Baylor Summer Bunch

Wow, it's been a while.  I've been rather busy lately, and it's been such a "good" busy.  I've been able to catch up with so many sweet friends at weddings, over yogurt, at Six Flags, having lunch and on the phone.  I love it when I get to see (or hear from) so many people.  Makes me so happy. 

{Some of the BSB Kids at Saturday's wedding!}

 

This last Saturday, I was able to do a lot of catching up with friends and family at a wedding.  We have nine families that all went to Baylor with my parents, and each year we get together at Baylor Homecoming and once in the summer for a long weekend.  Somewhere in the last 20+ years, we came up with the name Baylor Summer Bunch (BSB for short). 

The summer trips used to be at T bar M camp in New Braunfels, but as we've gotten older and needed less "activity," we've also been to Lakeway, and now we all congregate at Cedar Creek Lake.  There are 18 adults and 24 kids (I think!), which includes three spouses and one baby now!  Our group is growing big time, and it's so fun.

Because the group is so large, it would be insane if everyone gave their input about the summer weekend plans.  So we have a rotating schedule of which family plans each year.  (I know, we are so hardcore.)  It works really well because if you don't care for how something is done one year, then you can change it your year.  While it's a lot of work for the family in charge, I think it works really well in getting a group to have fun and be able to do stuff together. 

The newest addition to BSB, as of Saturday, was Chrisey, who I actually went to high school with.  She and Brett have been dating since our sophomore year, so although she's been around for about seven years, it's nice to have her "officially" a part of the family!  It was such a fun and beautiful wedding!  I really didn't take many photos though.  Sad day.

Parts of all nine families were represented at the wedding, and it was such a treat to see them.  The best way I can describe it is like having a huge family with lots of cousins, aunts and uncles. Except these are people we've chosen to be around, so in some ways it's even better than family!  (Not that I don't love my fam.  i do.  I just know that not everyone does.)

We have seen job losses, cancer survivors, high school graduates, college graduates, new jobs, new babies, and so much more.  These are friends that we can count on for anything, and they are such great prayer warriors.  On the ninth of every month, we have a big email list of prayer requests, and we've committed to pray for one another that day.  We just started it this last summer, and it's one of my favorite things.

One of the many things I've learned from watching these families come together is the importance of being intentional about friendships.  The moms plan a girls' trip every spring, and we always plan BSB weekend a year in advance, in hopes that the most number of families can come.  It has made me realize that friendships are precious, and you have to make them a priority in order to stay friends. 

I have started planning weekends with college friends months in advance just so we make sure to fit it in!  It's been so worth it, and I am so grateful to be blessed with such a great example.