My friend Erin

This shoutout wouldn't be long enough or loud enough if it took up every bit of space on the world wide web and deafened the collective hearing of a small country. It's for my friend Erin who lives in the Rio Grande Valley and homeschools her four fabulous children -- a son, a daughter, and gorgeous wiggly twin boys. Because I love her so much, I sent her oldest son a book for Christmas about catapults and how to build them. I'm still waiting for large livestock and all manner of watercraft to come flying my way. They live on a lake and her boy spends much time in and around water.

What's so great about Erin?

She lives her faith like she means it, as if Christ is due to return tomorrow and she doesn't want to be lacking her credentials. She began homeschooling long before it was cool and didn't care that it wasn't.

She has been my faithful, loyal counselor and advisor more times than I can count, leading me through everything from pregnancies and childbirth, to how to start teaching my own children, to tips for taming a three-year-old boy. She has loved me with the ferocity of blood kin and in turn I regard her as such.

We haven't been face to face in more than 15 years but our friendship is one of the strongest links in my life chain. Someday, we muse, someday we'll be in the same room again and when we are we'll pick up right where we left off, because miles disappear where kindred spirits are concerned.

Erin, if you ever read this I want you to know, sincerely and from the depths of my heart: YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(What's more, anyone else who reads this will know it, too.)