I get by with a little help from my friends!

Over the last year I have had the opportunity to visit with some great friends I rarely get to see. I often forget how blessed I have been through the years to have been surrounded by such solid friends. As I grew, changed and matured (I know that is debatable!), those friendships did too. I am endlessly grateful for friends. For their advice, for their patience, for their laughter, for their companionship, for their tears, for their humor. So to all of you out there that have put up with me through the years, who love me in spite of my shortcomings, and who have helped me navigate the often crazy path my life has taken thus far, I say thank you. Very much.

The first few pictures were taken when our friends John and Alisa Knight came through Boise. We met them years ago while working at Philmont (although when we met them they were not a "them." In fact, a few months ago I blogged about how Mark and I met, fell in love and blah, blah, blah . In that post I made reference to the moment I knew I loved, loved Mark and how I happened to be on the curb of Mark's recently minted ex-girlfriend. Well, Alisa is that ex-girlfriend and it only gets crazier from there!). Anyway, we love them dearly and have tried to convince them to move closer to us so we can play more often. So the first picture is one Cora took (not bad, eh). We should have let her keep the camera because the 3 photos that followed were our attempts at getting a nice group photo of all of our kids together.
Yep, we know they are crazy!

Next up (and this is a bit old), I had a mini-reunion with my best friends from Yuma: Rose, Amy and Gaylynn (we missed you Edna and Ericka!). We were all pretty much inseparable until my parents decided to uproot our family from sunny Arizona right before I started high school and relocate us to the land of potatoes.
Of course had my parents not done that, I would have never met these fine ladies below. Tara, Sara and Joey were daily staples on my social calendar at Payette High and I blame them for masterminding any trouble I got into (I have to add that false disclaimer because I know you read these mom)!
And last, but certainly not least, we have Treshia, Megan and Debbie from those memory filled college days on Vermont Ave. We met up for dinner last week and I was reminded how it was I survived those tumultuous years. These marvelous girls kept me sane on very little sleep and too much Ramen (okay, who are we kidding, Papa John's pizza!!) and have transformed into remarkable mothers and wives.
I would include a few more gatherings, play dates, etc., but I always forget to take pictures (Amber, Tyson and Eliza!) or small subjects will not cooperate (I guess we must have another "Most Anticipated Play Date of the Year," Andrea!).

So if you don't see your face on this post, that means we need to stop slacking and have lunch already!

And I will end with a favorite quote of mine by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

Well said.