alison (the oldest harmelink child) and i have been friends ever since she came to my school in fifth grade. we did many activities together and i spent so much time at her house and with her family that there i am known as their other daughter, krista harmelink. the other kids, brett and kimmie are the younger siblings i never had. i love them all dearly, so i try to see them every time i am in town for an extended stay.
tonight we had spaghetti. and i drank a couple of glasses of milk with my meal, a trademark harmelink beverage. i even got to sit in "my spot" at the table. i was with my "family" again and it was wonderful catching up. brettster just finished his first year of college. i still can't believe he is that old. he used to be shorter than me and the annoying little brother. but now he is all grown up and filled out and such a handsome young man. i have to go on my tippy-toes to hug him now. kimmie is in the tenth grade. she is a soccer star and turning into a very graceful and beautiful young woman. it is fun to see brett and kimmie's personalities now that weren't as developed before when they were little kids. we finished off our meal with mrs. harmelink's famous cookie bars. absolutely no one makes them like her. we sat around talking a little bit before us kids morphed into the 10-year-old versions of ourselves and we went outside to play.
we started shooting hoops. and that turned into 21, which kimmie won. al and i were on a team, and we were again reminded of why we quit basketball so early on. it was a game full of energy and giggles. then we raced into the backyard to the swing set where we played grounders, which is basically tag but all over the swing set. after we tired of that game, we took turns swinging on the swings, which led to a shoe kicking contest. brett won the first round after i got my first flip flop stuck high up in a tree. but i schooled everyone else in the second round. when looking for something else to do, we went to the flowering tree in the backyard just to smell the blossoms. then we went around front again, shot some more hoops, kicked a soccer ball around and then when we were tired out, disbanded to various parts of the yard and house. it was wonderful. i came home with grass stains, dirty feet, and a full heart.
i know that this blog is seemingly irrelevant to all. but i just needed to share my joy at being a kid again tonight, and the wonderful family that i love so so much.
(oh, and p.s. h. sistad, i think of you every single time i drive to the harmelinks)
