We met in 2005, Clint and I were just barely married and Rachel and Jeff had been married for a bit but not long, we were in a Young Marrieds class together at church and then put together for a small group intensive marriage training that lasted over a year. We got to know each other well and our friendship just intensified from there. I think if you had told either of us 12 years ago that down the road between the two of us we’d have 10 kids I don’t think either of us would have believed you.
We’ve been there for each other through the years. Numerous hospital visits for each other’s births, Rachel was even at my bedside during my 41 hour labor with Leighton and went with him to the NICU when he was so sick and I had to stay behind to be stabilized. I was working a night shift waiting for my phone to beep to let me know that Vivian had made it safe and sound into the world. We ran a 1/2 marathon together when there were only 5 kids between the two of us and when we both were so sick and should never have started that day, but we pulled through and crossed the finish line together in matching purple shirts. She filled out one of our reference forms for our adoption of Edric and met us 20 some months later at the airport when we brought him home. We’ve navigated the road of speech delays in our kids trading texts back and forth and finding someone who understands the other on that.
Our lives have weaved in and out of each other’s through these past 12 years. Sometimes we may go weeks without texting but then when we do we know right where the other is at. There are very few people that I have had the privilege of having a relationship with like that. She encourages me in my faith and I can only hope I do the same for her.
As we got together today and the 10 kids spread out all over as they played and we managed to get them all fed (Clint said on his way out the door this morning- “I just realized that between the two of you, you’ll have 10 kids here today”) and we joke that we could start our own church and have a totally full kids ministry, many times we both said “I totally know how you feel”. We are both beyond exhausted, and laundry is a bad word, and we are both done for the day by 4 every afternoon with 4 more hours till bedtime knowing the only way we are going to make it there is by prayer, but I’m so glad and thankful that I get to share (sometimes separated by months and only through texts back and forth) this crazy journey with this amazing woman and dear friend.
Hiking Mommy 