gifts.

Isn't it so strange to think of all the people you know. Or the people you used to know, the people you used to know well.

LEt's go back to 3rd grade. 2002-03
TIffany Hughes and I were the bestest friends ever up until about the 5th or 6th grade. WE played dress up and had tea parties together daily. I loved playing with her better than anyone else. But after 5th grade she was going to South middle school, and i was going to North, so our friendship basically ended at that point.

Then about 6th grade, 2003-04 i was best friends with Allie Phillips. She was so funny i used to think. She was the girl who took me to Falls Creek for the first time the summer before 8th grade. Allie Stuck around for most of middle school but i was more interested in my new cheerleader friends.

7th and 8th grade 2004-05
I was a cheerleader, so I then became better friends with Kayla Markham, and then became friends with her friend Patty Baker. I was closer with Kayla, which was obvious to us, but as middle school girls, Patty didn't LOVE that Kayla and I were better friends than Kayla and Patty. This caused issues.. obviously. But i still loved to "hang out" (It's not "play" at this point, we were WAY to old for that,) with Kayla better than anyone else. She used to take me with her strange family to the lake. I rode my first tube with her on Lake Texoma. What a thrill. And she taught me how to dirty dance, which still cracks me up to this day. So Kayla was for sure awesome. Again, my best friend was going to be transferring to another school in another town the next year for high school, so then, back to Allie i went.
Several years ago, about 8th grade i was closest friends with Allie Phillips, Grant Moran, Christian Maloney ( who after maybe 3 or 4 days of knowing became my first kiss.. HA) Evan Kenedy, Shane Johnson, Megan and Caty Vaughn, and Malcom Myers. These were the first group of people I connected with to some extent on a spiritual level. They were my youth group firends form Canadia Valley Baptist Church. I LOVED them. They were fantastic. Especially Allie, Evan, and Grant. ( my deepest regards and memories go to Grant Moran who passed away October 31, 2008.) I was very close to these 3 inparticluar people for a while. The summer before my freshman year, i met Alexa Bailey. Allie, Alexa, and Alex. The 3 of us were good friends for a while, but once again it was obvious that Alexa and I were better friends than Allie and I.. which again caused WAY more drama than any of us wanted. The summer before my sophomore year of High school I left Canadian Valley BC and sadly, ended my friendship with Alexis Faline Sue Phillips (Allie) for the last time. Our friendship that had lasted since 5th grade in MAC choir had to end. I was filled with sadness at losing her friendship, but i had been hurt too often and too deeply by her friendship. A few weeks later I started going with Alexa to FBC Piedmont.

1st half of 10th grade. 2005-06
Became Great friends with Alexa, Matt Richardson, Jake Anson, Justin, Jared, and Jimmie Pucket, Jill and Julie Burden, Tara Case, Reza Koranki, Dan Minton, and several other people from the church. I loved it.

2nd half of 10th grade.
Broke up with my boyfriend Matt. Started what would become one of my best friendships with Tyler Dunn, Josh Debord, Tessa, Nicole, Justin Hixon, Justin Willis, and seth. I went with Seth to prom and it was great. For the first time in a long time it seems i finally had friends from Mustang. It was wonderful. The best year of High School maybe.

Summer before 11th grade.2006-07
Went to Panama with Awestar. Became friends with Skylar, Tyler, Katie, Brent, and Aubrie.
THese people were with me as i began to REAlly grow into a deeper relationship with JEsus.

11th grade
Started going to Trinity Baptist Church, down the street from where i lived.
SO great.
The First time i had ever had friends who were in the same grade as me. So, still friends with Alexa, and Tyler Kauk, Philip, Zach Selby, Heidi, Lauren, Kyle, Justin, Alex, Zach Felts, Lantz, Rikki, Tim, and others i can't remember. IT was so wonderful being a part of a group of friends again, but to really fit in well and to have a lot of people like me. Not just one or two. This group of people taught me that i LOVE music and reminded me of my creative side that, soccer for the last 10 years had blocked out. Eventually, I started dating Zach Selby and Alexa and i drifted from there. She had a BF and so did I.. After Zach and I started dating all friendships were basically lost. Especially with my closest two, Alexa and Tyler Kauk. I of course didn't realize at the time, but everyone goes through those kind of relationships it seems..

Summer before Senior year.
WE all go to Trinity's summer camp, Camp Life ( where i was to meet some of my future best friends.) IT was fun, but interesting seeing as the BF and i had sort of broken up, yet were still trying to make it work. Then 4 of us go to Peru, where the true colors of my "closest" friends show up during the 5 weeks we are in country. The trip was pretty traumatic for me. After a few weeks into senior year, Zach and i break up officially.

Senior year.2007-08
Some how, the Lord has erased much of this year form my memory. I can't remeber anything really except my Art class the first semester. You see, I was depressed. I had lost my boyfriend, and all my friends. There was no one left. Just me. And my canvas.
I painted my first canvas ever at this point and it's something very very special to me to this day.
I had become friends with Adam though. He was the lead singer in ZAch's band, so there was still some connection to that group of people that i was trying to get over.
Sometime around March, i started becoming friends with an old friend Josh Debord, someone from sophomore year. He helped me to get better and was my best and friend at the time. I really trusted him, but then it turned out he had romantic feelings for me and then, about June we stopped being friends.

Summer 2008
Old friends from Canadian Valley BC called me up to come with them to Falls Creek to hang out basically. I went, and the one person i met there helped to change my life. Blake. Who then introduced me to who are now my current friends and family. Kate, Evan, Alex, John, Brett, Johnna, Katie, Laura, Bri, Emily, Carter, Charlsey, Will, Logan, Wes, Wes, SEth, Madison, Amanda, Chris, Jason, Will, Daniel, Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Nathan, Jill, Stephen, Robert, Marissa, Ryane, RAchel, Dalton, JAy, Jamie, Beth, Ken, Aaron, Laurel, Liz, John, John, Toni, Whitney, Emily, Matt, Asa, Phyneus, Samara, Eilo, Taylor, Marybeth, Ashley, and so so so so many more.

December15, 2009

It's so beautiful to me.
All the names. The names of all the people who love me. Who have cared about me. Who care about me now. Who my best friend Kate is without question. The first best friend I've ever had a spiritual connection with. She really is the best there is.


Looking back to almost ten years of friends.. It's interesting to see who is still around. How i still know all of those people, yet today, i choose to be with my friends in Norman. To be a part of Norman. Despite my driving 2 hours a days for the last 7 months to and from the City, and my mom thinking it foolish. In 14 days will mark my one year of living in this special city. Back in August marked my one year of friendship with Kate and the other norm.commers. but in two more weeks marks a year of living here!

What a gift.
Friends.
The best gift the Lord has given me other than salvation.
Merry Christmas aL.
Look who you get to spend the winter with.