friends friends and family

Sometimes when we go back to Utah to visit, I feel a little overwhelmed. There are always so many people I want to see and never enough time to see them all. But this trip, since we were there for more than three weeks, I feel like we got a chance to see so many more people than usual. There were still plenty that we missed, but it was fun to see so many friends and family members from all different times of my life without feeling stressed or rushed. Just good, quality time, picking up where we left off. 

First order of business: Megan and Bethany. Two of my very best high school friends. We sang ourselves silly together for three years. Megan was my salvation and Bethany introduced me to the Wendy's Frosty - that is true friendship. Meg now has three of her own little beauties {a brunette, a blonde and a ginger...love it!} and Bethany had her first just 8 short days after I had Kate. We think their meeting was love at first sight. It was so good to catch up with both of them.

The Jones family lived in New Hampshire for the past six years while the man of their house was finishing his residency. When I grow up, I want to be Elissa Jones. She is hands down one of my very favorite people in this entire world, has one of the most angelic voices you have ever heard and is basically an angel herself. She was so welcoming when I moved here and I will be forever grateful for that. Her kids are a hoot - all four of them. We missed seeing Miss J, but had tons of fun running around in the fountains with Miss A, Mr. A {a former piano student} and studly Mr. G. They just moved to Idaho for a real job and happened to be in Utah for the day. Hooray!

Scott and I met my cousin Alex and my aunt Karen at a delicious bakery downtown. It had honestly been years since I had seen either of them {which is waaaaaaay too long} and wish the entire crew could have come! It was wonderful to catch up.

Ah, Danielle. We met in Provo when we were both newlyweds. She was one of my first running inspirations and we spent a summer walking to BYU's pool in the early morning to swim laps when we were both pregnant. Danielle is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She is fun and funny and classy and smart and beautiful and fit and hardworking and...you get the gist. We played in her backyard for a few hours with her three darling little girls {the oldest is Leah's age and the youngest is two weeks younger than Kate!}.

The Tyler girls are another of our New Hampshire favs. The week I moved here, Missy was toting Leah and I around in her car, showing us all the fun parks and taking us apple picking. They just moved to Utah for one year while her husband does his Intern year before he starts his ophthalmology residency in Texas. She is one of the most resourceful, creative, stylish, outgoing people I have ever met. And her two sweet girls are a hoot! Miss C was one of Leah's favorites and Miss S just kills me with her cuteness. Tyler girl #3 is on her way and I can't wait to meet her! We spent a really fun morning at the Church History Museum in their new kid's play area flemnco dancing, drawing, building and pretending.

Miss Kim was one of my college roommates. You can see a picture of her foot below. Living with Kim for a year was a humbling experience as she is one of the most giving, aware and selfless people I've ever met. She was in cahoots with Ryan the night he proposed and she helped set the whole thing up. The two cuties flanking Leah are her little girls. Miss N just started Kindergarten just like Leah and Miss S and her curly locks could just steal the show. Kim says she's a Ute and tried to decorate our shared room that way {images of Tim Frost still make me dry heave}, but obviously she enrolled at the school that shows her true colors.

Probably my favorite meeting of friends is shown in the picture below. The lovely woman on the right is my mom. The two on the left are two of her dearest friends from when we lived in West Jordan twenty years ago. We were wandering through the booths at Swiss Days the day before I left when I happened to look up and see Suzie {center}. I had to do a double take as it had been many, many years since I'd seen her. Then moments later I saw JoAnn {left} and honestly wanted to cry. I have SO many fond memories that include these two and it's funny to think back on them as these three were just starting out with their families and were probably about my age or younger when I met them. Such a wonderful surprise.

I also was lucky enough to meet up with my dear friend Rachel from California who was on a family vacation in Utah. We didn't get a picture, which is really out of character for us, but I was able to meet her sweet new Mr. D {who is every bit as handsome as his two older brothers, but with blonde hair!?}. We chatted about our kids, our husbands, our friends and our lives. We laughed until we cried, which is totally in character for us. Rach really got me through a few rough years and I am so lucky to know her.