I am so thankful for new friends (including medium length friends)
If you read my last post you know that I grew up with some amazing girls that are still some of my best friends. I also have met some amazing women along the way.
College--Oh how I love my friends from college! There were way too many nights spent laughing and not enough nights spent studying. There were friends for crushing on boys with, friends to go to the dances, friends there by my side as I was "finding" myself. I had friends that supported me in my dreams and goals and friends that would put sprinklers under trampolines (where a bunch of our guy friends were camping out) at 5 am with me and friends that would make exlax cookies with me (wait, those were the same ones!)
Mission--If you have ever been on a mission, then you know. There is something about spending 24 hours a day with someone that bonds you for life. There were friends I met on my mission that lived in MT and WY and there were other missionaries that I even just spent some time with and something clicked. One of my very best friends in the world is someone that I never served with but wanted to! Anyone who is still kind to someone that treats them the way I treated her the first time I met her--that is someone I will always look up to and love!
The "career years"--I don't have very many friends from these years. They were lonely and I spent a lot of time dating. I didn't make many new friends but the few I did make were choice. Of course I met my best friend of all during this time, my amazing husband (but he deserves his own post.)
After Josh and I got married I was really lonely for girl friends. We had moved into my in-laws *ward and I felt like I was visiting instead of belonging. It was a personal problem--I really had a hard time being open to friendship at this time in my life. There were great girls all around me, I just didn't feel like I belonged and couldn't get out of myself. I prayed and prayed for a friend. I prayed some more. I prayed even more.
I was popping out babies like they were going out of style. I was so wrapped up in my tiny fingerprint world it was hard. My visiting teachers and my preschool moms (I was teaching preschool at the time) were my only connection with other women.
Luckily my visiting teachers are amazing. They quickly became new friends. One of them has semi adopted me into her family and invites me to family stuff all the time. I love doing things with her family--they are awesome!
Wardies--My visiting teachers started helping me feel like I belonged in the ward (after about 5 years of living here.) Then a cute girl moved into the ward a couple of years ago and asked if we had a book club. I told her we didn't but I had wanted to start one. I gathered my few friends, invited some more and we formed a book club. I love these ladies and I have learned so much from them. I love my monthly night out too! I don't feel like I am visiting at church anymore!
My water aerobics ladies--Since my birthday I have been going to water aerobics. I can truthfully tell you that it has #1 made a huge difference in my health, and #2 I wouldn't go as often as I do if it weren't for my friends there.
I have avoided talking about any friends by name since I didn't want to leave anyone out but I have to tell you about my friend Mara. She was so kind to me when I first started. She has become one of my favorite people of all time. Mara and I are as different in many ways as you could imagine. She and I have had very different lives. Yet I feel constantly supported by her in every part of my life. I feel so blessed to know her. It was Mara's FB page that I got that Dolly Pardon and Kenny Rodgers song from. When I watched it I was sad that I wasn't her "old friend." That is when I realized that being a new friend is pretty cool too!
My homeschool friends--Being a homeschooler is a lot like having leprosy in a lot of ways. There are a lot of things from my daily life that most people don't get or understand and we are often separate from other. When I first started homeschooling I had a couple of homeschooling friends but their kids were a lot older than mine and we were in very different places in our life.
My life changed when I was bored one day and decided to take a chance on going to a homeschool park day. I did what I normally do--unleashed my kids and sat back and watched. Luckily for me, this adorable mom walked up to me and asked if I was there with the homeschool group. I was kind of shocked because she didn't "look" like a homeschooling mom to me. We hit it off and instantly started sharing bits and pieces of our lives via email. Later she invited me to be part of a co-op for this year. I went to the first meeting and fell in love with another one of the moms. The three of us ended up hanging out afterwards and I haven't felt so comfortable with people I just met--EVER!
I didn't know that you could feel so close to people without knowing anything about them. I am still finding out so much every time we hang out. We have plans to someday have a Mormon amish/hippie commune community. You laugh now, but wait and see ;)
Writing this all out helps me to realized how amazingly blessed I really am. God is amazingly good to me. I am so thankful that He answers prayers. Sometimes it may seem that He isn't, but usually it is because He is preparing you for something more amazing than you can even currently fathom.
