Although our little card-playing troupe has been together for less than a year, these amazing girlfriends of mine have been in my life for decades. We've laughed together over the silliest, most trivial things and sobbed together through the hardest trials life has to offer.  Our children grew up together (and two of them are now super-subs for our club!) and played sports together and did overnighters at each other's houses.  Somehow or other we managed to survive that season of our lives and now, with the exception of our two "youngsters," we're empty-nesters.

We do life together.

I can't imagine doing life without them.

Last winter, I was feeling the need to schedule in a little more girlfriend get-together time and had the brainstorm to put together a card club.  I mentioned the idea to one of my bestest friends Peggy, and when she was on board with the idea we asked a few others in our circle and our little Euchre Club was formed.  

Let me just clarify that we (speaking for myself, mostly) are NOT expert, super-competitive, championship-caliber card players. We're in it for the chatter and laughter. Mostly the laughter.  Card-playing is just an excuse to get together each month.

Oh, and when there's girlfriends and chatter and laughter, you can be sure there's also food.  So for our Christmas gathering, we totally skipped the euchre-playing and opted instead for a night eating out.

And a fun little gift-exchange.

Because all girls love gifts.

Checking on the focus before herding the girls into place for the obligatory commemorative picture...

I have no idea where my daughter Emily gets her silly streak!

I love these precious ladies and am so blessed that God brought them into my life. He knows we all need each other...

...for much more than euchre.