~Friday's Friend~

Today I will introduce one of my BEST friends in the world!!!!!!

(me, Jenn, and Tiff, 2008)

Jennifer Esser

First things first. It just took me 30 minutes to find a freakin picture of me and Jenn. And as you can see, I still could not find one of JUST us!!?! Mainly because I'm not on my computer, where all my pics are saved....but....I couldn't even find one of us on Facebook?!? What the crap! That's pathetic, Jenn. We must do something about this. Next time we're together, we're having a photo shoot! And then I'll make a "Ton/Jenn" album on FB!

So, anyway. Jennifer and I have been friends since 2004. But she hated me back then! hahaha!! She says she didn't hate me, but she did. I'm just kidding she really didn't, but she just never talked to me! We both worked at McRae's together (yes, it was still known as McRae's). We worked in the children's section. She was finishing up at Pearl River, and I was just starting at USM. Which is probably another reason we weren't best friends right off. We both had a different group of friends at the time. However, our friendship is all because of our husbands. (That's the only thing we'll ever give them credit for! haha!!) Michael and Jennifer's husband, Justin, started working together. They didn't know eachother either, but they actually talked to eachother! ha! Ok, I'm sorry. I'll stop. :) So, anyway. Michael came to the mall to take me to lunch one day, and while we were in the food court, Michael said..."there's a guy I work with. Let me go say hello." And then I'm like..."umm...he's with a girl that I work with?? weird!!" So....that's how it all started.

Jennifer and Justin got married in December of 2004. She quit McRae's around the same time, so we didn't have that connection anymore. But thankfully our husbands still worked together. Well, as I said before, we were running with different groups, so the only times our paths crossed was when the hubs wanted to get together. Jenn found out she was pregnant real soon after they got married. I found out I was pregnant shortly after. Being pregnant at the same time definitley made our friendship stronger! Jennifer had her son, Austin, in August of 2006. I had my daughter, Abby, in January of 2007. They are 5 months apart and best friends! After having kids around the same time, going to the same church, and living right across the street from eachother...our friendship was no longer just a basic friendship. Jennifer was my best friend. She was the type of friend that I had longed for my entire life. We are alike in some ways and totally opposite in some ways. But our personalities compliment eachother. We've never had a "fight." We've never really even been mad at eachother. When we hang out, it doesn't matter what we do. We always have fun! It's so neat because our husbands are best friends and so our the kiddos. Jenn now has another son, Caleb, that was born March 8. He is exactly six months younger than Parker. We hope they'll soon be best friends also! By the way, Jennifer's maternity leave ends on Monday. Be praying for her as she goes back to work. It's never easy to leave your babies!

The only downfall of this whole friendship is that we now live an hour and a half from eachother. And when you have 2 kids, it makes planning trips a little difficult. But we make it happen. It may only be once a month, or once every 2 months, but we make it happen!

The Essers are family to us. They're not LIKE family, they ARE family! God blessed me with a friendship that I didn't know could exist! And even though having 2 kids has made us crazy, busy, maniac mommys....we know that no matter what, we're just a phone call (or text message) away.

I love you, Jennifer Esser! I know I've told you this many times, but you are such a blessing to me....and I seriously don't know what I'd do without you.

the crazy obnoxious friend,

Tonya