The only thing I miss about California is the people. I miss my family and my friends. I miss feeling like I have people all around me all the time. The struggle has been very real. And it’s been hard. I’m a social person. I like to be around others. Don’t get me wrong, I like my ‘me time’, but not all the time. And then you throw in staying home with a toddler and not having any other adults to talk to. I found myself waiting to see what happened on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

We were very blessed to move in next to a really nice family. The Johnsons – Marcus, Katrina and their son Jonas. Pretty quickly I told myself that I was going to be friends with them. They didn’t know me and probably thought I was weird for wanting to talk to them over the fence in our yard. But I was determined. I was going to make friends and they would be the first. So…sorry Marcus and Katrina if you thought I was weird. Now you know me and you’re stuck. We’re friends.

I opened up to Katrina about how I was feeling about not really having friends around. Especially friends that had kids Nell’s age. She told me that a few years back she joined a groups called MOMS League. Fun fact: I recently learned that MOMS stands for Moms of Many Stages. She convinced me to join in the Fall when they opened up the registration. And she convinced my mom to become a mentor mom.

So, here we are three meetings later and I have never felt so blessed by a group a women. I don’t even know how many of us there are. And I don’t always get a chance to talk to all of them. I have my table of 9 or 10 women and every other week we get to talk to each other and lift each other up. We have planned playdates where we can take our kids out together. And we have mom’s night so the mamas can get out without the kids.

I have met so many women that make me feel like a better mom simply because I realize that they aren’t better than I am. And I am so grateful. I’m grateful for women like Katrina who felt she could step out and invite me to a group like this. Grateful that she listened and understood what I was going through.

I’m hoping that this group of women turns into a group of friends. Friends that I can call and have coffee with – with or without our kids. Friends that I can call and we’ll go to the park or Itty Bitty City. Friends that I can vent to and pray with. Just….friends. Good friends. Great friends.