a toast

here's to girls' weekends. here's to husbands who work all week, and then take care of their children for two days and don't complain a bit. here's to parents who generously offer their beach house to their daughter and friends, when they could have gone down and enjoyed it themselves. here's to girlfriends whom you've met through work or church or childhood, who know your faults and love you anyway. here's to staying up late talking on the deck while sipping peach daiquiris. here's to applying sunscreen on only one body -- your own -- and marveling at how much easier the process is when it's not a little slippery one that squirms away from you.

here's to fitting all of your beach necessities into a small shoulder bag. here's to waking up late and lingering over a hot cup of coffee while soaking in the most gorgeous view God put on the planet. here's to long, meaningful conversations about everything from kitchen disorganization to parenting to faith to good books and bad movies. and here's to sunday evening, when you can't wait to walk through the door, kiss your husband, and swoop your children up in your arms and hear all about what they did while you were gone.