Friends for a season

I posted about the difficulties of making adult friends a while ago, and it was received with great responses of many females echoing similar sentiments.  Since then I have been contemplating other types of friends besides a fridge friend.

Looking back on my different relationships, I have had several seasonal friends.  I would describe seasonal friends as really good friends that develop for a season of your life.  For example, I had a couple friends in college who fit this category.  One sweet girl stuck with my through all my Spanish classes, and it was such a relief to know someone well in my classes.  Another girl, who was also in the honors program and commuted, went to all the honor's functions with me.  Most of all the other honors students lived on campus together and knew each other quite well.

Both of these girls were great, and we talked and hung out often.  However, when that particular season, Spanish classes or honor's program, was done, our relationship fizzled.  No big dramatic blow up.  We just didn't see each other.  It is hard to make a relationship work when you don't talk with the other person.

Although I am not friends with these girls now, I am thankful that we were friends during that season of my life.

It is nice, though, to have those friends that stick through all seasons of life.

My two favorite men

1.  I love that my hubs and my dad  have a good relationship.  My dad is such a great guy, and hubs has so many of those wonderful features.  In fact, the longer we are married, the more peculiar characteristics that are similar to my father seem to pop up.  I guess it is true what they say about marrying someone just like your father.

  

2.  I have done really well with my fitness and running over the break.  I haven't done 10 miles a week like I had planned, but I am pretty close with 9\week. 

3.   I got to spend some time with some old friends this week.  Some of it was rough (more on that later when I can wrap my head around my thoughts), but most of it was a sweet relaxing time.

4.  All Christmasy decorations are put away, but I can leave out my snowman stuff until I can bring out Valentine's stuff in a month. 

5.  Hubs and I have been looking around at houses again.  We enjoy driving through neighborhoods and picking out the ones we like.  We are super excited about the possibility of moving this summer!

Why is making adult friends so hard?

I have been having a super emotional grumpy weekend, so prepare yourself for some deep stuff.  (more than recipes and pants and what shoe I wore today)

Friends.  That's what we are going to talk about today.  I feel like I have been searching for friends for forever.

Little background:
I went to a small private school my entire life.  I was friends with who I was friends with because they were in my class for years on end.  Thankfully, those friendships have developed into much more than "I am your friend because I have known you for 12 years."

I also went to the same church for a really long time.  My other group of friends are from church.  and I love them dearly.  However, not a single one of them lives nearby.

Speed up to present time:
I have lots of good friends at work.  They are funny, and sometimes we hang out outside of work.  It is always a blast.

I have several friends at church.  Those are in different stages of relationships.

Those friendships I developed when I was younger are pretty strong because most of them I talk to on a regular basis or if we don't don't talk on a regular basis, we are able to pick up right where we left off.

Here's the problem I am struggling with:  I want refrigerator friends.  (Meaning-I am comfortable to come over to your house and eat whatever from your fridge without asking and you are able to do likewise.)  ***Let me state, that I do have one of these nearby, and I don't want that person to think I don't consider them in this category, I do!

I want to be vulnerable with this person. I want to talk about all those things that I call my faraway friends and talk about. I want to come over when my husband is monopolizing the tv.  I want you to stop by whenever. I want you to invite yourself over for dinner.  I want you to sit on my couch and eat junk food and watch Real Housewives.

I have been looking for friends like this for years, since college.  Why is it so hard?  I feel like I put forth effort.  I am always looking for people to invite over for dinner.  Maybe they will be my fridge friend.  But then I find out that they already have enough fridge friends or they are in a different stage of life than me and that doesn't work for them.  (Regarding the stage of life thing, I think it is a load of crap.  My best friend lives hundreds of miles away and has a baby, and we make it work.  I think if we live in the same town, we would be able to make it work.)

I don't understand what else I have to do.  Do these friends exist?  Am I wishing for something that is intangible?

Orange and Turquoise

Again, grace on the picture please.  Still haven't bought the full length mirror.  But I am not the point of the picture.  I want to talk about the color combinations.  I got this shirt last week at New York and Company  (love that place!).

Normally I would have paired the shirt with brown accessories to match my shoes; however, in an attempt to branch out, I decided to pair it with a turquoise necklace and earrings set I got from Charming Charlie's.

For the longest time, I could not do orange and blue with because they were my high school colors.  My bestest friend, Brittany, designed a room with this two colors, and it looks great.  I used it as inspiration for my outfit!

