Happy Birthday to an Old friend!

Well, it is that time that I write about someone other than my kiddos or my husband! I want to take this time to tell you a little about my dear friend Jennifer who turns 32 on Thursday!

Many years ago, I was in Drill Team with Kirby & a couple other girls who had gone to school together since elementary. I was odd man out, but only in that respect of history! We were all close & hung out together and had a blast! One addition to our group was a girl named Jennifer Garner. She was best friends with Kirby since grade school and so, we grew together as friends, but not close friends..... more like "hey friends". She always had a boyfriend, (the same boyfriend...which is a great concept that I never picked up on!) So she spent most of her time with him, and not us single folk who liked to do single folk things!

Kirby & Jennifer lived together at A&M, while I lived on the opposite side of campus. I would call Kirby to try to catch up, and she was NEVER there, but Jennifer was, so we grew closer! The spring semster came, and Jennifer was dating a new guy (after like 4 years with Nathan) and I would see her out and about Aggieland. We really bonded when seeing each other at a corp date dance that neither of us should of been at with the guys that we were with! (we both were dating guys other than our dates!) We were both busted! We giggled and said that we wouldn't talk about seeing each other!!!! I think that was "our moment"!!! Our moment of knowing a secret of the others!! We bonded!

The next year, Jennifer would be hanging out with another Midlander, Suzanne, and I would see them out and about town! We hung out most of that summer in Midland! What a blast! We went back in the fall to College Station & hung out with a freshman Midland guy that got busted for MIP his first week at A&M! Ughh! Jennifer & I had to go bail his ass out! Again though, our bonding moment!

We hung out and worked together at a bridal store most of that year even though she had a new boyfriend (and I didn't), and then we worked out a deal where Suzanne & Jennifer would come live with me for a month while they were in between apartments late in the summer. In the mean time, I met Chad back in Midland, and upped and moved some home! I still had 6 weeks on my lease, of which 4 weeks were to be with Jennifer & Suzanne, so I finished those out before moving ALL of my stuff back to Midland! This was a blast! We had no school this 2nd summer session and so we had some great road trips to Houston Astroworld! This was a blast! Another bonding moment!

Jennifer was the friend who understood that Chad was the "ONE"! We had so much in common! We both wanted to be wedding planners and really just wanted to plan our own weddings!!! We would talk about this incessantly! She just understood! We kept in touch over the year and she came back to Midland over the holidays! Four months after I left College Station, while Jennifer was home for Christmas Break, Chad proposed and Jennifer & I went full force in PLAN MODE! Mom, Jennifer and I went to a bridal fair and tried on Bridesmaids dresses!! She would definitely stand by my side! Again, another bonding moment!

Jennifer started dating a new guy off & on that she met at Aggie Happy Hour while interning in Dallas(I am pretty sure)!? We would talk about him and try to figure out about the differences between the old beau & the prospect beau! I was of course an old hand at being married at this point! Later, time would come to meet Jessie.......not bad! They, too would start to plan a wedding and I was ALL about telling Jennifer about planning a wedding!!

5 weeks before their wedding, we were to be leaving for her bachellorette party and I got "the" call, that her dad had passed, and we needed to cancel and refocus. I was miserable at 8 weeks pregnant, but rushed home and demanded that her other friends do the same. (I have no shame) We had to pull together! Jennifer was an amazing pillar of strength! We all loved her dad, Jerry, as we all thought that he was "cool"! He lived in the same neighborhood as Chads & my 1st house, and always kept Jennifer up to date with the gossip in the neighborhood!! She was so strong, because of how her dad raised her, and that is why I loved her. She did this alone since her parents had been divorced for quite some time, and she was an only child. I dont want this to be a bonding moment, but it was, because it was life altering!

We all attended their beautiful wedding, me as a fat, non prego looking, puking, pregnant Bridesmaid! She, again, was going with the flow, but we were all so tense, due to the loss of Jerry. She set a beautiful tone for the whole weekend and it turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL wedding(even if I bacame Bitchy wedding coordinator with the actual PAID wedding coordinator)....again, no shame! Jennifer appreciated this after the fact, and again... a bonding moment!

Later that year, after having Bee Dub, she found out that she was pregnant! This is the same girl who got a puppy as a wedding gift, and had to give it away, because it was TOO much to handle!!! hehehe! I will never forget when Jessie was holding Braden at Kirby's wedding and he spit up a little, and Jennifer about puked herself! I died laughing! Jessie was the one getting spit up on, and Jennifer was SQUIRMING!! Not so much a bonding moment! Just really funny!

Next was our biggest bonding moment in my book and continues daily. Jennifer was there for me when I needed her the most. She was the only one with empathy, the only one that understood how I felt like I was the ONLY one. She was there for me when I lost little Braxton Foster. She loaded Ashley up(her daughter), got my girlfriend Tor, and came to Midland to be here for the funeral. This meant so much to me, and always will. We continue to share stories and similarites in grief. This helps!

When we moved to Midland after losing Braxton, we were looking into buying RSVP and I turned to her for advice. She would of loved to have gone into it with me, but it just wasnt feasable with her in Plano. We both loved this thing, so I always try to invite her to market as I love her advice. This also acts as a great girls weekend! Numerous bonding moments!

Two kids later, she is better than ever! She is one of the most unselfish girls I know. She is an amazing wife to a talented husband who, late in life (30), decided to goto Medical School. She put herself 2nd....and not just for 1 time, but for 8 YEARS!! OMG! I love my Chad, but I am not that awesome of a wife! I am NOT that great of a person to sacrifice sooo much!

We have had some great years! Some ups, some downs, but ALWAYS together!

I hope you have a great 32nd birthday Jennifer! I will always cherish our friendship! Thanks for the memories!!