I have been friends with Valerie for over a year - maybe close to two years now. One of the things I have loved about blogging is that I can be part of a community of like-minded homeschooling moms. But it's a very different world than I used to know where you can be friends with people you have never met in person.

Well, on Monday, I got to meet Valerie, and it was so cool! She and her family are spending Christmas with family who live about a half-hour from me. We emailed each other and arranged to meet at a rec center in between to take the kids swimming for a while. And, just as we expected, the kids all got along wonderfully with each other. Everyone had a blast, and Valerie and I had a chance to talk for a nice long time and sort of solidify our friendship. After all, there's only so much you can communicate through blog posts and comments! But the Lord had already knit our hearts together, and I hope we can find opportunities to get our familie together again in the future!

Here's a picture of us with a disclaimer: I forgot to get the camera out BEFORE we went swimming and I got my head soaked!