These two

If only I had as many great pictures of Ben and Nate as I do of Ben and Allie. 

When we lived in Simpsonville, in the most beautiful neighborhood, our back door neighbors were Kristen, Bill, and Allie.  Living there was a surreal experience for us, Gil was offered his current job, here in Columbia, just 10 days after we closed on the house in the Upstate.  Not ideal to say the least. 

The house that we bought after it was just on the market for 12 days was immediately put back up for sale.  We had high hopes-they were not realized.  Gil commuted an hour and a half each way for a little while, then we rented a house from a friend in Columbia that fall.  We decided we wanted to spend Christmas in our own house, so Gil commuted again for December.  After living back in that house, we decided not to go back to the rental, and Gil would again commute.  We never really felt like we lived there, didn't even fully unpack-which if you know us-you know that is a huge deal.  (We have been married now for 10 years and are living in the 5th house we have owned-and we are always unpacked, complete with pictures hung on the wall, within three days!)

We are still stuck with that house, almost 3 years after we purchased it.  It has been a rocky road and right now we have wonderful, responsible, caring tenants.  We hope they live there forever. 

The point of that whole tangent is-as much grief as that house has given us, one amazing thing has come out of it.  Kristen and I got to be friends because of it.  The last spring we were there, we all became the Stroller Mafia-Kendall and Jennifer made up our team and we walked the neighborhood with all the babies every afternoon.  Then just a month after we moved to our current house, Kristen and Bill moved here also.  They are just on the other side of the lake and we get to see them all the time!

So, from back door neighbors in Simpsonville, to across the water friends in Columbia.  It was just meant to be.
Kristen and I joke that those two had better get married so we can make a beautiful slideshow for their rehearsal.


Now...




A few pictures from their history together.....

















So glad you two are the sweet friends that you are.