F·R·I·E·N·D·S - Our real life NYC version!

Talk about a trip down memory lane!

Now that I'm both far enough removed to see these sweet faces without turning on the waterworks, and can also now really enjoy the reasons why we moved in the first place (especially after another super special trip to DE!), it's time to look back and just smile and appreciate the memories made with some of the greatest people we know. This will be one of those posts that I hope to re-read many, many years from now to make sure these folks always remain in our hearts and prayers.

As I've mentioned before, the last few months in NYC were quite a whirlwind getting ready for the move plus trying to take everything in and make the most of our time in the greatest city on earth (in our humble opinions!).  And much of that time was spent with friends. May & June were filled with special lunch, dinner, and dessert dates with friends, as well as a sweet, intimate farewell get together with some of our nearest & dearest and a bigger "Farewell, NYC" picnic in the park with anyone who could make it that we had crossed paths with over our 8 years there...  Lots of memories.

The pics are pretty much in order of when they were taken, beginning in the middle of May, right up until the weekend before we moved, and ironically, pretty much starts almost where it all began in terms of meaningful friendships for us.  

A Mother's Day lunch at an old favorite, Brother Jimmy's

We met Jay & Desiree after living in NYC for only about a year - four kids later, many in-city moves plus an out-of-state move, countless meals at Brother Jimmy's and playdates with the kids, phases where we got together regularly and phases where our paths ended up making it hard to stay close- and in the end, Desiree became the one I most "lived life" with during our final years there.  I love their boys about as much as you could love kids that aren't your own, and miss her dearly!  A true friend who has been there through the thick and thin.  We've had a lot of good memories!

Amazing dinner treat at The Writing Room

Jason and Diana are some of the most generous and down to earth people we know.  They remind us of our dear friends Pete & Heather in many ways!  I met Diana (and Jason!) at one of our favorite nearby playgrounds, Ruppert Park, and we hit it off immediately.  Maelee became fast friends with their little girl, Marissa, who is only a couple months older- there were many weeks where we met up daily (and sometimes twice daily!) at the park. And we loved having our special "parents only" dinner with them shortly before we moved.

With Kate & Wesley

Where to even begin with this next family???  David & Shawna are probably the most influential couple in our faith and marriage (and parenting!) from NYC and we miss their family dearly.   We met them shortly after we moved so they are also our oldest (maybe longest is a better word???) friends from the city.  I had so many visits with Shawna when Kate was just a baby, and even though they weren't able to be as regular, we made efforts to get together whenever we could five kids later.  Ever the supportive friend, Shawna never missed a recital I gave in the city and David was a huge source of encouragement and wisdom to Steve.  What a blessing they have been in our lives!

Maelee & Chloe

 Another dinner treat of some yummy Chinese food!

Holly is another sweet friend I met at the park when our girls were about a year and 1/2 old.  Many playground dates and playdates followed and it was so fun to get our families together for one big hurrah before we left.  Another generous, down to earth couple, and Maelee sure misses pal, Chloe!

Final CG spring potluck!

These sweet folks were part of a community group we hosted last fall.  Not only were we the only parents, we were also the only married couple!  It was refreshing to be surrounded by so many young, faithful singles and we loved how they interacted with Maelee and how she enjoyed being around them.  I think she misses our friends from NY about as much as we do!

The first weekend of June, we were super blessed by some of our closest friends in a sweet evening of yummy food, laughter, and good conversation. It was so bittersweet reliving precious memories with Jay & Desiree, David & Shawna, Nate & Lauren, Jessa, and Ryan & Lisa. Such a special time. 

The "sympathy" wink!  

So I wouldn't feel so alone since I pretty much always 

have one eye squinted with Steve's camera... :)

This group of folks consists of so many amazing people who were such a blessing to our family.  They were the "no kids... yet!" group (since we moved, one couple has had a baby- Congrats Jonathan & Maggie!; and another couple is expecting- Congrats Rob & Drea!) and every single one has watched our girls on more than one occasion either to help us out with various church commitments, the move, or to just bless us with a date night. Not only are they all super gracious and helpful, but they're all also awesome folks who crack us up and are just awesome.  A few weeks before the move, we had them all over for a big dessert night and it was a blast.  Funny stories and funny faces included.  Lots of laughter with these friends!

We've been close with Lauren & Nate for almost our entire life in NYC, loved getting to know Jonathan & Maggie through Community Group together, met Kelly at a Women's Retreat and were close ever since, have known Rob & Drea most of our time in NYC and always love hanging out with them, were super blessed to live right down the street from Scott & Katie and loved how they cared for both Maelee AND Parker (ha!), had the awesome privilege of getting to know Brett & Erin as their pre-marriage mentors (we probably learned just as much from them!), and met Richard & Jessa the most recently and wish we could've hung out more with them as they are perhaps one of the funniest, sweetest couples we know who jumped right in with babysitting for us and were some of Maelee's favorites!  What a group.    Thankfully, we got to see most of these great folks at a wedding of another good friend, Ryan, back in July and hope to see most again when we visit at the end of October.

With more sweet pals at Wesley's birthday party

Farewell lunch at Panera with Quentin & Jess and their precious Tessa

Sweet Lilee pic with Lisa during a fun pizza night with her sweet family

Bittersweet farewell to Blake, born just two days earlier than Maelee at the same hospital even!

Her mommy, Vinita, could make me laugh like no other and was such a sweet, constant friend throughout our time in the City.

Jessa is another of my nearest & dearest who I met when she first moved to the city many years back.  Such a sweet heart and hilarious sense of humor and I miss her dearly.  She was super sweet to treat me to dinner at one of our NYC favorites, Beyoglu, right before we left.

Sweet little park gathering, as a little farewell of sorts to the Sullivan fam who left the City this summer as well.  Those kiddos have countless memories together!

      

Todd is another favorite friend and undoubtedly Steve's closest confidante. We made one last trip to his favorite dessert place, Rocco's, together and enjoyed some delicious pie and ice cream.  Maelee's face says it all with how she feels about him!

Oh, how I miss those faces!

And one final hurrah in Central Park at Turtle Pond with an eclectic group of friends made over the past 8 years.  Many from our beloved Apostles Church family, and we even had some of our sweet neighbors from the last four years stop by, plus one of my close friends from my days working at Lincoln Center. 

Thankful we have each other everywhere life takes us!

And here are a few pics from our quick trip back up to the city in July for the wedding...

With new parents (at this point, at least!) Jonathon & Maggie and parents-to-be Rob & Drea

With sweet (& glowing!) Maggie

With the happy bride & groom-
Congrats Ryan & Caitlyn!
(oh, and with the "knight," too- came along for the ride for Maelee!)

So many special people made our time in NYC some of the best years of our life - and so many of them that aren't even featured here! Countless special friends already moved away- Will & Christian, Eric & Sarah, Blake & Whitney, Kristian & Katy, Pete & Heather, Joey & Brooke, JR & Ginger- just to name a few looking backward! God has blessed us with so many amazing friends- we are still in touch with some of the sweetest people we know from our time in San Diego and I'm grateful for relationships that have continued on from San Francisco and Maryland.  

We are anxious to see which friends will become like family here in VA, and are so grateful for the family we have here that are like friends :)  Now that can be rare! 

There were a few teary-eyed moments while writing this post after all, but in the end, I am grateful for sweet memories made.