The Hoops | Stevens Point Family Photographer

Although I love our Nashville life, the things I miss most from our Wisconsin home are the friends we left behind. This last trip up there, I remember telling the girls that it's hard knowing that life is moving on without me. So every time I'm up there, I make it a point to see each person as much as I can and savor every moment. Like with this adorable little girl who is growing up, oh so fast:

Here she is, Miss Colleen, the first baby of our circle of friends - those of us who have been together since junior high (and some even earlier). She is blessed by her two loving parents and those of us who get to be a part of this little life. To me, she is far more than just the adorable little girl she is. She also represents the start of a new adventure for each of us, as we've gone from singleness to married life and currently, one by one, entering parenthood.

There's no question that Jill and Aaron make great (fantastic, really) first-time parents. Colleen was invited to her first birthday party - costume party, I might add - and they had precisely one hour to create an adorable costume. And Colleen went as the prettiest ladybug I've ever seen.

These are the moments I miss. The times for laughter and sharing stories. Worshiping together on Sunday mornings. The realness of our weekly Bible studies as we pour through the Word together. And, of course, our occasional girls-only scary movie fests. But I can't help but feel thankful for being able to be a part of it all again, even if just for a brief few days at a time.

Here's to having incredible friends; ones that we can share things with and learn from and those we love the same, no matter how many miles happen to keep us apart.