our house about 8 years ago.  we were newly married - only a couple of weeks - and were the only house on the block without children.  that has since changed and a lot of the kiddos that used to be oh-so-small, are now oh-so-tall.  we have been blessed with wonderful neighbors.  someone up above was watching out for us when we made the decision to move into this neighborhood.  good neighbors can make all the difference in  how much you enjoy where you live.  we enjoy where we live. very much.

this is sammie.  sammie is getting ready to start high school in the fall.  her mom is not only my neighbor, but i consider her a good friend.  we'll call it a "neighbor-ship."  it goes far beyond borrowing a cup of sugar.  sammie, her mom and sisters help with babysitting my little people and we often have dinner at each other's homes.  sammie, in particular picks up our mail and feeds our furry critters whenever we go out of town. when i saw sammie dressed up for her "promotion" from middle school to high school, i thought  her mom would like some nice pictures to remember this special event.  (and maybe i'd like to get some practice with my new camera and photoshop.  so here's what we came up....

sammie is a swimmer.  she swims 6 days a week on a local team.  i predict she will be on the varsity swim team in high school and letter very quickly.  she is strong - inside and out.  this girl is good.  she has a kind heart and a great head on her shoulders.  i'm confident this comes from having a strong mother and 2 amazing big sisters as role models.

i remember how anxious i was to start high school: a new routine, new classes, meeting new friends, new experiences.  not to mention i felt like i was officially growing up when i could tell someone i was a freshman.  it was a title-thing, i guess.  sammie is officially growing up.  before she knows it she'll be picking out a prom dress and standing in line at the dmv for her driving permit.  this is an exciting time.  i wish sammie success in her next chapter.  i am grateful to have had the opportunity to watch her develop into the secure and beautiful woman i know she is going to become.