Throwback Thursday - Childhood Friends

It's time for another episode of Throwback Thursday!!!!!

Today we're talking about childhood friends. I've already talked about my friend Julie and her sister Jen, and how all of us would go on vacations and such. I talk about Julie a lot on here actually, lol. (Hi!) So, while she is my childhood friend since we've known each other since birth... I felt like I should share the spotlight with some of my other childhood friends. I hope she doesn't mind. ;-)

I grew up above a funeral home and spent a lot of time in the hospital - so I didn't get to know the kids in my neighborhood very well. I didn't meet people on my block until high school and I remember them saying "I always wanted to know who lived in the funeral home." and I would say "I always wanted to know who lived in normal houses!" 

I also went to a small Lutheran elementary school, so that was where I made most of my friends. Many of whom we started out going to preschool together and stuck with the same school until 8th grade. Some of them I'm still friends with!

When you go to school with the same classmates for eleven years... you get to know them pretty well. Even the kids who came and went through the years or joined our class towards the end though were brought into our class easily. They became part of the family. 

Don't get me wrong - our class had plenty of drama. That also happens when you go to school with the same people for eleven years. You get a reputation for one thing in pre-school and it doesn't go away until you graduate 8th grade. 

Compared to some other classes at our school, however, we really weren't that bad. At our 8th grade graduation banquet it was basically just one big tear fest because we realized we weren't all going to be going to the same school anymore. It was rough. Going from a class of 21 at a small Lutheran school to a huge public high school is a scary thing. 

Sorry for the bad photo. I stole this off of a friends Facebook. I do have
my own photos of my class, but they aren't digital. Sorry! 3 guesses which
one is me. Haha!

Over the years there were countless Halloween parties (hosted by my friend Cindy - she had the best parties.), sleepovers, play dates, field trips, etc. We were on all of the same sports teams, went to concerts and movies together, swam in each others backyard pools... it was good times. 

Some of the friendships I kept through high school, which was really cool. We were able to get to know each others friends from the other schools. My one friend Julie (a different Julie) joined the youth group I was a part of and was really close to all of my high school friends. Then another friend, Kristen, and I are still close and she's going to be in my sister's wedding. She even went back to teach at our old school for a couple of years! Cindy is a fellow Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, and when she lived in Carbondale she and I would try to meet up when we could. Wayne is now studying to be a pastor and when he and I get together we can share ministry stories. As for the others, thanks to Facebook we still keep tabs on one another. I remember once, one of the girls was having a rough time and it was all of the St. Paul girls who commented and helped encourage her. One of these days we're all going to have to get together and catch up on life. I'd love to see where everyone is!

Who were some of your childhood friends? Do you still keep in touch? Do you want to keep in touch?