40 and Remembering

"Friends are family you choose!"

Jess C. Scott

I still can't believe that my dearest 

friends and I are turning FoRTY!!!

Lordy Lordy!!!

I still think and feel like I'm 25!!!!!!!!!

Seriously!!!

I've been cracking up finding 

old pictures of my dearest

and best friends as the big 4-OH

approaches!!!  Gotta have good stuff

to post on their Facebooks and to send them!

Kelli G was first to the 40 club;)

She's my longest, best, dearest friend.  

She said it wasn't as cool turning 40

first as it was to turn 16 first!

I seriously couldn't do life without her.

She knows my family and I better than anyone.

There is nothing like a life long friend.

Kelli G. is my best girl.  

Then there was Megan!!!

She has a heart of gold.

She's a NaNa tried and true.

She's our memory.  

She remembers everything.

Megan and I have often thought we

needed to be closer best friends;)  

We just never had the opportunity to

live with each other.

Megan radiates joy and I just 

love being around her.  

Megan is truly a beautiful, 

genuine person.  She's the best.

Then Kaye!!!

My Kaye Bells.  Oh this girl.

I got the name Hudson from her 

maiden name:)

I love that I have a little Kaye

Bells in my Hudson Jack!!!

I love her so much.

We lived together in the Green House

our junior and senior years.

She was a Baylor cheerleader and she

often let me "play" in her suit.

Kaye is pure love.

She has the most generous 

and passionate heart and soul.

You can't help but just love her.  

AND laugh your heart out at her:)

"Feel the Heat"

Kimberly was next.

I carry my dearest friend, Kimberly, 

in my heart.  Seriously I do.  

We pledged PiPhi together

and agreed to live together our

sophomore year in the stairwell of our 

dorm at Collins.  

Instantly, I knew she was made for me.

Kimberly is the most compassionate

person.  I wish I had Kim in my back 

pocket.  I miss her so much

now that she lives in Australia.

Still I could count on her for ANYthing.

Really, anything, anytime. 

 

Kim is truly such a good, good person.  

The.Real.Deal.  

I love her and her family like my own.  

A friend of hers in Australia created

a scrapbook for her 40th:)

 

We've shared everything with 

each other since we met.

I couldn't love her more.  

Kimberly completes me ...

I've never once doubted her loyalty

or her steadfast love for me.

Kimberly Mo has made me 

a better person in this world. 

I just wish she lived in MY world;)

Then there was Kelli.

The girl I met at PiPhi Initiation.

To say it was love at first 

sight would be an understatement.

We were meant to be.  

If there was such a thing as my 

girl soul mate, she is that person:)

This chick and I laugh so much

and have such a blast together

(except for that one time in our lives

when she got a headache!).  

It was often said that we 

shared a brain?!?  Maybe so.

We've been on some HiLaRiouS 

adventures together.  Seriously HiLaRiouS.

I really did dream of having a best friend

like Kelli when I was little.  

She has so much joy and love and fun

and happiness in her.  She's just beautiful

in every way.  It's quite obvious I adore her.  

It was she who picked me up the first time

I left my babies over night...

and leave it to her to be dressed like them

when she picked me up at the airport.

That's who she is!!!

We are God Mommies to each others' kids...

She loves me so much and I 

never, ever doubt that.

My joy is her joy!  

And my sadness is her sadness.  

AND she's the ONLY person I've shown up 

in the same dress with on MORE than 

one occasion.  

I never dreamed that when we

were 40 we would still be this close

although several states apart:(

We make it work because

we love each other so fiercely!

Next up is Brandy...

and I love her to death!

There's not a thing in this world

that I couldn't say to this girl

AND vice versa.  

Brandy is one of a kind!

I met her when she lived in the apartment

next door to Kelli and Megan.

She and Kaye grew up together.

She is a riot and tells it like it is!

Brandy is just Brandy and 

I love her dearly!!!

I have a blast with this girl:)

She has a heart of gold.

Her birthday isn't until the end of May

so I've got time to dig up more

pictures and stories about her;)

Finally the baby of our group, 

Laura, will turn 40 in August -

when we are ALL TOGETHER on a trip!

My Sweet L!

Troy affectionately named her L.I.C.

shortly after meeting her.  

"Laura in Charge"

That is who she is and the NaNa's

couldn't make it without her.  

Any day I get to spend with Sweet L...

then and/or now...is special!

I admire her strength, her loyalty,

her enthusiasm, and her spunk!

I just love me some Sweet L!!!!!!!

There isn't a better person on 

earth than Laura.

But again, I've got plenty of time

to dig up more pics and stories

of Tick.  I mean, Laura!   

I don't know what it is about 

this group.  Maybe it's that we all 

chose one another and we were 

with each other through the first

four years of being away

from our families and our comfort

zones?  I don't know, but it's something

special and it has to be 

God given.  Although I was and 

always have been surrounded

by AMAZING friends during high

school and in every other stage

of my life since college,

there is still nothing like this group.

It's a beautiful thing and I'm so grateful.

We've shared so much....

the list is endless!!!!!

And we've shared it ALL:

the good, the bad and the ugly;)

We shared so much in those four 

years we were at Baylor.

We were carefree and we knew 

that someday we'd miss it.

And we do.  

Our lives are certainly more FULL

now, but boyyyyyyy, were 

those some fun days!!!!!

These pictures don't even begin

to grasp all the memories we have!!!

Who knew that my Dad invented

 the "Photo Bomb" way back when?!? ;)

Every Spring Break = Destin

until our Senior Year when we 

went snow skiing!

If these cars could speak,

oh the stories they would tell!!! ;)

Floyd Casey which is NO MORE! 

New Orleans!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Green HiZoW

Some of us really liked 

those witches costumes;)

There was ALWAYS 

something going on.  ALWAYS.

LOLLYing the Pound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were a few others here 

and there whom we loved...

but it was pretty much the seven 

of us that stuck together

and THAT has continued

and won't EVER stop!

Our lives have taken us all over the place

and into all kinds of situations.

We are true to one another though.  

We've been in each others' weddings

and 18 kids later, we are still going strong:)

In the days leading up to turning 40,

I suddenly felt sad.  Not for turning

40 but because I was missing these

girls and felt I needed to be with 

them for my 40th.  I am completely

and totally content and blessed way 

beyond measure with my current life and friends...

so I don't know what it

was...maybe because we shared other 

big birthdays together or I just

think of them when it comes to celebrating

the big moments.  Of course as soon 

as my day arrived, I was over this

and had the best 40th possible.

But still...

there's just something about these girls.

I wished and hoped and prayed

for my very own "group"

when I was in high school.

Rather than being in every group

which I did love ~ but I just

longed for my very own group.

The Good Lord came through.

They know every single thing about me,

and still love me...AND I sure do

love them with all my heart.

 Tickets are bought and the trip is planned

for this summer!!!  40 with my girls:)

Can't WAIT!!!!!!!!!! :)