Brittany lives in Ohio, and her house is so stinking cute.  I would never have thought to put orange and turquoise together.  

She found the pillows and used them for the inspiration for the rest of her room.  I think that is a smart idea, for sure!

Her and her husband, Tim, are super crafty and creative.  They found material that they liked and covered the crates under the coffee table and the lamp shades.

We have already informed Brittany that she will be coming down and decorating our house when we get one!  Thanks for the inspiration, Brittany!

What color combinations have you tried that aren't your normal?

Now I can SEE!

That was a pretty crazy storm last week. What a powerful reminder of the strength of our God! That was definitely evident when looking at our relatively new car. (Anthony posted pictures on his page.) The back window is destroyed, there are dents everywhere! Due to novice adulthood on our part and a clear lack of communication on the part of our insurance company, we are without a rental car, which is totally L-AME! Our friends have been totally great though, escorting me and Anthony to and from work. Thanks! It is hard to be a two person family with only one car--how times have changed.

Anthony and I started going through John MacArthur's Strength for Today. And goodness, do I need some of that! Today we read about our commitment to Christ. MacArthur referenced the story in John 9 about Jesus healing the blind man. I have heard this story since flannel gram age; however, God graciously revealed a new truth to me. In the story, Jesus heals a man that has been blind from birth. When the Pharisees asked his parents, they responded in fear of being expelled from the synagogue by saying, "Ask him. He can tell you." In other words, don't ask me. I don't want to tell you that Jesus did. I don't want to connect myself to Jesus. Umm hello people, we do that, too! Do you find yourself believing in Christ, but not confessing Him? Pray that the Lord will give you strength to recommit yourself to the Lord.

Thankful for...

In the midst of all this chaos and things I could complain about, like school, I am going to take a break and blog about some things that I am thankful for. If I am following the facebook trend, I have some catching up to do.

1.) I am thankful for a husband who helps clean the apartment. Yesterday, I was so frustrated because I couldn't find my school ID because, you know I need it for Saturdays to go up and do more work at school. (Stop it, this is my thankful list, not my complaining list.) Anyway, he cleaned up the apartment and found my ID. He wasn't bitter that I was super mean and nasty to him. So, thanks Anthony. You are the best!

2.) For cold nights and electric blankets.

3.) For friends and family that I don't have to call every week to reassure them that I love them, but know that I do. I love that we can go for a few weeks without talking and start off on the same page. It is refreshing to have that deeper level of understanding.

4.) For several students in my class who make it their personal goal to make me laugh, even giggle, at recess. They are so funny. If I had a different class this year, I think my hair would have already fallen out.

5.) For Katelyn, my almost sister-in-law. God picked out the right girl for Ryan, but He also picked out the right sister-in-law for me. I am so glad we were able to connect and talk during our last trip to Amarillo! I am looking forward to the many secrets, encouragements, struggles, and joys we will share being married to these Houston boys. :)

6.) There are only 2 more school weeks until Thanksgiving. This year could not go by any faster!

Goodbye Third Grade

Last week I found out that I was being assigned to 4th grade next year. This came as a huge surprise considering that the week before my principal had told our team that she was going to keep us together. I love my team. They are so amazing. Last year was our first year together. We all came from different places, but we meshed so well. Our personalities are really different, but we have had the same goal: success for our children--no personal agendas. I may be leaving my wonderful well-working machine of a team, but I have gained friends for life. Corny, but true.

Michelle-Thank you for sharing a wall with me, for letting me pop my head in whenever I have a question, and sending me attachments over and over again because I have deleted them.

Alice-Thanks for being the bilingual queen. You do so much more extra stuff that I don't even know the half of it. Thank you for always making puppy chow-it is the best. PS I still have your bowl.

Ann Marie-You were the one person I knew on the team when I started. Thanks for sharing all the first year teacher ropes with me. Thank you for letting me copy your files and always sharing everything you create.

Ernesto-Mr. Handy Man: Thank you for always have nails and batteries and rope and krazy glue and anything else that we could possibly think of. Thanks for taking our difficult kids and being flexible.

Alexa-my running buddy. You are so willing to drop everything to do anything for someone else. Thank you for all the encouraging words.

I will miss all of you next year as I move down to the dungeon, as Michelle calls it. Please come visit. My classroom, and life, is always open to you. You guys have been the best introduction to teaching!!!