The Arnolds: Girl. Friends.

For a long time I didn't like girls. But a few new friends in my life are slowly changing that.

In high school I had a bad experience with a group of girlfriends that changed how I felt about girls all through college and into my adult life. They all knew something (that my high school boyfriend had cheated on me) and didn't tell me until 6 months after the "incident". I was devestated and it took a decade to figure out that it wasn't necessarily because he slept with another girl (I wouldn't sleep with him) but because I felt so stupid and like a big idiot because everyone knew but me.

I stil have the insecurity of other people knowing something about my life, or me or someone in my life, and them not telling me. I am very curious and want to know everything about everything because I am trying to protect myself from looking like the idiot.

A group of friends is slowly breaking down the barrier that I had with girls. I'm not sure how long ago we started hanging out but it has to be over a year ago. We have gone camping, gone to the river, had dinners, gone to the state fair, had cookouts, had New Year's eve Trivial Pursuit parties, New Year's day brunches, Christmas parties, Thanksgiving potlucks,Halloween parties, birthday parties, St. Patty's day hang outs, and the list goes on.

And the more time I spend with them the more comfortable I feel and the more trust I gain in women. I have felt more blessed this year than anything. I had prayed a long time for a group of friends that I can be myself around and that both Lane and I like and fit in with. I am a lot more skeptical of people than Lane and so it takes a lot longer for me to warm up and trust people than it does him.

I can't wait for many more years as friends with them and having babies together etc!

Here are the people I am talking about: