Friends

Friends.

Friends are like icing on the cake, they make life that much sweeter.  Really. 

We often talk about how important friends are to our children, especially once they reach those teenage years, but really friends are so important in every stage of life, even as adults.  I don't know what I would do without friends in my life.  The thing I especially love is when I get together with an old friend, someone I haven't seen in awhile, even years, and we take off right where we left off.  The bond, the love is still there, and when you leave again you feel uplifted for being with them again and you wish you could spend every day with them, or at least once a week, but you know when you see each other in a few months or a few years that the bond and love will still be there.  You will still care about each other and you will love their kids just like they love yours even though you don't know them, but you will love them because they are a part of your friends.

I was so lucky to spend time with so many old friends this summer.  One of the benefits to living in Utah again, it is a pass through for almost everyone of the LDS faith. 

My dearest friends Vicki, who can make some mean (and very spicy) Thai food and Sarah whom I knew in CT.

The next generation from the above picture.  It isn't hard to tell who belongs to who.

Little sis's from above picture.

Hannah's bff's from AZ.

Caroline's bff from AZ.

The greatest neighbors ever.

Friends from AZ after driving all day they look a little rough, my kids just always look a little rough.

Great ladies from CT. Doesn't look like half of us were ready for the pic.

Breakfast with friends from CT that now live in CA. I love these girls.  They saved me on long winter days with play dates or babysitting for Hannah.  Man I wish we still lived by each other.

Jerusalem Friends.  Love these girls so much and a whole bunch of others not in the picture.

One more of Hannah and one of her great friends from AZ.  We had a lot.

 These are friends from my BYU days.  Beautiful girls with darling kids.  If all of our kids were in the picture there would be 22 of them.  YIKES.

 Janelle West, my mission companion (trainer) and great friend.

 The Tippetts.  We have been friends since Hannah and Alex were the size of Benjamin.

Grace and Sage.  This was their first meeting, but we love her parents whom we lived by in NYC.  It is great to see our kids become quick friends.

Liz.  We haven't seen each other for 10 years.  We were mission companions for a long time on the mission.  She came for a law school reunion and we were able to spend the day together.  Although it has been so long, we picked up right were we left off, catching up not only on our life's but asking about each others siblings and parents.  She is a gem.

Liz did not let the mission keep her from her beauty routine.  She had a reputation of glaming up her companions.  Here she is with my girls glaming them up before church.  Her work is never done.

I am so grateful for friends in my life, who know me and love me despite my imperfections.  Your family has to love you but friends choose to love you.  I loved high school and when I graduated I remember being so sad because it was ending and I was scared of the unknown and thought I would miss my friends terribly and no one would ever replace them.  I have been blessed over and over again with great friends. This is just a small sample of the many great friends that have blessed my life.  They live all over the United States and I feel so grateful for every single one of them.