GIRLFRIENDS

Over the past few days I have been sick and in bed. Darin has been sick too and we have tried to take care of the house and the kids while trudging through it. My friends rock though. It has been awesome the way they have called and checked in on me, offered to bring me things from the store and take my kids. I have awesome family and they always are willing to help. But I love my girlfriends. I have always wanted a best friend and I had a group of girls I ran with in highschool but we all went separate ways in college. I got married at 19 and that set me apart from people in college. In 1997 at Mary-Hardin Baylor to be married and in school was to not get to participate in campus life. I had some friends from bible study and my classes but I longed for the college roommate group of girls to be silly with. Then Darin was a youth minister in various churches and I was the younger than most of the ladies in church. The one with out kids and the youth were closer to my age than the adults and a lot more fun. When Darin got his first pastorate, in the middle of no where, again there was a huge age gap between me and the rest of the girls. God gave me three of the most wonderful ladies who mentored me and took care of me through the process of Darin and I walking through fire at that church but, again no one to just be a "girl" with. No one at the same stage of life I was in that I could relate to. When we moved to Kyle and I was with my family. We knew Kyle was temporary and did not really put down roots. Mostly I was with my friends from my highschool youth group and I was the only one with kids. The first few months here in New Braunfels were lonely ones. I knew no one in this new community and had no community to plug into. The struggles of being a church planters wife and mother of two little ones with one on the way was isolating. Finally baseball season came and I was introduced to my now best friend Julie. I have blogged about her in one of my first posts so I wont go into our story again. After that there is Rachel. She mellows me out and sometimes stresses me out how mellow she is about life. Rachel moved to New Braunfels from Hawaii and I think is still in that island mentality. (Her kids never wear shoes.)Rachel is one of the most positive people I know. I met Megan at our 2nd neighborhood night out and when she came to church the first time she fit right in. Megan is kind and has one of the most giving hearts of anyone. That next fall I started a women's bible study in the back of a local coffee shop and we are on our 4th semester of it. That is where Angie was introduced into my life. Angie's laugh is the best. She is just fun to be around and we share the same Twilight obsession. Andrea who has a tough time getting out with us anywhere because she has triplet girls that are 3, is one of the most non judgemental people I know. Terry is the most recent into this group of girls and it is like she has always been with us. I love her openness and kindness. On our last girls night for Megan's birthday we were going out and Terry had her sweet husband drive us in his limo. We have seen each other through raising kids, deaths of parents and births of babies. I was once told that friendships in your 30's are much richer and deeper than in your 20's and I believe it. These are my Yaya's that make me want to stay in New Braunfels and do life with. There are other women that I have grown to love in this wonderful town, (My sweet Becca Hill that has blessed me more than I could imagine, Amber Mullins who shares my love for all things Brighton, my neighbor Karen that I walk to pick up the kids with every day and all my Mary Kay sisters I have met here.), but these that I have featured tonight are my running buddies. My girlfriends, bible study gals that I am so excited to be in a circle of friendship with. You guys are the best.