Girlfriends!

As I was driving down the road after a doctor appointment that I apparently forgot got canceled, I was thinking about my up and coming move. I know, I know I move a lot, please don't point it out I am VERY aware of it. Anyway, I was thinking of the friends that I have made in all the cities that I have lived in in the last 10 years. This blog is dedicated to those women who I have met and left, but I still remember them and love them. I have to say that I met a lot of women in the last 10 years but in each city there has been two or three that stand out in the crowd.
When Phil and I and our tiny baby Parker moved from my home state of Utah and ventured to the lands of Portland OR, I was scared. I was leaving my family and living very far away. I quickly became friends with a girl name Lisa Whilhelm. She lived in the same appartment complex and she had a little girl about a year older than Parker. We became partners to work with the activity day girls and we shared a pregnancy of our second children together. Then came Nancy Wise, we quickly hit it off, we both had technology geek husbands so we had a lot in common.
Our little family which consisted of Phil and I and our boys Parker and Everett moved to Las Vegas NV. In my ward I was scooped up in friendship with two wonderful girls Robin Bevel and Jennifer Smith. These girls were so wonderful, Robin and I shared a pregnancy together as well. I have to say that I owe a lot to these to women. I had a very, very hard pregnancy, not in the terms of baby stress or physical anything it was all mental for me. I had a horrible case of post partum depression after my second and in turn got magnified with my third. They called me many times a week and got me out of the house to go to parks and things like that. I have to say that I would have lost my mind quite literally if these two women weren't there to bring some light in.
Now our family was a family of 5 (Parker, Everett, Mason) we moved up to Spokane WA. I was happy to be living by some family in good ole' spokane. In our first weeks of living here I quickly became friends with Gina Shumate. We were the only "young" couple at an adult valentines party and soon realized that we lived a street away from each other. Gina got me into scrapbooking and we had many a girls night doing stamps and having fun. We did preschool with our 4 year olds and I feel she became a true life long time friend of mine.
Life does some crazy things, so our crew (Parker, Everett, Mason, and Simon) moved back to Portland I was able to reconnect with Nancy but Lisa had since moved. I was spotted my two wonderful women and was told I needed to join their all boys club. They were kidding of course but Tara Mansius had 3 boys, and Kate Jefferies had 2 boys then there was me with 4. All the boys were the same ages. There is something to be said about having friends that have all boys as well, there is an understanding that can't be explained unless you are there as well. All three of us shared a pregnancy as well, all due within 5 weeks of each other. Oh what fun we had, of course two of us had boys (Tara, and I) and Kate had a precious angle baby girl, Elsa <3. Sadly Elsa was a still born, I don't know what could draw a few women closer that helping a friend cope with that kind of loss while being pregnant at the same time. I Love those two dearly and my heart aches for them and their boys.
After all those wonderful adventures in Portland our not so little family (Parker, Everett, Mason, Simon AND Calvin) moved Back to Spokane. I was fortunate to reconnect with Gina (love you) again and to rekindle another friend Tracy Mckay. I knew Tracy back from when we lived in Spokane before. We were visiting teaching companions and I really enjoyed her. When we moved back I got assigned to visit teach her. I have to say that she is such an example to me of strength and intelligence. I love her dearly. I am happy to have strengthen our relationship since moving back.
I also should mention the friends that I have known the longest. My two dear friends from high school, who I am still in contact with. Kelsey (Laws) Richards and Rachel (Hammond) Gardner. These two were the best, I sometimes feel I wasn't the best of friend in high school. Kelsey was very involved in volleyball and I didn't attend any of her games (I am truly sorry Kelsey) I should have supported her better then. Kelsey was one of those friends that we though the exact same way about almost everything when we had conversations we were always saying thing like "I know" or "thats what I think". She was just the best and I love her still. We had our first babies a month a part how, fun is that! Then there is Rachel, Oh miss Rachel! We knew how to laugh. We had so many inside jokes that I am sure most people couldn't stand to be around us (again, sorry Kelsey). We could quote movies to make a whole conversation. After high school I actually lived with Rachel for a few months while I was engaged, I'm sure I drove her crazy in my love sick haze, but she was the first one to hug me when I came out of them temple after the wedding and she was there when I had my first kid. Such a great friend Rachel and I love you still. I love talking with these women now after 15+ years of friendship. With moving so much it is nice to talk to someone who knows you really well.
The main thing that all these women have in common is that they have blessed my life. I learned something from each and everyone of them. I saw their strengths and strived to better myself by their examples. I hope they all know how much they mean to me and I pray that we can keep in touch with the new adventures that my family has to look forward to. Thanks to you all who have be there for me and have loved me and helped me be a better me, you are my girls!

Heres to the women I will meet in the future and the friendships that have yet to be!