Day 27 - Tribute to friends

Getting this done a little late - but hey it still counts!

Last night I got to go out and see a military wife comedian, Molly Gross, with a bunch of really great friends! It was a spectacular, child-free night!

I came home though feeling a little bummed because in almost half a year I will probably be leaving here and all of my awesome friends. That's sad. But I feel sad like this every time PCS gets close. I sat and thought about it though and I guess this is probably one of the BEST things I gain from this life - lots of friends!

Every post I make good friends and usually I stay in contact. Therefore I have friends ALL over the place.

Our first post, Fort Myer, VA, I made my first truly best military wife friend - Sunshine! I still keep in touch with her to this day. Also, Jen and Adele - I still get to keep in touch with them via FB. But when I left Fort Myer I remember feeling like I would not have those types of friendships ever again.

We were in limbo for several years and not near a post. But we still moved around and because of that I re-kindled a GREAT friendship with my all time bestest friend on the planet - Sarah Mae :) while we spent a short year in MS! And also I met a wonderful group of girls and a great church family in Oregon and I still consider New Hope my home. If it weren't for moving to Oregon for awhile - I would not have known how awesome of a wife my brother-in-law chose! Nor would I have known that M2's parents were as much mine as his now! I remember leaving Oregon in tears because I was SO sure I would never find that again.

Then we moved to Fort Benning. We found a great church in Columbus, Ga with a great pastor who helped me through some of my toughest times. Fort Benning was a hard place for me. I still made some great friends! Amber and Gail, who were my neighbors, still keep in contact. My son considers Georgia home because that is where he made his first really good friend, Kasey and Micah. We miss them lots! I felt lots of trepidation about moving from Benning as well, although not as much since everyone I knew ended up moving around the same time:)!

Then Fort Knox! Here I have truly been blessed. I cannot go anywhere on any given day and not see someone I know. There is something about each girl here that holds a special place in my heart. My first friend here and home-school cohort, Michelle! My awesome friend who inspired me in the gym for all those long winter months and still is the one person in my mind, although she probably doesn't know it, who I think of as responsible for the majority of my success this past year, Robyn! The girl I know I can talk to anytime of day or night and is always ready to listen, Sarah! My kindred spirit, Steph! Ayse, who is always encouraging! When I need a good laugh, Marissa and Princess! My PWOC sisters who keep me in check, WAY too many to list but you know who you are! The girls I get to see every time I go to the gym that keep encouraging me, Becky, Christie, Stephanie, Shannon! All the great girls in the HHC FRG! The SUPER nice girl whose name I don't know that is behind the counter at Cake Flour every week we go --- she makes my day with her smile. The awesome checkout lady I have every week at Whole Foods who also has a way of always making me leave happy! All the wonderful people at Grasshopper!

My list could go on and on because by far I have not mentioned everyone ... because there are so many good friends here that I will seriously miss when I leave - even if that is not for another year! BUT - my consolation is that they will always be my friends and just like every other time we leave a post/city and go somewhere new - I will make more great friends to add to this list!

p.s. Ah- I just wanted to note some awesome people I forgot because I am NOT as great of a friend as they are ;)! And since this was my "tribute to friends" I really feel that as many of those friends as I can think of need to be "tributed"! (um .. don't use "tributed" in public because I just made that up and it is actually not a word - or at least my Mac tells me it is not!) When I initially wrote this I kept feeling like there was someone I was not remembering - and then that someone texted me something and I was like, "AH - that's who!"! Hannah - I so miss you! Sometimes friends leave a post before I do and that is as sad as having to leave them behind. Hannah and her awesome husband have been great friends! Without them there would have been several times my kids would have been stuck at school since Mommy forgot them and Daddy didn't have a car so had to borrow the truck! And without them I would not have had as many bouts of baby fever this past year! Or someone to run with outside! Or someone to pick up my food in Louisville for me! Wow- typing all of this makes me realize how much you actually did! I am assured we will always be friends! And Rhonda ~ who also PCS'd - You brought back my sanity with always being so available! We SO miss you as well!

There you go! I think that officially covers it!