Happy Birthday, Merry-Lynne!

Today is a very special day for a very special friend, and although I can't celebrate her birthday with her this year, I do want to honour her by dedicating this blog post to her.

Merry-Lynne and I met at my bridal shower at the church that would become my own after my wedding. She was there because she was in charge of the games. I knew who she was because I had heard her sing many times in the praise team when I attended FWC during university. We will both always remember that night because we bonded over laughter. We didn't know it, but those laughs were the first of many we would share together.

Merry-Lynne and I would share much of the good and the bad over the years. We sang in the choir and the praise team together, which was our main connection in the early years of our friendship. We experienced miscarriages at the same time — TWICE! We never did manage to stay pregnant at the same time. We decorated the church nursery together. She became Connor's other mom when I went back to work full time when he was a year old. We both loved each other's children like our own, and still do. When I needed to hire another teacher to work with me in the preschool, there was no question who it would be. We had a blast with all those adorable kiddies! We spent many precious hours studying the Bible and praying together. And we celebrated many birthdays together, making our dreary Novembers so much brighter.

I hope you're having a wonderful day, my dear friend! If you haven't already gotten your card, it's on its way, and Yvonne has a treat for you from me. I wish I could deliver your birthday hug in person! Tell those sweet kids of yours to give you an extra one for me. I love you!