It has been our experience, in our 9 years of hopping from place to place on our adventure with the Lord, that good friendships take time. Each time we've moved to a new state (7 times in all) it takes about a year to make a lasting, true friend (sometimes a little more or a little less). And it's normally takes more time than that to find "couple" friends. Which I might add, are much harder to come by once you have children!! Mostly because every parent goes about their job differently (not better or worse, just different) and sometimes that makes it very hard. Also I have had great girlfriends that I loved dearly but when our husbands got together they didn't have much in common. OR the couple got along great but the kids fought like crazy and it wasn't "fun" to spend much time together.
All that makes me so thankful for the friends God has provided us with here! The day we were moving into campus housing we were very busy (duh) moving in boxes from the moving truck. I come out to make another trip and I hear this loud belly laugh coming from inside the truck and I also hear L giggling. I look inside and L had already made a new friend. K is 7 and her laugh still makes me smile. Her and L were dancing in the truck and pretending to move the heavy boxes. We soon realized K had an older sister too, she is also a "K" and is 10. Later that day we met their parents because our girls were invited to play at their house. Their parents have been here at Seminary for 2 years and have 3 semesters left. She is expecting a son and so they love our little man.
All that to say, we are beyond blessed. J has helped and encouraged Matt is so many ways and they rarely go the day without talking or visiting. And R and I have had many heart to hearts and just got back from a womens retreat at here home church in Canton, TX (about 1.5 hrs from here). It has been so nice to have a family who has already made a path were we are now walking.

FUNNY story...
We had the Mensingers over on NYE. While we were preparing for them to come over H was super excited
for them to arrive. Well, when they got there and rang the doorbell H jumped up and said "they're here"!! However she seemed disappointed to see them. I asked her why and she said "when are the BOY SINGERS going to get here"?! We all had a good laugh and I hadn't realized that she though we were having a group of male singers over for the night instead of our sweet friends!!

Lord, every good and perfect gift comes from you. Thank you for providing us friendship with the Mensingers and other families here at Southwestern. We have been so encouraged by your works in their lives and continue to find hope in you alone.