Asheville

We just returned from a spontaneous trip to Asheville, were we spend a couple of days with Brennen and Sheila and their three amazing kids. I've known Sarah, Ryan and Katie since they were born, and spent lots of time with them when they were little. Indeed, when they were the age that my kids are now. Kate was named after me, and I was in the delivery room when she was born and peered up at us with one eye open. They were all in my wedding, looking perfect and beautiful and precious, executing their duties with our other then-little friend Madeline. Now they are so big; Sarah is 14, smart, pretty, taking college classes and blowing everyone out of the water. Ryan is funny and charming, the entrepreneur we all saw coming when he was four. And Miss Kate is her very own person, thoughtful and adventurous and everything great about being ten.

Now they are big enough to watch my kids, and they do as if Lily and Jack were their beloved little cousins. Sarah even volunteered to head up babysitting them so that Joel and I could go on a double date with Brennen and Sheila last night. It was perfect. The kids went down without a fuss, and we had a great time discovering a fun Cuban place and exploring downtown Asheville. It's a whole new era.

There is something about being around people who really know you and love you that is very refreshing. They are a piece of home.