My Four Best Friends..

Stephanie, Noelle, Shannon and Sarah. These are my girls. They were my bridesmaids. I love each of them.

I've known Stephanie since I was in 9th grade and she was in 8th. She was the first person my age to talk to me when I went to Placerita. We have been such close friends over the years. She has an amazing voice. She is hilarious. We watch movies together and quote lines from them. Steph and Zane got married May 27, 2006. They are currently finishing up being singer/performers on The Volendam. Steph has been such an inspiration to me. I've watched this girl grow and mature and make huge decisions for her life. I've watched her be such a testimony for the Lord and I've seen her grow to love Him and pursue Him so much. I look forward to her being back in Southern California in a week and a half. She is so fun and I love her so much. She has been such a support to me over this last year. Even though she is far away she is great about staying in touch. She is priceless and I'm so thankful that she is my friend. I am so proud of her.

Sarah. Formerly called 'Whitey.' This girl is amazing. We've been friends for how long now? Like 4 or 5 years? Seriously, though, it feels like so much longer. I think that's due to the fact that when you are later in your teen years and getting into your twenties, you make a lot of huge life decisions and Sarah and I became friends just in time for that period of life. She also, is such an inspiration to me. She is such a genuine girl. Totally loves the Lord, and in our conversations over the past year I've been so touched by her caring and compassionate heart. I've watched her grow in her faith. We've had some awesome prayer times together. She is just someone who you can be totally comfortable with, totally real with. This can be seen about her when you take a look at the broad range of friends she has. Sarah got married August 26, 2006. Andy stole her away to Minnesota where he can hog her and keep her all to himself. It's not fair. But I love them. I am so looking forward to what their future holds and so looking forward to seeing how God will use them.

Noelle (on the right). I've known her since we were in second or third grade. She is definitely the one I go waaay back with. We grew up together at Grace Community Church. I used to ask to go home with her every single Sunday after church. We've had many sleepovers, many Barbie playing times, many pool parties, many birthdays with each other. Many heart to heart conversations, many Starbucks runs, many times of sharing worship - whether it be counseling, advising, praying or sharing with each other OR times of actually leading worship at The Tabernacle. We have always 'gotten' each other. Just those little times where you unintentionally blurt something (like if you are driving in a car and read a section of a billboard out loud, or notice someone strange or peculiar walking by) and no one gets it or notices it except us. Noelle is responsible for helping break me out of keeping God in a box. She helped me see the hugeness of God. She is very fun. She is so in love with God and she inspires me to know God and His Word more and she definitely helps me to branch out and be adventurous in life.

Shannon (middle). She started out as my violin friend. We were in the same circle of friends at Grace Community Church, though we were not close until high school. In high school we were both part of a little orchestra at Grace School. We shared a music stand and we were the oldest ones in the orchestra so we immediately bonded. We would sit at that music stand and play and crack up. As the years went on we became closer friends. We took classes at COC together and went to the COC Bible Study together. Shannon became part of our family. Every week when we were at COC she would eat dinner with us. She affectionately calls my parents "Mommy Augie and Daddy Augie." Shannon has such an great personality and such a quick sense of humor, it makes me want to be like her. I try to adopt an attitude of being more outgoing and it just has't happened yet. Maybe one day. Seriously, we laugh so much. Shannon has been amazing over this past year. I know that she has been so faithful to pray for me. She actually has been a pillar of strentgh for me. I've relied on her a lot. She actually flew to Arizona to be with me when Kevin told me he had decided to divorce me. She has been so available, so uplifting and so encouraging to me. I'm so thankful for her and for her friendship. She is an example to me and an inspiration.

These 4 girls are amazing. I want to mush them all into me so that I can be super amazing. They are lifelong friends. I love them forever. I'm so blessed to have them involved in my life. And I have been so thankful and so touched and blessed by each one of them over and over.