Meeting a Dear Bloggy Friend for the First Time

Since I started blogging back in 2009/2010, I've been an avid reader of my favorite blog, Mama's Little Chick.  It didn't take long before we both noticed that we lived in the same state, and so we vowed to meet up one day.  Well, yesterday, after a four-year long, bloggy friendship, we did just that!  (You can read her post about our get-together here.)

We became instant friends online because we both shared the same values--a love of family and friends, nature, God and all of God's creatures, and, of course, our little ones.  She is a very sweet, spiritual, and inspirational person, and perhaps, my favorite part of her blog is her uplifting quotes that remind us to live in the moment and be thankful for our blessings. 

Yesterday brought the "online" world to life.  While I had the chance to finally meet my long-time bloggy friend, Lewie had a chance to meet her daughter, Little Chick.  It was such a happy, exciting moment!  Since we decided to take our little ones swimming, we met at a wonderful hotel that provides day swim passes for use of their outdoor and indoor swimming pool.   As we approached the pool, Little Chick was the first one to spot us: "Miss Annette and Little Lewie are here!" she said excitedly.  Her warm, cheerful enthusiasm set the mood for the rest of the day.

Both Little Chick and Lewie "hit it off" from the start.  While Little Chick is a few years older than Lewie, they are both born in August and have the same extraverted, friendly, and warm personalities that are known to be characteristic of "Leos."  They both enjoyed swimming together, and Little Lewie left proclaiming that Little Chick was his "new best friend."

While the kiddos were in the pool, my dear bloggy friend and I also had a chance to talk, reminisce about happy posts on our blogs, and learn more about each other.  We were amazed at just how much we had in common, and we both ended the day knowing that we would enjoy many more visits. 

In my four short years of blogging, I am sad to say that I've seen many bloggy friends come and go.  Many have stopped their blogs or moved on to other things, and I would be lying if I didn't say that I missed them dearly.  I suppose "real" life is very much the same way.  Still, I'm happy to say that I have one long-time bloggy friendship that's survived "the test of time."   Now our online posts to each other will be complemented by real life get-togethers.  To use Mama Hen's very own quote:

"God blesses us all with special friendships.

It is up to us to nourish them and watch them grow."

~Mama Hen