Friendship

"Make new friends, both young and old, one in Silver, the other Gold."

My expatriation adventure has been filled with ups and downs.. smiles and tears.. some sunny days and pretty dark days... delicious croissants and some stinky cheese but one constant that has lasted through every day has been the friendships the Lord has blessed our family with. We are very blessed to have many fellow American expatriate families living in Clermont with us... many of them from Greenville, just like us. You immediately have a bond with them because you are all foreigners in a strange land. Their fellowship offers comfort when you have those moments outside of your apartment when you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore. But, contrary to a sometimes popular belief, the french families we have had the pleasure of meeting through school and work and while waiting for the elevator in our apartment building have been just as comforting. They have invited us into their homes, offered help with french, helped out with various administrative challenges that would have been impossible without their support and assistance, shared birthday and Christmas celebrations and christenings. They have simply welcomed us into their lives. There is no doubt in my mind that our lives are currently and will be forever deeply enriched by all of these relationships we have developed during our stay in France and I can only hope that the distance between here and there - wherever there may be for our fellow expatriates - will not prevent us from being forever friends.

Some friends of ours have two precious children - a daughter who just turned 3 and a son who is 1. Sophia had a play date with Lena over the Christmas holidays and here are the girls playing princesses. Despite the small age difference, Sophia and Lena play very well together. Sophia loves going out to their home in the country with a big yard, chickens and turtles. She had a great time playing with "Miss Hanane" and Lena.