Amy

Celebrating our January birthdays together in college

Anne of Green Gables vacation to P.E.I.

Amy loves music

The beautiful bride

Amy and Peter

Celebrating the upcoming birth of Amy's daughter

Amy with daughter Miriam

Allow me to introduce you to one of the dearest friends I've ever had.  Amy and I have been friends since our freshman year of college in 1996.  My experience at Concordia would not have been as rewarding without Amy there.  We did almost everything together!  Studying together, singing together, leading Christian outreach teams together, going on band tour together, walking and talking together, always laughing, being roommates two of the years, doing our student teaching at the same time, eating meals together, praying together,  celebrating our birthdays together, and spending many of our breaks together too.  I'm so thankful for our years together in college.  Amy inspired me to be a good student, to work hard on my music, and to draw closer to our faithful God.  
    Our friendship didn't end when we graduated.  We got together pretty much every month.  We were both teachers after we graduated (Amy teaching music and me teaching second grade).  We still had "Fifty Billion Things" to tell each other each time we got together!  I loved hearing about her students and the concerts Amy would direct.  Amy always had a passion for teaching music.  She now has her master's degree and continues to be an excellent teacher.  She inspires me to be the best teacher I can be.  I admire her love of teaching, her organizational skills, and her amazing abilities as a musician.  
   Both having summers off, Amy and I have taken trips together.  We went to North Dakota to see our friend Pauline and to Madision, Wisconsin to visit our sisters.  One summer we went on a three week adventure to Prince Edward Island in Canada.  It was the perfect trip for Kindred Spirits to take together.
    Amy married her wonderful husband, Peter, in 2004 and I was bursting with happiness for them.  When I married Todd in 2008, we found that our husbands got along too!  We continue to enjoy getting together often.  
    Amy inspires me in my walk with God.  She is a prayer warrior and a faithful woman of God.  We often lend each other books and attend Christian concerts together.   It is always an encouragement to learn about the ways God is working in each others' lives.  God teaches me powerful things through Amy's words.  I am so thankful!      
   In September, God gifted Amy and Peter with the most amazing blessing yet!  Sweet Miriam Joy was born.  And, what a JOY she is.  I can hardly wait to see all God is going to do in her life!  She is blessed to have Amy for a mommy.  And, I am blessed to get to be her Auntie Jen!
     Today is Amy's birthday!  What a great day to share a blog post about this amazing person!  Happy Birthday, friend! 







To read more about our trip to Prince Edward Island, click on this blog:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2011/08/pei-here-we-come.html


To learn more about the "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" project, click this link:  http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html