FRIENDS, FRIENDS, AND MORE FRIENDS

Let me tell you a little about me. I have not always had many friends in the past that have been girls. When I was going into 7th grade my best friend, since I was at least 4, decided that she didn't want to be my friend anymore. I was devastated and because of how it all happened I hated being around girls. I had to make all new friends at a critical time in anyone's life (those early teen years are a killer). I didn't really like the way that girls treated eachother and that is when I began hanging out with all the guys. I spent most of my life getting along much better with the opposite sex and not understanding how girls could be so rude to eachother. Well that was until I got married. You can't really go hang out with the guys when you have a hubbie around, can you? I have since realized also that not all girls are bad and that you can have really good friendships. I often tell Kev that I have rarely had a friendship with a "kindred spirit" like in Anne of Green Gables. Well I will have to say that I have realized over the past few weeks how wrong I am. I have so many friends who have helped me to become who I am and who love me for me. I am so lucky!!!

I have spent a lot of time in the past few weeks visiting with some of these friends. Some I have known for a really long time and some that I had never met in person before. It has been fun and instead of making individual posts for each outing I decided to put them all down in one. So here are some of the friends I have seen in Utah!

These are two of my "scrappin" buddies. I was so excited to meet some of my on line friends in person. I have never been one to have friends without speaking to someone face to face, but since starting digital scrapbooking and getting involved in ScrapMatters (an on-line scrap site) I have made some really good friends whom I have never met. These are two of those ladies (Kathleen and Brittney) who happen to live in Utah and were free for an afternoon to have lunch. We chatted for 2 1/2 hours at Chili's. It was so good to get to know them better and to meet IRL (in real life).



That same day (which is why I am in the same clothes) I went to dinner also and meet up with some old friends whom I haven't seen in a really long time. In the summer of 1995 I worked as a counselor at Oakcrest, a girls camp run by the Church for girls 12 and 13 years old. This summer Oakcrest turned 50 and there was a big reunion which I was unable to attend (obviously I was a bit far away). I was so sad that I couldn't go, but fortunately for me one of my sister-in-laws also worked at Oakcrest with me so she said hi to everyone and because of her I was put in contact with my old Oakcrest buddies again. Therefore when I found out I was going home I decided that I wanted to have dinner with whomever could come and it was so much fun to see everyone again after all these years.

back row: Diana (Twix), April (Cascade), Laura (Harmony), Becky (Jazz'd),

front row: Louise (Spot), Marie (Hershey and my sister-in-law), me (Mickey), and Kim (Flounder)

Then, the next day, I got to head out to my old, old stomping grounds and see my friends from Eagle Mountain. This was the first place we built a home and I still have some really good friends from out there (although most of them don't live there anymore either). They were so nice they had a chocolate fountain with cinnamon bears to dip (along with other goodies too) and two of them even brought me chocolate covered cinnamon bears to take home with me. I love these ladies! (Candy, Jen, me, Amy, LaNae, and Cindy - sorry we took the pictures after Anna went home.) We had a really good time. Cindy let Rylee and I sleep over at her house, which was a good thing because we were up until 2am chatting away and finally forced ourselves to go to bed. A few days later I got together with some of my friends from West Jordan (where we moved from to head overseas). It was so much fun to catch up again with good friends. Thanks Krista for setting up everything - you are awesome! I also drove by our old house - still looks the same!

back row: Cassie, Cindy, Amy, and Cindy front row: Brooke, Krista, and Jolyn we took the pictures after Donatella and Rikke left - sorry ladies)

This last group of friends are old friends and I don't mean because of our age. I knew all of these lovely ladies in high school and we have slowly lost touch with eachother. Due to the internet and the wonders of technology we have found eachother again - thanks to Carol. It was so fun to get together and have lunch and we talked as if we haven't been apart.

(Carol, me, Shelley, Shayla, and Monica on the front with her little boy Jack)

Thanks everyone for making me feel so loved. It has been nice to catch up with all of these groups of people plus lots of small reunions too. I have missed my friends so much and was excited to know that I have been missed by them as well. It is always nice to be reminded that people love you and are praying for you and wishing you all the best in this life. Friendships are so important and I am glad that I have also made some wonderful friends in Australia too. Friends that will last a lifetime.