Attitude of Gratitude: Day 5

Friends

That's what I'm thankful for today. It may sound cliché, but I'm very thankful for the few amazing friends I have. In particular, I'm thankful for these people God has put in my life:

Melissa & I at Christmas last year.

First and foremost, the bestie. She's my sounding board, my personal shopper (seriously important when you live thousands of miles away!), my advice-giver, crafty inspiration and about a million other things. I don't know what I'd do without her! Actually, I do. I'd go crazy. =P She's the only person other than Joe that I trust with absolutely everything. I'd even ship my daughter to her for a couple of days if that were an option. Well...maybe... ;-)

Anna & I at the beach...summer 2011.

{Anna, we need an updated photo!!!}

She may be my SIL, but she's also one of my closest friends. We don't talk on the phone all that much, but we do FB! We think a lot alike (which is probably why she's also become friends with Melissa) and have a great time when we're actually in the same zip code. =P This also makes me so thankful I married Joe...because I got a great friend/sister out of the deal too! I'd probably leave Charlotte with her too. And actually....Anna, you may be babysitting at Christmas! =D

Mrs. C & I just a few weeks after we moved to HI in 2010.

Last - but definitely not least - is my closest island friend, Mrs. C. She was the very first friend I made here in Hawaii and has stuck with me ever since! She's about to meet her baby - hopefully sometime tonight or tomorrow - and I am so excited for her and her hubby! It's been quite the journey we've been on for the last 2.5 years. We met through blogging... Our first week on the island, they picked us up, took us out to dinner and then let us hang out at their house for a weekend! That picture was taken just outside of the hotel Joe and I stayed in before we moved into our house. Yep, they came to hang out with us at our hotel room! During the first month(ish) of Joe's deployment, we unpacked the rest of my house, organized and hung up pictures. We locked ourselves out of my house. We went shopping a lot. We went to church together. She spent tons of time at my house, keeping me company. She took pictures of us when Joe came home on R&R... We've chatted many hours away while our husbands played video games, card games, or talked about computers and zombies non-stop. She was one of the first people to find out I was pregnant...and that Charlotte was a girl. When we found out they were expecting just a few weeks before Charlotte arrived, we were thrilled! Now they're about to meet their own little miracle... They'll be PCSing to the mainland around Christmastime, and we'll be following soon after. She's my first (and possibly best!) Army wife friend. We'll both be on the East Coast for our next duty station. I hope we can keep our best intentions and meet up. I don't know how I'll make it through the next 4 years of Army life without her nearby!

I have a whole lot more friends (especially if you include all my bloggie friends!), but these are the few constants in my life. I am so thankful to have each of them. They're all quick to offer a kind, encouraging word...and even a word of truth when I need it the most. I wish I could hug all 3 of them right now!!

What are you thankful for today?