~Friendship~

*Sorry this is a long post, it's really for my own good...*
"A true friend doesn't care if your house is untidy, your car makes funny noises, if you only have $5 in the bank this week, or that your family is not perfect...they love you for who you are. A true friend can go long periods of time without speaking and never question their friendship."

My cousin posted this on Facebook today and it kinda just got me thinking about all of the friends in my life that have come and gone, or come and stayed for that matter. So this blog will be dedicated to them.

I have been so blessed in my life to meet some really awesome people and to become and stay friends with many of them.

It's not often that people can say that they still talk to and see on occasion there best friend from Kindergarten. I am able to do so. I'm pretty sure this friendship was destined to be. It was the first day of Kindergarten, it's a scary time for any kid. I was wearing a levi skirt, and had a headband in my hair. I walked up to the Kindergarten doors and met my very first, very best friend, she was also wearing a levi skirt with a headband in her hair. (No I didn't become best friends with myself :]) Her name is Elizabeth Young, or Eli-Funny-Bunny as I used to call her. We were basically twins (i mean we wore the same first day of school outfit!) We stayed friends ever since, even though we both moved, me to a different city, her to two different states. Now we are in the same state, only a few minutes away and when we get together it is just like old times! It seems like nothing has changed, through all the years.

Let's fast forward a few years. It is the summer after 2nd grade and my family has to move. We only moved like 10 minutes away but it was still far enough away that I felt like I had moved to a whole different state. Our story begins at church, in Primary. I had a really hard to going to Primary, basically because I didn't know anyone. So there I sat...with no one to talk to. Well someone came and sat by me...a girl to be exact. A blonde headed girl, who at the time I thought was the most arrogant person I'd ever met. After a few weeks of ignoring this girl, and avoiding her, I decided it was time to drop my dumb act and figure this girl out. Luckily I did. At that point I met my all time best friend, Breanne Noel. I love this girl with all my heart and I'm so grateful I got over myself and decided to become friends with her. She convinced me to switch schools so that we went to the same school, we did everything together. Rode the bus, sold suckers, took German lessons, visited the doctor, had sleepovers, really we did everything. Later that year her family moved and it killed me that I only got to see her once a week for our weekly movie trip. I see her less now then I ever have before since she is down in Cedar City at school, but that just makes the time that we have together that more special.

Fast forward to 5th grade...I'm siting in my class, Mrs. Williamson's class, and I see this new girl, Charlee Byers. I'm not sure how, but we soon became the greatest of great friends. We did so much together, and laughed more then you would know. We tried to create a business..selling beaded lizards at the park at her apartments. Decorated my bedroom for my own birthday, and I taught her how to ride a bike and spent many times just talking. In 7th grade she moved without warning, and I lost my best friend. But we were able to keep in touch through snail mail and emails. This past summer she moved back to Utah to attend BYU and I couldn't have been happier. Since then we have spent so much time creating new memories. We have gone to concerts, went shopping on Black Friday, and taken a day trip to Park City and Heber. I have loved having her back in Utah so that I can see her often!

7th grade brought my first year of middle school, and it meant meaning having a whole new group of people to hang out with. I made some awesome friends that year, Alyssa Vincent, McKell Lyman, Dixie McMillan, AND Arielle Green, and Whitney Pingree! Arielle and Whitney are amazing. They are so strong and encouraging. Looking back I never would have guessed that they would have been my roommates for a time, but I'm glad we had the experience. I learned so much about these lovely ladies and share so many memories with them. Whether it be staying up all night with Whitney in our room just talking about the days events, or the dumb boys in our lives; or talking to Arielle in the kitchen (which always ended with a call from her boyfriend) or practically running after her on the way to class (I was just trying to keep up!) Sharing a room with Whitney gave us the opportunity to grow closer and have our friendship blossom. And living with Arielle, well that was always an adventure but a fun one at that! (:

In 8th grade Savannah and Jana Inc. was created. If I could I would take you a visual trip...but I can't. So just imagine...really hard. It was U.S. History, Mr. Woods class. We were given an assignment to create our version of an old time Boston. We were supposed to work in pairs, I didn't know anyone so I took a chance and asked Savannah Smith to work with me. From that one assignment sprouted the most amazing friendship ever. We have had our ups and downs, but we have shown that we can withstand that. We spend every Saturday together, doing everything and nothing. We are crazy and completely stupid when we hang out together, and we don't care what people think as long as we can be ourselves.

It is now the summer before 10th grade. I am up in Heber Valley at Girls Camp. Yes that is right, I met my bestestest friend Whitney Fehr at Girls Camp. She was in the same ward as my sisters friends so we ended up talking a bit. That little bit of talking turned into making up stories about my life, and our friend Armando. From those stories led many many many great times of hanging out together on the weekends, and knowing someone as I went in to high school. Since Whitney was a Junior when I was a Sophomore we only had 2 years together at school, but those two years were probably, no most definitely my favorite. Whitney invited me into her group of friends and I felt welcomed. If I had to make the choice to go to a movie with my group of friends, or sit in Whitney's backyard and just watch the clouds fly by, I would always choose going with Whitney. Now that we are both in college, and living at home we are able to do more, and again she is welcoming me into her new group of friends making it easier for me to meet new people.

Now on to the present. My first year of college and I met some of the coolest, funnest, nicest people ever. But Kathryn Hewlett and Susan Byard are by far the best of the best!! I'm sad that I wasn't very smart when I first met them and basically just talked to them when I would see them on campus (aka in communications class, oh yeah!) because I only got to enjoy hanging out with them for awhile. These girls are the funniest people in the world, and I can definitely be myself around them. I miss them more and more each day, and for a moment wish I was still in Ephraim, just so I could hang out with them. Susan gave me some great marriage advice that will never be forgotten (one time Susan, one time!) And Katie...well Katie is just Katie and we share so many jokes that no one could possibly understand that it's amazing. I love these girls more then words can describe and I count the hours until we are able to hang out together! I may have lost a few friendships or seen them diminish because I became such good friends with Susan and Katie, but I'm okay with that!!