Lifelong Friends

Today, and every day of my life, I am grateful for lifelong friends.

I remember back when my brother Bryan was a Sophomore in High School. He had a core group of 7 guys that he hung out with; Bryan, Brian, Ryan, Jay, Devon, Kevin, and Russ. Other guys rotated in and out of the group like Chris and Tim, but the 7 guys were the core. I was telling my friends Mom one day about this group of guys (probably because I thought they were all cute, it's no secret, hee hee hee), and she said to me, "They won't be friends after high school. If they are, then maybe for a couple of years but it won't last." I was adamant and told her that they would be friends forever. So far, they all still remain friends. As life carries them in different directions and they've started families and careers, they may not "hang out" as much as they have, but they are still just as good as friends as ever. All of these guys have been an extension to our family. The last time I saw all of them together was when Bryan got married back in 2005, and it was like they never skipped a day together. I just love to sit back and watch them all interact, it's actually very entertaining. :)

Now, I know it's random that I tell you about my brothers friends, but they all had a huge impact on me. I saw how they could all rely on each other for anything and stuck together through thick and thin. When I got to high school I told myself that I wanted to have my own core group of friends as strong as these guys were. And I was fortunate to find a group that I LOVE more than anything. Towards the beginning of Freshman year it was Me, Ally, Sara, Amy and Jamie. Sara, Ally and I were little sisters of guys from my brothers group, so we kind of felt like the next generation. :) We would eat lunch with the Varsity cheerleaders because we knew them all through our brothers and church. It was awesome. Towards the middle of the school year we became a little more independat from the cheerleaders and joining our little group was Lisa, Sarah and Lauren. From our freshman year on we were all the best of friends. Ofcours because we are girls we had more spats than my brothers group, but we loved each other none-the-less. We weren't too clicky, we let people come and go but always knew we had a core group of friends. I was bound and determined to defy the odds and remain friends with these girls and I love that I have. Unfortunately after our Senior year Lauren moved away, but thanks to the internet we have been able to keep in touch. I hope that one day soon I can get together with all of these girls again and we can pick up like we never missed a day away from each other, just like high school. We made a list of inside jokes in high school that turned out to be 6 or 7 pages long if I remember. It was awesome, maybe one day I'll dig it out of my journal and throw some out there once in awhile! :) I will try and scan some AWESOME pictures of these friends and I in highschool later today. I know I have some good ones here somewhere! :)

So, I know this post is already long enough, but I have to say how much I love all of my friends. I know that life would not be the same without them. They are the greatest friends a girl could ask for. As much as I love and am grateful for my old friends who are lifelong, I am grateful for the new friends that I have made in the past few years who I hope to remain lifelong friends with. I really believe that the Lord puts people in your life for a reason and each and every single one of the friends that I have been blessed with has played an important role in who I am. I love you all and am forever grateful to all of you! :)