Blogging brings friends together

One of the fun things about blogging is getting to meet and connect with different gals.  For me sometimes it has been hard with getting to connect with other bloggers: some ignore you or don't really take time to help encourage newish bloggers like me.  Recently I was talking with another friend who also is relatively new to the blogging scene and we both were sharing how we felt at times like there is this secret trick to blogging and really being able to develop real, genuine relationships with other gals.  We've both heard and read about it, but sometimes finding and experiencing it for ourselves is another thing.

Well on Monday afternoon, I was able to meet and have lunch with a great gal Stephanie at I Found Him Whom My Soul Loves.  We have both been following each others blogs for about 6 months or so, and knowing we both lived fairly close to each other, we had it in the works to hopefully meet each other in real life soon.  When we both stumbled onto to each others blogs, we realized that both of us have a lot in common.  We're both newlyweds, live fairly close to each other, and are really into our Catholic faith.  

We had an absolute blast!!  We met for lunch in the downtown Plymouth area and honestly it felt like I was just catching up with a girlfriend I have known for years.  At first I'll admit I was a wee bit nervous; I guess because when you follow someones blog you really do feel like you know them and their life, but if you get the chance to meet in real life you wonder if you'll get along as well as you imagine it in your head.  Lucky for me, that is how it was when I met Stephanie.  I honestly felt like I was catching with one of my close girl friends giggling and talking over any and everything.  We talked about everything and anything: from marriage and pregnancy to how to deal with your in-laws and just learning/sharing about each others lives.  It was so cute because after we met we e-mailed each other and said how we both came and just raved and talked our husband's ears off on how great a time us two gals had together; I think we could have stayed all afternoon and kept chatting away if we could of :)

Please keep Stephanie and her husband in your prayers as they get ready to meet their first baby (a little boy) at the beginning of August!!!  And be sure to head over to her neck of the blog-o-sphere and show her some love!  She's a really great gal and writes from her heart...hopefully you'll enjoy her as much as I do :)

Have any of you ever gotten a chance to meet one of your bloggy friends in real life??  What was your experience like?