Friends

Our dear friends, Mark and Denise, came to visit us a few weeks ago.
They flew all the way here, just to see us!
All the way from Oregon!

I stole this picture from her facebook page!

 



We met them in the spring of 2000. 
Mark was on the search committee that hired Travis for his first youth pastor job.
They were our small group leaders and quickly became close friends.
Jacob was in 6th grade when we moved there and Kate was in elementary school.
The two of them are now in graduate school and college!
Makes me feel old.

Addison took some pictures of us...a little fuzzy, but this was the best one.

They are the type of friends we can pick up with right where we left off.
We laugh like crazy with them.
We can talk seriously with them.
We ask them for advice.
And we have so much fun with them.

Our girls love them too!
They know Mark as the master pancake artist.
He is the one who introduced them to shaped pancakes!

 His first time to make a penguin, by special request from Mackenna.

 

Any time we are with them, cards are usually involved.

Men versus women.

Mark likes to talk trash.

And I like to talk right back!

Sadly, the men came out on top this time.

And unfortunately, it only gives him more room to talk!

We celebrated Travis' 36th birthday with them.
The girls made him wear the birthday hat!

 

And possibly the highlight of Mark's trip.....



A bike gang...watch out!

 

We had a wonderful time with them and can't wait until the next time we are with them again!