Meeting new old friends: the Aussie version!

Yes, I am here. I am actually blogging. I know I know...I have truly sucked in the blogging department as of late and I need to change that. Not because I feel obligated but because I truly love blogging. And I have a gajillion and one potential posts swimming around in my head. BUT, I have been down this road before. Life gets in the way and this time of year, in particular, is quite busy. So I am not going to say that I am finally back and I am going to blog all the time again, because whenever I do that it is one big epic fail. I will say I am not going anywhere, I still love blogging, but I just have to get to it when I get to it! Now on to the fun stuff....

This past Friday, Australia was in da house!!! Yes, I finally, after many years, got to meet in person my fabulous friend from Down Under, Sharon, and her most lovely daughter, Erin! I have blogged extensively about the group of amazing women that I am lucky enough to be a part of, GLU, and our little online home and how we all "met" through our love of Gooseberry Patch books, and on and on. They are truly my soul sisters and just love them all to pieces. Over the years we have all become so much more than online friends. Most of us have met in person, and if not we have talked, a lot, over the phone. Sharon is the only one of our group from outside the US or Canada. Thanks to a very good phone plan I have been able to talk to Sharon, and this past Friday I finally got to meet her in person! Yes, we were meeting in person for the first time but Sharon truly is a treasured old friend. There was no awkwardness. None of the getting to know you chit-chat. We were able to just jump right in to having fun!

Sharon's husband Adrian is a doctor that was attending a medical conference in Boston so Sharon and Erin tagged along for the trip! So on Friday they took the short train ride from Boston up to Salem where I picked them up and we were off for the day. It was freeeeeezing and these crazy chicks LOVED it!!! Of course it is summer right now in Sydney and sweltering hot so that could have something to do with it...

We walked around Salem but it was still a little early for many of the shops to be open so we decided we head out for shopping elsewhere. Erin is just getting in to scrapbooking so of course I had to take them to my home away from home, my favorite papercrafting store, Absolutely Everything. On the way there we were going to pass my street so we stopped in for them to meet Bailey. He loves making new friends...

Bailey with his new friend Erin!

How cute is this?! He just loved them both!

Mother and daughter...aren't they just so beautiful?!

Old friends are the best friends!

Adorable!

We spent the day shopping and laughing and laughing and shopping! Seriously! I picked them up at the train around 10AM and we were on the go till after 5! Not nearly enough time but I'll take it! And hopefully the next time I see them it will be in Australia! My dream trip! And it is even better knowing I have friends to welcome me on the other side of the world!!!