AMANDA AND JOANNE
As Jo and I were getting prepared to enter we looked through our years of pictures and realized that other than wedding pictures we have ONE picture of the two of us together. So yesterday morning, Jo's son Seth (4 years old) took this picture of us. It is the "we're Moms and haven't showered this morning yet but wanted to be together so here we are" look.
Joanne and I are like the perfect pair of jeans and your favorite hoodie. Totally comfortable, never get sick of it, and always goes together perfectly.
We have been friends since high school. Spending many hours sitting in Twisters drinking coked slurpees, talking about boys. Living together during University, learning many important lessons about each other, such as "never speak to Joanne before she talks to you in the morning" and apparently "I clang my spoon against the edge of my cereal bowl too many times as I'm eating". (Well, that kinda goes with the don't speak to Me in the morning thing...) We played many practical jokes on our other roommates (toothpaste under the door knob - classic), and had the motto "no bras" as we often ran across Pembina in our jammies to the 7-11 for, you guessed it, coke slurpees. Or to Wendy's for a late night burger for me. Joanne was right beside me when I married my hight school sweetheart, and Amanda drudged through the snow carrying my flowers on the blizzardy day I got married. The lessons we learned from Jo's sisters the night before her wedding still resonate in my mind. Mine too, tee hee!
When my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jo's number was the first I dialed. She knew when I needed a distraction and didn't want to talk, or when I just needed someone to listen. The support and listening heart that she was, got me through the battle for her mom's life. And I totally feel like I failed you during this time. I wish I would have done more. Been there more.
We are now both mom's and we love each other's children like they are our own. We have daily morning phone calls just to check in and see how the day is going. We have exactly the same shopping style and taste in clothes (lulu lemon here we come). We get grumpy at the same time, yet usually not at each other. We know when the other needs space. We can talk about nothing and we can talk about everything. The many secrets that we have shared are buried in our hearts. We have different hobbies, Jo is creative in all things and I love to run and workout. Amanda is a machine! I do not have the same motivation as she does when it comes to running. We have different personalities, Jo is quieter, I am loud. But we love each other the same. The faults and the differences disappear and we can be totally ourselves when we are together. We are truly blessed to have a friendship in which we can completely be ourselves and not have to apologize for it. We are the perfect pair, a great match, the other half of each other. We are best friends.
CRYSTAL AND LISA
That's me in the middle. I want to nominate Lisa and Crystal for this special day. These girls are besties in the best sense of the word. Sister's by marriage and friends by choice. They are fun loving, carefree, and sassy women. I admire them both in ways that are hard to explain with words. They have both swam through some pretty deep pools these last couple years... Lisa having just come home after two years away in Papa New Guinea following a road filled with incredible sacrifice and wild adventures. Crystal has endured more than a mother should have to and has suffered loss in ways I can't imagine. Through both of these strong women I have learned many lessons... those of determination, a constant desire to serve family, willpower and deep, deep love.
I think these girlies deserve this kind of day... they are mother's, sisters, daughters and the best kind of friends. Spoil them rotten!!
HEIDI AND SELINA
Born only 1 day apart, this friendship was meant to be from before the beginning. The first days of our lives began only one room apart but we were only officially introduced around grade 2 when we were put in the same class. Our yonger days were filled with arts and crafts, learning to manage money with a lemonade stand, learning life lessons from reading Archie comics and generally being silly. We had a 2 year hiatus around junior high but a high school play brought us back together again and we couldn't remember why we ever stopped being friends!
Who could forget choir trips to Winnipeg, Russell Manitoba (!!!) and Banff, CMYC, killer survivor parties complete with rice and caricatures of all the players, going to the triple, individually labeled bags of popcorn in tow, watching crappy movies that are rented just because they'll be bad, playing games... the list goes on.
The great thing about us is that we just kind of get each other. We both just understand the other person, wether it be likes or dislikes, mood or thoughts, and we don't even have to be doing anything to enjoy each other's company. Our friendship works because we are both really easy going and never get mad at each other. It is really hard to find a friendship where you never argue or fight. We feel very lucky to have each other in our lives, and we'd like to end with a quote from one of our favorite movies: "ok, so you're feeling blue, so you know what it's time for???? SUPERMODEL DOCUMENTARY HOUR!"
JEN AND BRIA
It's been said that God brings people into each others lives for "a reason, a season, or a lifetime..." We like to think that ours is a lifetime. We are Bria and Jen, this is our 'little' friendship story. With all the people who come and go it's hard to believe that we've been friends for 24 years, but it's true, we met in Sunday School when we were 4 years old. We hit-it-off right away; attending summer camps, having sleepovers, and playing dress-up. We were fast friends. Unfortunately Bria's family moved away when the relationship was just picking up. Jen specifically remembers the day she heard the bad news and was crushed. We lost touch for a period of time but met again when we began attending the same junior high. We re-connected quickly and our friendship has flourished ever since. While we didn't share the same friends in Jr. and Sr. High, we did share a love for punk-rock, cargo pants, short hair and guitars (oh the things we do as teenagers). We made time for each other; sharing our faith, our struggles, our crushes, our love for theater and even our homework.
After high school our lives started to take different paths when Bria left Winnipeg to travel to Australia and Jen went to University. We could have easily drifted apart but we chose to stay in touch and Jen decided that emails just weren't cutting it. Jen dropped out of school, hopped on a plane and traveled halfway around the world. We went down the coast of Australia staying in sketchy hostels and swimming the Great Barrier Reef.
