Reconnecting

It was such a nice weekend.  I got to catch up with dear friends.

Weekend Part I

On Saturday one of my best friends from college had a housewarming party, as she and her husband have finally settled in Utah after a decade of med school and training all over the country.

Jen and Laurel

I can't tell you how great it was to see her.  It had been about 7 years since we'd visited each other.  She has a great family and is just about the happiest person I know.  She is so accepting and and never judges.  I love that she lets her heart lead her and doesn't care what others think. What a great quality.   

We used to do some crazy things together with LeAnn, the third member of our trio.  Hey, it was BYU.  You had to make your own fun.

Jen, LeAnn, Laurel

1995

LeAnn, Jen, Laurel (LeAnn was my maid of honor, Laurel was serving a mission on Temple Square)

1996

 Being with her made me think of LeAnn (who lives in NY) all day and I miss her very much.

2012

Today the three of us have 13 kids all together.  How cool!

Weekend, part II

On Sunday our family got to spend a great night with some friends who were neighbors of ours but moved away  several years ago.  We had a fun night with games and good food.

Kristy means so much to me.  She taught me how to can food, tried (unsuccessfully) to teach me to crochet, and is the master example of budgeting and frugality.  We have much in common, not the least of which is having our sisters live farther away from us than we want them to.  I admire her patience and the constant smile she wears.  She is always willing to learn new things and I love that about her.  She makes me want to be better.

We have 9 kids between us and they're all about a year apart.  I thought my girls would never leave her house!

What struck me over the last two days is that even though years may pass, friendships don't die.  They may fade into the background at certain times but true friends are always there and a reunion just gives you a chance to pick up where you left off.  It's amazing how that works.

I'm so blessed to know great women who are such good examples of being the wife/mother/sister/daughter I want to be.