New Relationships (Decade in Review)

SO MUCH happens in a decade!!!  One of the best things to come out of the past ten years is the new relationships I have formed with friends and family members I didn't know (or that didn't yet exist) on this day ten years ago.  It is crazy to think how different my life would be without these people who have become so significant to me now!

(*To be clear, I met Chettles, Sarah Elizabeth, Kristin, Laura, etc. before 2010, so that's why they are not featured here.)

Listed by Order of Appearance in My Life.  (Click name for link to Tribute post.) ❤

1.  JEFFREY EDWARD, aka JEM, February 2010 -- who knew when we were dancing the Copperhead Road and Boot Scootin' Boogie that we'd end up being such great friends ten years later? lol  I met JEM at the Caravan, and I have lots of fun memories of dancing with him and the other guys there.  Then there was my Valentine's party (which he still refers to as the "Lonely Hearts Club"), followed by the infamous roach incident, and then the Vegas trip of 2010 that really solidified our friendship. =)  He cancelled other plans so he could be there for me on one of the worst days of my life, and I will not forget that.  I am thankful for Jeffrey... for his generosity (example: he paid for several meals and bought everyone tickets to see Zarkana when we went to Vegas in 2014), his hilarious stories (J-Biebs and the airplane come to mind), his finesse and canivery (getting me to go on the hike in Vegas), his love of reminiscing and looking through scrapbooks (makes it feel more worth the time it takes to create them), and how much he loves this blog (like reminding me about quotables or asking me to write a memory post about an NYC trip I wasn't there for). lolol

2.  TRISTON MICHAEL, aka T-Man, May 2010 -- I met adorable tiny toddlers T&C for the first time on Mother's Day in 2010 (here), clearly having no idea that they would end up being my nephews and taking up so much space in my heart and life! ❤  I love how my relationship with T-man has changed as he's grown from a three-year-old to an awesome preteen!  We FaceTime and email and play fun texting games, and I love learning what he's interested in right now.  He's helping plan our family's Disney trip details, and I'll be going to Washington D.C. with him and his 6th Grade class this coming April! =)

3.  CARTER LEE, aka Carterman, May 2010 -- I met the boys on the same day (obviously), and it's been a privilege to watch them grow and learn more about their hearts and personalities!  Carter is fun, athletic, naturally cool, and tenderhearted.  I'm praying for so many good things for these kids and their futures!

T&C through the years. ❤

4.  KARLI MARIE, May 2011 -- I met Karli during the Diving Deeper Lifegroup days, where it was obvious that she had a lot of Biblical wisdom and spiritual maturity as one of our leaders.  She and Chet started dating and eventually got married, and now they have Tater-tot, who's one of my favorite toddlers to hang out with!  Karli is a great wife, mom, decorator, and hostess!  The Wilson and Weatherford families mean so much to me, and I feel thankful for the way Karli and her family accepted and embraced me because I know my life would look very different now if that were not the case.

5.  KYLE BRANDON, aka Tall Kyle, May 2011 -- I'm thankful for Kyle's kindness and chivalry, for his thoughtful Thank You notes, his telling facial expressions, and the way he quietly serves others!  At my first Friday night dinner, we all named something on our bucket list, and his was seeing Celine Dion in concert... an answer that cracked me up and made me happy!  That dream will come true when she comes to Tulsa in February, so I'm excited to get to be there for that... I feel confident that Chet and Kyle will be more psyched about it than me, Karli, or Sarah! lol

6.  JACE MICHAEL, aka Jaceman, February 2012 -- Oh, the Jaceman!  So cute and cuddly as a baby... and so much joy and fun and extroverted entertainment now!  I love that he befriends everyone he meets and feels the need to greet them even when he can't remember their names. lol  I think it's crazy but really cute that he has a long-distance girlfriend (Claire) whose family moved to Italy, but they've kept in touch and sent each other notes for the past three years.  He's super active and full of energy, but will occasionally sit down long enough to read me something or show me his notebook.  In the pic below, he told me it seemed like I wasn't "the real Lindsey" with my hair fixed like that.  That and his "gift giraffe" are two of my favorite Jace memories. lol

7.   KELLY MARIE, August 2012 -- I met Kelly through the DDLG, and we became closer when I joined the Women's Lifegroup that she was leading in 2013.  She was an awesome leader for that group for the 4-5 years we all met, and I have several fun memories with her (including this fair trip on the day I held one of their chickens for the first and last time - lol).  She's a great wife to Jeff and mom to sweet Ellie!  I'm thankful for her kindness, her thoughtful notes, her feisty side, and the friendship I have with their family!

8.  TIFFANY JOANNE, April 2013 -- I met Tiffany when we were all sharing testimonies at the Women's Lifegroup.  She spoke up and briefly shared her story, and I immediately wanted to talk to her one on one.  When I found myself with an extra Justin Timberlake ticket later that year, she was the first to speak up wanting to join me... so that was the first time we really hung out and got to know each other, and it's such a fun memory!  We became movie buddies and formed a close friendship where we've had a lot of fun but also supported each other through heartbreak and loss, and now she works with me and Laura in good ol' Creek County!  I am thankful for Tiffany's kindness and friendship, for our shared love of old school rap songs, for the memory of us going to Hurts Donuts a week or so into our "fast from sweets,"  and for her example of resilient joy and strength!

9.  KYNDAL FAITH, aka Mini Miss K, August 2013 -- This preshface can always brighten my day!  She's equal parts sweet and sassy, tomboy and girly girl, sensitive and fierce... and I love that!  I love that she gets excited to see me and asks to sit by me.  I love the expressive way she tells stories about her day, and how committed she is to practicing her gymnastics moves until she gets them right.  I think it's hilarious that when she wore her hair in a ponytail this summer, she said, "Look, now I'm Lindsey." (*Must wear my hair down more often.* lol)  She's funny and smart and playful and adorable.  Her tiny heart is very relational and sensitive, and she's already experienced more worry and heartbreak than any 6-year-old should have to deal with.  I'm praying for her heart and soul to continue to heal (along with her brothers, who each express their pain differently), and for them to grow up feeling confident and secure in how much they are loved!  I'm so very thankful I get to be their aunt, and for all the joy and great memories they've given me!! ❤

10.  ELIZABETH JANE, aka E-Beth, March 2017 -- One of my newer friendships (which is strange as it feels like we've known each other longer), but definitely one of my favorite people!!  I love having an OKC friend again that I can visit when I'm in town, and I love our long conversations over fried okra and BBQ... or pizookies. lol  Talks that range from politics and church stories to favorite foods and movies to crazy work stories and book projects and life goals!  I'm thankful for fun game days with her and Jonathan!  And I'm thankful for Elizabeth's sense of humor, her encouragement and kindness, her example of personal strength, and of course, her great proofreading skills. lol

Where, oh where would my life be without all of you!?

*The very long list of friends I've met in this decade also includes but is not limited to Brittany Bolt, Jon Foster, Angie Gomez, Elizabeth Cheney, Lindsay Hainzinger-Johnson, Evan and Jessica Myers, Audrey Bixler, Lynette Layden, and my Evergreen Lifegroup!!  I'm deeply grateful for the way God works through every person He brings into our lives... strong, supportive relational connections are so valuable to our mental health and happiness!  I am also thankful that God Himself is ever-present and faithful, even as our personal relationships naturally ebb and flow!! ❤