When Worlds Collide...Or, Meeting Annie Reid and Family!

The blogosphere is a strange place at times.  We are invited into people's homes and lives and feel like we KNOW them.  

Sometimes we exchange emails and online friendships are formed.  Rarely do we get to meet the people behind the blogs.

I got to meet two of my favorite bloggers in one month! 

 On different sides of the country!  

First there is Sue, who I mentioned in my last few posts, of Country Roads Antiques in SoCal..

THEN, I got to meet someone right here in Orlando while they were vacationing with their family.

                                    Annie Reid of  The House That Jade Built .                                    .  

I don't know how I started reading her blog, but her interesting and unique sense of house-decorating-style and her honest, laugh inducing posts about her young children made me keep checking back with her.

To know Annie's life, you really need to check out her blog and go back almost two years from now.  Her life changed in an instant when she found out during her third pregnancy that their family was to be blessed with a special angel who would come to be named Ollie Faith.  What an incredible journey the entire family has had and I am grateful that I have been able to follow along through Annie's blog and eventually through her mom's blog, the irrepressible Janie Fox -  you must check her out at Janie Fox Talks! 

Annie let me know that she and her handsome hubby, Jade and the three kids would be visiting the Orlando area in January 2012.  Right when we were in California!  But we made it back in time before they left and met up for some dinner and face time with Annie, Jade and the Reid kids.

Mr. Tennis went along with me and as we were driving there, he said "this is really strange going to meet people you've never met and only know online".  I agreed it was strange, but because some of our blogs are so personal, I feel that I've gotten to know a lot of you "out there" pretty well.  I equate it to meeting up with a long-time pen pal.

Well, let me just say The Reid family is the real - deal - terrific.  

Everett and Aubrie are just as charming and adorable as I expected from reading about them from their mom's and grandma's posts.  And SMART!     I can see why they keep everyone on their toes in that family!

Of course, Miss Ollie Faith was as beautiful as I knew she would be.  And she is obviously adored by not just her parents, but by her two older siblings who wanted to make sure she was part of all the action during our dinner together.

As if it wasn't great enough just seeing these folks in person, they came bearing gifts for The Boston Lady!  I took home this special painting done by Annie's talented sister, Abbie and showed it to the two painted subjects.  Abbie captured them perfectly.

Now if they only would have posed perfectly.

There, we finally got it.

Mrs. Janie Fox sent a goodie bag along too - so appropriate - I will have fun going through this book and Mr. Snowman will be a reminder to me each year of this family.

And,

this cup that Janie sent along kind of sums it up, "from a friend".

Because I feel like I've made many good friends 

here in this unique world of blogging - we just haven't all met yet.

Thank you so much Annie, Jade, Aubrie, Everett, Ollie, Abbie and Janie

for such wonderful surprises for me and for sharing your life's adventures with all of us.