For the past six years these friends from high school have hit the road on Harleys (well, one Yamaha), just getting away from their regular lives, reconnecting and strengthening their friendship. I think it's great that they care enough about each other to make time for their friendship like this.
This year they planned their route through the Texas Hill Country to be at our house at lunchtime today. My sweet husband grilled hamburgers and sausage, Darla, Leslie and Clive brought chips, dips, and cookies, and we feasted to friendship.
As if that wasn't enough, Darla and I were able to scratch "ride on a Harley" off of our Bucket Lists! (No, I didn't have a helmet, so we just made a little loop through the parking lot. But it still counts, doesn't it?)
While we were remembering and building on our "old" high school friendships, Kendall was working on her own to remember later. It's Prom night! It took two nights of diligent shopping, but we tracked down the Perfect dress, shoes, hairband, bracelets and clutch purse. The choker she's wearing is true vintage: my sister made it back in 1968 or so.
The kids met at a house that looks over our hollow, making the pictures even more special, if that's possible. I must have taken 40 or 50 pictures, taking advantage of this rare opportunity of photographing Kendall. As I snapped away, images of many of these kids popped up in my head as they were in kindergarten, when I first met them. I've watched them grow over the years, snapping many pictures along the way, and here they are, a mere week away from their high school graduation.
It's been a hectic week. I'm glad things are slowing down before the grand finale of graduation; I'm hoping to have some quiet time for reflection, and for remembering pudgy-faced kids learning their ABCs in kindergarten, listening with wide eyes as I, in my librarian role, read to them in 1st grade, and gradually growing taller and smarter into the teenagers smiling into my camera today.
