Sweetest Thing

So we had a fun weekend with family and friends this weekend. Chad went to a private school from grades K-12... so he's had the same group of guy friends since they were little. Amazingly enough, they all have stayed close... and we all now literally live minutes from each other. The best part is I adore all these guys and their wives... which makes get-togethers so much fun.

So for the 4th, all the guys and their families came over for a cookout. We had a great time. But the best part of all:

My sweet little Annabelle (the closest thing we've got to a niece) actually took a few steps to me for the first time! She just turned one in June - so this is a huge deal. It was so exciting to see her come toward me with the biggest smile on her face. You can tell she'll be running around the place in no time.

It was awesome. I can only imagine the pride her parents feel. We're just friends but we love that little girl like crazy.