If you read my last post you know that I grew up with some amazing girls that are still some of my best friends. I also have met some amazing women along the way.
College--Oh how I love my friends from college! There were way too many nights spent laughing and not enough nights spent studying. There were friends for crushing on boys with, friends to go to the dances, friends there by my side as I was "finding" myself. I had friends that supported me in my dreams and goals and friends that would put sprinklers under trampolines (where a bunch of our guy friends were camping out) at 5 am with me and friends that would make exlax cookies with me (wait, those were the same ones!)
Mission--If you have ever been on a mission, then you know. There is something about spending 24 hours a day with someone that bonds you for life. There were friends I met on my mission that lived in MT and WY and there were other missionaries that I even just spent some time with and something clicked. One of my very best friends in the world is someone that I never served with but wanted to! Anyone who is still kind to someone that treats them the way I treated her the first time I met her--that is someone I will always look up to and love!
The "career years"--I don't have very many friends from these years. They were lonely and I spent a lot of time dating. I didn't make many new friends but the few I did make were choice. Of course I met my best friend of all during this time, my amazing husband (but he deserves his own post.)
After Josh and I got married I was really lonely for girl friends. We had moved into my in-laws *ward and I felt like I was visiting instead of belonging. It was a personal problem--I really had a hard time being open to friendship at this time in my life. There were great girls all around me, I just didn't feel like I belonged and couldn't get out of myself. I prayed and prayed for a friend. I prayed some more. I prayed even more.
I was popping out babies like they were going out of style. I was so wrapped up in my tiny fingerprint world it was hard. My visiting teachers and my preschool moms (I was teaching preschool at the time) were my only connection with other women.
Luckily my visiting teachers are amazing. They quickly became new friends. One of them has semi adopted me into her family and invites me to family stuff all the time. I love doing things with her family--they are awesome!
Wardies--My visiting teachers started helping me feel like I belonged in the ward (after about 5 years of living here.) Then a cute girl moved into the ward a couple of years ago and asked if we had a book club. I told her we didn't but I had wanted to start one. I gathered my few friends, invited some more and we formed a book club. I love these ladies and I have learned so much from them. I love my monthly night out too! I don't feel like I am visiting at church anymore!
My water aerobics ladies--Since my birthday I have been going to water aerobics. I can truthfully tell you that it has #1 made a huge difference in my health, and #2 I wouldn't go as often as I do if it weren't for my friends there.
I have avoided talking about any friends by name since I didn't want to leave anyone out but I have to tell you about my friend Mara. She was so kind to me when I first started. She has become one of my favorite people of all time. Mara and I are as different in many ways as you could imagine. She and I have had very different lives. Yet I feel constantly supported by her in every part of my life. I feel so blessed to know her. It was Mara's FB page that I got that Dolly Pardon and Kenny Rodgers song from. When I watched it I was sad that I wasn't her "old friend." That is when I realized that being a new friend is pretty cool too!
My homeschool friends--Being a homeschooler is a lot like having leprosy in a lot of ways. There are a lot of things from my daily life that most people don't get or understand and we are often separate from other. When I first started homeschooling I had a couple of homeschooling friends but their kids were a lot older than mine and we were in very different places in our life.
My life changed when I was bored one day and decided to take a chance on going to a homeschool park day. I did what I normally do--unleashed my kids and sat back and watched. Luckily for me, this adorable mom walked up to me and asked if I was there with the homeschool group. I was kind of shocked because she didn't "look" like a homeschooling mom to me. We hit it off and instantly started sharing bits and pieces of our lives via email. Later she invited me to be part of a co-op for this year. I went to the first meeting and fell in love with another one of the moms. The three of us ended up hanging out afterwards and I haven't felt so comfortable with people I just met--EVER!
I didn't know that you could feel so close to people without knowing anything about them. I am still finding out so much every time we hang out. We have plans to someday have a Mormon amish/hippie commune community. You laugh now, but wait and see ;)
Writing this all out helps me to realized how amazingly blessed I really am. God is amazingly good to me. I am so thankful that He answers prayers. Sometimes it may seem that He isn't, but usually it is because He is preparing you for something more amazing than you can even currently fathom.
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