20 years of friendship.

This is my best friend, Lindsay.

In a couple of weeks, Lindsay and I will have officially been best friends for 20 years. Literally.

We met on the first day of Kindergarten. My mom forcefully walked me over to Lindsay and said, "Here Ramee, this little girl can be your friend."

The rest is history. We were inseparable from that moment on. The dynamic duo, if you will.

Lindsay has a sister, Ashley. She was a year younger than we were.

Jeni was a couple years behind us but naturally, because there were always 4 of us, we always had someone to play with that wasnt our own sibling.
Lindsay has a daughter who is 5. She's starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks. I'm sure she'll meet her best friend on the first day of school like we did. Here's Kyleigh, behind Nora....

Lindsay and I did everything together. Everything the same. We learned to do our first flip-flop and back flip on a mattress in the middle of my living room. My mom was young and bored. She taught us when we were in like 1st or 2nd grade. No joke. When we were in 3rd grade we got in trouble for doing our flip flops on the black top at recess. We were so little.

We played softball together (mostly on the same team) since before I can even remember. My dad coached a couple of years. Lindsay got a pitching coach and became amazing. I started being her catcher. Again..dynamic duo. But then she got too fast and I was afraid. ha. I played outfield.

Lindsay did do some things that I didnt do. She was a black belt in karate. She's a mean mama.

And in jr. high we started doing different things too. I did pom-pons, she did cheerleading. I did swing choir and she played basketball and volleyball. We grew apart some, even. But through the years we always came back together. And then Lindsay was going to have Kyleigh and I needed to be her auntie. We reconciled and have been inseparable again ever since.

So much of our friendship has gone unspoken but I feel the need to express just how important she is in my life. If ever there was a time when I felt alone, I knew in my heart that all I had to do was call on Lindsay. She would never leave me to face a struggle by myself. She has been my strength in so many situations and more often than not, she has only uplifting and encouraging things to say. She's been the best friend I could have ever wanted and I love her more than I can even put into words. Thank you, Lindsay Marie for loving me! For putting up with me, caring about me, standing up for me, and standing beside me. I love sharing in life with you. Motherhood is easier, knowing you're doing it too. I am so thankful that the Lord blessed my life with someone who balances me so well and who I can share any aspect of myself with. I love you!

So back to swing choir...

ahem.

I was a little bit of a chorus dork. And I loved it.

In 6th grade, I met one of my other closest friends during chorus class.

Miss Jennifer Durbin.

She was blond, from a small town, skinny, cute, and had the kindest heart.

Not much has changed. :)

I've written about Jennifer before on my blog, not long ago. She just moved in with her new husband a couple of houses down from me. We're the Webster St. desperate housewives. She even joined with my husband in a neighborhood search for me a couple nights ago when Braden & I took a much longer-than-expected bike ride. (as if they dont know that I'm gonna stop and talk to people who are outside on a summer night in a small town. I have an obsession with wanting to secretly live out a country song.)
.......

Anyway, Jennifer and I began a great friendship early on in Jr. High. We were chorus partners, enjoyed trips to six flags with swing choir and did pom-pons together too. All the boys wanted to date Jennifer but she was taken (my her now-husband, who was then....way too old. Or so it seemed. ha)

Jennifer is one of the most loyal and genuine friends that I have ever had. She has never and would never turn her back on me in any situation, for any reason. She has a great heart and is a great mother. I am so thankful to have her this close to me in this season of our lives....

She's 9 weeks pregnant. She already has twin (5 yr. old) girls. She's beautiful.

Last night, for the first time since we've had kids (so like 5 years or more)...

Lindsay, Jennifer & I went out to dinner alone. Our friend, Laura, joined us. She has a new baby, Lyla. She's gorgeous.

Anyway, we got to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company without feeding about 6 other faces. We ate too much, talked too much and just enjoyed the quiet. It was a great girl's night!

My oldest and dearest friends. 20 years and counting. We're getting old.

But I dont mind because at least we're getting old together.

Just like everything else in our lives.