laughing and crying and crying some more.

this past weekend i spent time up in the mountains with the lovely ladies of church of the advent on our annual women's retreat.

and it was so, so wonderful.

pretty much exactly what i needed. 

we...

::met new friends

::caught up with good buds

::snacked like it was our j.o.b.

::laughed until our stomachs hurt

::prayed for each other 

::spent time alone in prayer and study

::relaxed on the couch, read, and got in some solid naps

::painted our nails with fancy hearts and flowers 

::and of course, we cried. a lot.

we cried for ourselves. we cried for each other.

and it was so, so good.

(it wouldn't be a true women's retreat if we didn't cry, right?)

i am fairly confident that every woman left with a greater sense of God and the power of community.

and that is what i call a success.