Fab Friends

Once upon a time, there were a group of girls. The majority of the girls met in the early years of Cheerleading. In the midst of being "bow-heads" (aka cheerleaders), braces, boys, and being carted around by our minivan moms, something special emerged. Slowly this group started to grow. Insert a softball player and a new girl from Illinois and alas, the "Elite Eight" was formed. (side note: We dont use the term Elite because we are snotty... we use the term Elite because our friendship has long lasted the walls of our high school. More about that later)

This group of 8 girls, turned into 8 amazing women. Each of which I will share about now. Far left is myself, Mrs. B, Ms. P, Stella, Mrs S, Kris, Jeel, and Doobs at the bottom.

• Mrs. B is an Opera singer... seriously she's amazing! She sang at my wedding and gave everyone chills. You haven't heard Ave Maria until you hear her sing it! She and I met in the 7th grade when we gave the dance team a whirl, which we quickly bailed on and tried out for cheerleading the next year. She became the first of our group to get married, when she married her high school sweetheart in 2006.
  
• Ms. P I have known the longest, since 4th grade cheerleading, but we weren't ever great friends until 9th grade. She is now a globe trotting business woman with a great sense of style. I am sometimes jealous of her big-girl job and her amazing wardrobe! I dont know what I would have done all of these years without our long talks about boys, and solving the worlds problems one little scheme at a time! We are also fellow Georgia Bulldogs!
  
• Stella is our Illinois girl that we saved from eating a lonely lunch on her first day of school. Okay maybe that isnt completely true... but I tease her and tell the story that way! Stella has personality like no other! The only word in her shoe vocab... HEELS, the only word in her handbag vocab LOUIS. The girl can shop! She's also an awesome friend, that will do anything for you at the drop of a hat.
• Mrs S is one of a kind. She and I share a unique sense of humor, and find things funny that others... well... dont find humorous! We take joy in rooster statues and the small things in life! We have been through a lot together, and havent found much that a gallon of ice cream cant fix. She has been there to laugh and cry and always helps pick up the broken pieces. Mrs S is married to a wonderful Brit!
• Kris is our softball girl of the group, whom we could never convert to cheer! Way to hold out Kris! She always has a way of making a joke about a dramatic situation. Which honestly, in our group does happen a good bit! She also always has the revenge pictures that you dont want anyone to ever see, ESPECIALLY all of your facebook friends! We became engaged very close together and shared the excitement of our weddings together. She also married a country boy like me.
• Jeel and I used to get mistaken for twins...I dont think we looked very much alike, I think it had more to do with our obsession of putting lemon juice and chamomile tea in our hair during the summer. Which turned our hair the exact same lovely shade of honey blonde. Many years and hair colors later, we are still friends! We also shared an awesome Sweet 16 party together... long before "My Super Sweet 16!" Jeel is the brains behind this operation, she is very smart. An amazingly humble and caring person.
• And that brings me to Doobs. Doobs obviously isnt her real name, but it is what we all lovingly call her =) Doobs and I first met in 9th grade. My first memory of her is riding in her mom's "space van" to practice one day. Since that day we have had many great memories. One of my favorite times with her is driving said "space van" to pick up her little brother and embarass him! She's also one of the only people I have ever heard of, that attempted to walk her cat on a leash! She is a kindergarten teacher that is married to a hunky southern lawyer.
  

So now you know about the Elite Eight. Like I said before, we dont use the term Elite in a condesending way. Its more like a "wow we are still friends after all of these years" way. Its also the only cool word that starts with an E. I honestly dont know where the term began. I have known most of these ladies for over half of my life, and I know I would not be the woman I am today without each and every one of them.

Here are a couple of photos for your viewing pleasure.

My sexy mom and me are the second pair to the left!

Us with our mom's at Mrs B's wedding. (It's a little scary how much everyone looks like their mom!)

(Me, Stella, Kris, Doobs, Jeel, Mrs. B)

All of us at Mrs. S's rehearsal dinner

At Mrs. S's wedding reception in Charleston

(Doobs, Mrs. S, Ms P, Stella and myself)
At Doob's bachelorette party

(Ms P, Mrs S, Me, Mrs B, Stella, Jeel)
At the wedding shower they threw me

(Kris, Ms P, Mrs S, Doobs, Mrs B, Me, Stella in front)
Our Annual Christmas get together

My lovely bridesmaids