Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Forever Friends

How did I get so lucky to find such a strong and loyal group of friends?  


Two weeks ago, I went to the beach with these girls, and of course, had the BEST time.  I hate that my favorite twins, Emily & Carrie, couldn't be there.  We missed you so much!  

These six girls are the best friends any one could ever ask for.  They are so kind, funny, loyal, and honest.  We are all each other's biggest fans.We don't have to talk every day or even every week.  We know we are here for each other and we can always pick up right where we left off.     

I think what makes our group of friends so special is that we all have very different personalities.
 
Coley is the 'glue' that holds our group together.  When it comes to being loyal and loving with every ounce of you, Coley's got it down pat.  She is best friends with each one of us and we can always count on her to bring us all together when we haven't spoken or seen each other in a while.  If it was possible, she would be every one of our maids of honor.  So far, she's 2 for 3.  Not too shabby.    



Kelly...oh Kelly.  She is the funniest person I've ever met, hands down.  We always know we will probably end up being sore from laughing when she is around.  There is never a dull moment.  She brings such a brightness and excitement to our friendship.  What I love most about her, is she's not embarrassed or ashamed to talk about ANYTHING, which makes for some very interesting ocean-side conversations. 


Lindsey- our 'smart' friend.  She is the kind of girl that all high-school teachers stress about having in their class, because chances are, she's going to be smarter than you.  Lindsey is so kind-hearted and has such a positive outlook on life.  You can't help but be happy when she's around.  She is so down to earth and everyone who meets her loves her instantly.



Carrie amazes me daily with her strength.  I love that she does not let her diabetes define her.  She never complains and she takes on every struggle with that beautiful smile of hers.  My favorite thing about Carrie is how she makes you feel when you walk through the door, waiting with her arms wide open.  It's like she knows you are there before you even knock.


Caroline...aka Shannon Miller.  Caroline and I have been friends since we were five.  We spent a lot of time in my back yard digging holes to China and doing gymnastics.  I like to give her all the credit for my successes in cheerleading.  She taught me everything I know, since Forest Hill wasn't cool enough to have sports and Oak Hill did.  Caroline is my partner in crime when we are together, especially when we call Coley out...(sorry Coley!)  She is our most 'worldly' and 'independent' friend.  Her brave adventures always make for some great stories.



Emily, sweet Emily.  Her strong devotion to God is so admirable.  She is such a strong person and handles everything with her faith.  She makes us all want to be the best people we can be.  Whenever we email the group with a problem, we can always count on her to make us feel better and let us know she's praying for us.  My favorite thing about Emily is our friendly banter...got rice?



I want these girls to know how much they mean to me and how much they've helped me through some hard times the past several years.  It is my wish that everyone in this world finds friends as true as you all are.  We've made it through many years of ups and downs and our friendship never once wavered and I know it never will.  I love you all to the moon and back!   



"Best friends are the real fairy tales of life.  They've been there since once upon a time and will stay there until forever after."

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

All quiet on the Pickens front...

There hasn't been much happening here at Pickens Plantation recently...

Clay and I have been adjusting to him staying in Atlanta during the week and leaving me here to hold down the fort.  Thank goodness he came home one night this week to change my oil and mow...I hate to think about what would have happened if he had let me use our "new to us" riding lawn mower.  I would have ended up in a ditch, the woods, or through the shed or fence.  I'm glad he knows me well enough to know better.

Last weekend we went to Heath Springs to stay with Clay's family.  His sister, Kelly, had her baby shower on Sunday.  Baby Bailey will be making her appearance in just a few short weeks!  I am so excited to be an aunt for the 4th time!  Every time I go visit his family, I realize how truly lucky I am to have such an amazing 2nd family. 

On the school front, everything is going well.  I am about a week and a half away from being finished with 2 of my pre-requisites.  They have been tough, but I've learned a lot!  I'm sure my family is sick of hearing all of my "facts of the day" that I have learned in my nutrition class!  Although it is tough cramming 2 classes into 5 weeks, I am so thankful that I don't have to drag out statistics for 3 months!  Awful.

Moving on to more exciting news, my sister, her husband, and Zoey have moved back from California!  I know you all know how happy I am to have them back.  Donna and Zoey flew out to stay with me while Matt and his dad drove all their stuff back from Santa Monica.  Zoey is just the sweetest little girl, with so much personality.  Everything she does makes you smile.  It is a great feeling knowing they are now only a car ride away, instead of a flight away!     

Welcome back Matt, Donna, and Zoey! 
We love you!