Upon coming home Bria got engaged and Jen went back to University. Yet again our lives began to take a turn but we weren't deterred. Bria has two kids and Jen is working on her second degree. Although on the outside our lives look very different on the inside we've become more like sister's than friends. It hasn't always been easy, and like any relationship we've needed to be open, honest and intentional but we wouldn't trade it for the world and we're looking forward to what the next 24 years bring.
JENELLE AND TAMMY
Being the only girl and the baby in a family with two brothers, I always wanted a sister. I never thought that at the age of 19 I'd get that wish! Tam and I have been friends since grade three. We had years that we didn't really hang out since we were in different schools, but when we were reunited in high school it was as though we had never been apart! From cruising when we got our drivers, to many late nights laughing till it hurts, shopping trips, being the maid of honor in her wedding and even sharing the same career and love for hairstyling, I know that no matter what might be going on, I always have a friend to go to. Most girls best friends don't marry their brothers, I couldn't be luckier!
KARI AND MEGAN
Let's look back to the late 1980's (yikes, do we dare!?), 2 little Menno girls meet at Sunday school. Little did we know that would be the start of what keeps us sane over the next 20+ years of life! Over -look the crazy hair, crazy tall, and crazy clothes of those times, and you have one timeless friendship. Now we're designing clothes, designing wedding flowers, chasing children, laughing at husbands. You'd think we'd have a better picture than this, but with all these things in our lives, all we are left with are blurry pictures!! PLEASE, help us Kara and Becky! We're desperate to capture these funny times in our lives with some pictures that ROCK! We NEED you to help! PLEASE?!?!
xo Kari and Meg
It's hard to put 31 years of friendship into one paragraph! Lisa and I go way back to age 5. I can't even remember when she wasn't my friend. Being in the same class from grade 1 to grade 12 gave us a lot of time to really get to know each other and influence each other. There was even one Winter when I convinced both of us that wearing only dresses to school was the more "religious" thing to do. There are many memories; especially ones that involve sports. Our goal in grades 5 and 6 was to complete our school work as quickly as possible so we could head off to the gym to play badminton and practise our jump rope tricks. We also played outfield on a baseball team for many years. We both wanted to catch the ball in the worst way. One time as the ball was hit between right and centre field we both ran for it, we both called it, and we both missed it as we crashed together. We laughed, but our coach didn't.
After High School Lisa got married and moved away to Texas. I moved to Saskatoon and then returned to Winkler 10 years later to work and get married. Even with the distance and being in very different seasons of life, our friendship remains honest and strong. We love to have fun but we also know each others deep struggles and know when to ask about it and when not to. She's my best friend; the one I shop with, tan with, share favourite songs with, laugh with, cry with and hope to be in the same seniors home with...playing skip bo!
DENAY AND NINA
Seven years ago, The Angel of Friendship brought Nina and Denay together on a park swing. Nina was from Alberta, and Denay from Manitoba. They exchanged addresses and wrote to each other faithfully for years, encouraging and uplifting one another.
They weren't confined to letters; they kept in contact by every form of communication known to man. They built an extremely strong bond, and always hoped they could live closer. They dreamt of having adventures and when they got together about twice a year they lived out months of crazy adventure planning packed into about three days. They live life to the fullest, being carefree, with endless laughter and fun. Even though they were so far away across the map, they were close at heart. So close, that sometimes they would have the same dreams at night! Four months ago God brought Nina and her family to live in Manitoba and now the two live 20 minutes apart! They get together daily, but still treasure every moment. They know their friendship is a gift from God and is extremely unique and something most people don't find in their lifetimes.
SAMANTHA AND JULIE
This is my best friend Julie, and myself, Samantha. Julie and I have been Best Friends since grade 1. Just like every relationship we have had our ups and downs but through it all we have stuck by each other and loved each other through tough times! We like just hanging out with each other, doing crazy things and one of our favorite things to do is just rent a movie and watch it and just enjoy the company of each other! I think our friendship is special because we are not just best friends... we're sisters. I know that I can go to Julie for anything and everything, and she can do the same. I can't tell you how much Julie means to me, because I honestly don't have words to describe the love I have for her.
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TERRI AND SANDI (AKA PEACH & BABE)
We have been best friends our entire lives. We grew up riding the same bus to school, and we owe a lot of our friendship to that big yellow bus. It was on that bus where we would joke around, share our deepest secrets, and where our "secret truce handshake" originated. The time we spend together is never boring. On this particular day shown in our picture, we were driving to a grad ceremony, in a Jeep, with no roof, TRYING to save our hair from disaster. That is just one awesome memory we share together, and there are so many more: going shopping with our "shopping names", traveling to California together and riding every roller coaster in sight, and Terri walking down the aisle with Sandi as her maid of honor. Our friendship is one that will never "drift apart" with time and distance, as it has stood strong since we graduated in 2007 and haven't lived close to each other since. We are truly BFF's (best friends forever... duh). : )
VICTORIA AND SUSANNE
With a random meeting
and a giggly greeting
We met 20 odd years ago...
We bonded like glue
everything we've been through
Hopes, secrets, and dreams we share
when separation hits us we don't scare
Two roads taken, but still we find
best friends don't leave each other behind
No relation, yet we share the same name
our 'simple' living is better than fame!!
All Right People, Cast your votes here!!! This year you can vote twice, once on my blog and once on Becky's. HAPPY VOTING!!!!
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