Princess Crab visits California

(The Fromille Family}

{Princess Brat, Q & Princess Crab}

This weekend my good friend J (who I lovingly refer to as "Princess Crab" due to her *shining* personality when she first wakes up in the morning) has been visiting.  Princess Crab and I met when we worked on the waterfront staff as camp counselors at Sandy Hill Camp and lived together for two awesome summers on the Chesapeake Bay.  We bonded through shared experiences waterskiing, teaching campers to sail (and our favorite sailing game of pirates) and allowing campers to cover us head to toe in mud.  We have seen each other at our best and at our worst, for example, the nickname I earned is "Princess Brat."

Our lives have taken different turns since our college summers working at camp.  J owns her own condo near a big city and works in corporate America and still invests in youth through volunteering with Young Life.  And I am a military wife and stay-at-home-mommy. But even though our lives look very different, our bond still remains strong.  Some people you are friends with because you are at the same stage in life and share a lot in common and that is great, I am so grateful for friends in my life like that! But then there are those friends with whom you share more, and J is one of those. In addition to being old camp buddies, we are also sisters in Christ and she is the kind of friend that despite distance and time I can rely on to call me out when I need to be called out on something and who I can always rely on for godly conversation and advice when needed.

J has been so faithful about visiting me wherever the Navy sends our family but has always come to visit while hubby has been away for work because I'm always grateful to have the company when he is gone! This visit though it was my pleasure to finally introduce one of my dearest friends to my husband and son and get to share my family life with J. Always up for adventure, we've had a great weekend exploring the central Cali coast.  The above pictures were taken on a hike to Pfeiffer Falls yesterday.

While hiking, J and I were discussing how we are baffled by how anyone could experience the breathtaking beauty of nature and still deny the existence of the Creator. Later, while driving back from the hike along the Pacific coast highway at sunset we were marveling at some light fluffy fog beginning to blanket the shimmering Pacific and cover an offshore island like swirly whipped topping. As we marveled, my son pulled his pacifier out of his mouth, distressed that J's attention was not solely on him, and let out a yell as if to say, "hey, I'm the real masterpiece here!" And I think that is so fitting, because it is so true. As beautiful as nature is, humans, created in the image of God, are the masterpiece of all creation.  And friendships, like Princess Crab and Princess Brat, are far more beautiful than any waterfall or sea cliff or sunset.