I'm thankful everyday for my girlfriends!

I'm thankful to the Lord for bringing all of these women into my life

* Cindy...who when she found out we were looking for a house told me about the house she and her husband Allen bought. She invited me over and gave me a tour of her lovely home. It's mainly due to her that we have the beautiful and peaceful place that we now call home. "Home is where you hang your heart". Cindy is a huge promoter of women starting and running their own businesses. She sees the good and positive things that can come out of hard work. Shes a devoted friend and is always there to lend a helping hand.

*Kim- The genuine smile she greets you with is just that...genuine. She's the kind of friend that always uplifts you and leaves you with this feeling of pure joy. She's an Angel on earth placed here to let us know that we can work out our problems and nothing is as bad as we first thought it was. The best part is...she likes my cooking :-)

*Liz - Through her I learned that there's more to being an Officers wife than meets the eye. That there are things that you have to forfeit to have this life and that you can not be bitter about it. That you need to make your own happiness and your own identity, separate from his. It wasn't that I didn't know these things, it was that she brought them into focus for me. She was a good military spouse role model. Her husband is now retired from the Air Force and they are living it up as civilians now :-)

*Robin-what a wonderful wife/mother/daughter/sister and friend she is! She's a one year Breast Cancer survivor. She gets diagnosed with cancer and what does she do? She starts a Yoga business! Go Robin! She's one of my first military spouse friends and we found out that we grew up in the same area. I talked about Robin in front of some 40 some spouses who came to the October OSC function how we met and became friends at our husbands first assignment, and how friendships like that last for forever. I spoke of how I was so proud of her and how breast cancer can and does affect people we know. That this devastating disease can have a positive effect of those not stricken with the disease. Get a Mammogram!!!

*René- Another wonderful person whom I met at out first assignment up in Maine. I think that she's a very strong woman (even when she thinks she isn't), able to do things that I think are brave. She's got a beautiful southern accent- not that sticky sweet almost fake sounding kind, but a genuine one that is filled with warmth. A wizard with finances and all levels of Mathematics! If I were to go into business, this is the women who would keep me grounded :-) She has this huge heart and is always there for everyone!

*Susan- I met her after the loss of her 2 year old son Gareth. I was introduced to her by a mutual friend who thought that I would be "good" for Susan to get to know. Our mutual friend didn't know how to be friends with someone like Susan... who was so full of anger and grief after losing a child. Angry with the military and civilian health care systems and angry with God. Susan is straight forward, she tells it like it is. To be honest, I admire that. One day while we were at lunch (this is many years ago and it still brings tears to my eyes when thinking about it) she asks me "Sandie, why are you my friend?", I look up and say "hmm? what do you mean?" Susan replies "when all I do is complain about things, I'm an awful friend, I push people away because I yell at them- why are you still here?" my reply was simple "Because God told me that I needed you as much as you needed me. That no matter where we are in the world we all need compassion" We both broke down in tears and have been as thick as thieves ever since. Susan might not have the kind of patience that some of us have for dealing with certain situations or people and that's okay. She has a talent worth far more... She does the most beautiful and exquisite needlework I've ever seen! She has the patience to sit down and create these beautiful works of art when total chaos is going on around her. It doesn't frustrate her to look at the finely woven linen and get to work on it. Oh how I envy that (working on linen scares me). She got me back into working counted cross and fancy needlework stitching projects, this time with specialty hand dyed threads and I got her further into the realm of scrapbooking. Together we started a tribute album for her son Gareth.

*Barbara- She's my best friend from childhood. We met in the 3rd grade, we were both new kids at school, both shy too. We used to talk about how our lives would be when we grew up...she a mom with a half a dozen kids and me the explorer going all over the world and telling her in detail about where I've been and what I've done. Barbara never married, she lives in Santa Barbara with her elderly parents taking care of them. In 2001 (she'll correct me if I'm wrong on the year) She became very ill it started out being the flu and one morning she woke up to discover that she was paralyzed on one side of her body. Many tests were run on her during her time spent in the hospital only to discover that she has MS. It was then that she found out that she had this disease for many years only that it was dormant. It was a huge blow to her and to me. But she has been strong in her convictions in life sticking to those things that she believes in, I admire that. She rides a motorcycle and has more cats than I have kids.

I did become the explorer, just not in the context that I had planned for myself (hey-we were 12 at the time, LOL) and I make sure to tell her all about the places I've been and people I've met. I also became a wife and mother and that is an adventure of it's own :-)