Long-time friends, new friends, gotta love them all!

Ok, so I started this blog, oh, maybe 3 months ago, and have put a line in here or there and I can't believe it's taken forever! But here it is. I want some more pics for it, but whatever, if I wait any longer there will just be too much to say and I'll never get it done, so here it is.... Thank you if you actually check back on my blog to see if I have anything and you haven't totally given up on me!

I have been really lucky to have great friends my whole life and I realize that this is not the case with everyone which makes me even more grateful to have such great girls in my life (And I say girls because I still feel weird saying "women" and I usually say "I went on a date with this boy" even if they're like 35 (which let's be honest, usually the boys I date are more boy than man and usually younger than me, but that's a whole different topic) but I like thinking that my girlfriends and I will always be "girls" together). I think it's sad that it sometimes takes something tragic event (Garrett's death) to motivate people to really do things to express their love for the people in their lives that really mean the most.

So, upon that thought I decided to do an east coast high school reunion extravaganza! My first stop was to Boston to see my friend, Bri. She and her husband just moved there last Dec. She'd only been in Utah for about a year and a half after living in CA for several years and I was pretty bummed when she left again. But it's good to see her life out there. She and Lee live in a great apartment close to trains to get everywhere. I really think that's something great about east coast life is being able to get everywhere walking or on public transport. I wish SL was more laid out for that anywhere else besides just downtown.

 The first full day I was there we drove up to Cape Cod. It was kinda dreary day and little cold, but it was really cool to see the Atlantic and just to see that place. There are so many cute little houses and I love the colored doors! They're awesome.

 Then back in Boston Bri and I did a bunch of walking around. We walked through these huge parks right by downtown and through the Beacon Hill neighborhood which is so cute, and I know there are honest good people living there, all of them! I had a little bar wallet type thing that just had a credit card, my driver's license and about $40. It was in the back pocket of my jeans and it had worked it's way up and out and had fallen out somewhere. By the time I realized it we had walked a walk at least an mile and a half or so and we retraced our steps but didn't find it. But sure enough, my parents got a packet from the Boston Police Dept with everything (minus the $40 which is fine! Take the cash, consider that a reward!) in it! I was so stoked! Luckily I had brought my passport so I could play squash with Annie in the Pentagon (you need two IDs, so that didn't get to happen which was a bummer) but at least I wasn't stuck out there forever! And my faith in the world has been revived!

I also got to be in Boston for the Marathon which was awesome. I am not a runner really, but it's really inspiring to see people that are that amazing and on top of their game. Here is the top American women, Kara Goucher. She took fifth over all I think. The whole city was out for it and it was really cool.

We ate out at a bunch of really nice restaurants and Bri made a great dinner and Lee made some eggs Benedict that were great and it was awesome to see their downtown city life, couple life style. Boston is a cool place to be. If I'd have to live in a city that would be the place to be.

So, from there I took an overnight bus through New York and ended up in DC at 9 in the morning. It was a little sketchy being in some random terminal at 3 AM in NY, but it was fine. I do like the bus. Internet the whole way, pretty comfy seats and it was about $43. So, I took the Metro and walked a bit to get to Annie's place. She and Justin were at work and I didn't sleep that well on the bus so it was perfect. Their doorman let me in to their apartment that from the balcony you can see all the way to the mall. The George Washington Monument is right there, it's awesome.

We just hung out and made dinner at home that day. Then Annie and I checked out bikes from these awesome kiosk things.

 We checked them out at one place by her house then rode into the mall then checked them in at a different station walked around then checked some out at a different place. It's pretty awesome. I've been to DC before and I would love to be able to live close to all those great museums. I'd love to go to one a week and get so smart! I went to the Natural History Museum and I geeked out over all the rocks. Then we went to the Air and Space Museum. 

There was so many more places I wanted to go.

It was the PERFECT time to go to DC because there were sooo many great flowers! it was amazing!

The Vietnam War Monument was really amazing and the Korean War one is really cool.

And the FDR Monument is really cool. I'd never seen it before and there was tons of quotes all over that were super relevant to what's going on today, it was really cool.

So, after hanging with Annie and her husband, Justin, Annie and I headed to the zoo to meet Anne. Traffic was CRAZY! It really took us 45 minutes to go like half a mile and I ended up getting out of my car and walking into the zoo with all my bags and everything. The zoo is free and it was soooo crowded! I couldn't believe it. It was a cool zoo though. Here's the lions that were all really awake and playing around and really cool.

So Anne and Evan and her two kids live an hour (in normal traffic, 2 1/2 on the day we went) away from DC. It rained a lot of the time I was there. We went to a sweet yard sale and I scored on several things, one of which was this amazing onsie!

We hung out and it's a total eye opener to be around families for whole days at a time when these kids are looking at you like, OK, what's next, what are we going to do next? And you have to entertain them every minute of the day. It kinda boggles my mind that moms can do it. It reinstalled my respect and awe for parents going to Anne and Kristine's houses. We played games with the kids and rode bikes int he street with Cam. It was also a great time to be there. 

 

All the trees on her street were amazing! I especially love this one with the one broken down house in the whole neighborhood and this sweet tree outside.

From there I flew to Indianapolis to see Kristine. I should have visited her when she was living in Grenada, but Indiana was pretty cool I guess. The first night we rollerbladed around this canal that went right through downtown and it was really cool. The next day was Easter. When I talked to her about being here at that time she apologized about having to be there over the holiday, and I was like "are you kidding me! Spending a holiday like that with kids is great." and it was. I helped Kristine pack Easter eggs and set out their Easter outfits. And went to church with them (I'm pretty sure parents don't really ever get to listen to a sacrament meeting ever) and Dave made a great dinner for us. It was really great to be there and to see her kids and get to know them better. It always makes me sad when me friend's kids don't really know me. Of course Kristine and I stayed up talking until like 2 in the morning and got out old year books and reminisced and stalked people on facebook. 

Crepes for Easter breakfast, it was quite a spread!

The trees were amazing everywhere! Here's Kristine, pregnant with her 4th, a little girl on the way

Maddie and Tyler were great to pose for pictures with me.

Maddie could have posed all day!

It was so awesome to get to spend that time with all my good old friends. I sure am lucky to still have them in my life even though we are all leading such different lives now. 

That being said, since they all are so different and in different places I'm really lucky to have met some great people along the way in the last few years. The friends I have made on the river will be some of the best friends I'll ever have. Spending days and nights on end and all the really good times and really salty (salty is our word for grumpy and pissed) times together really makes for a good friendship. My friend Jess was getting married (since I started this forever ago she has gotten married since then) and we did a bachelorette trip for her down to Moab. It was such a fun trip.

Harriett and I went down a day early to get a camp spot. I sure love packing her up for an adventure

Then they all came the next day. I love the desert because it's not humid. I love being able to just set your bags out on the ground (on top of my 3" Princess Pad paco of course!) and leave books out and things don't get ruined! 

 

 This is one of my favorite campsites ever! The LaSals in the back ground with snow on them and Fisher Towers, it's great. The first day we did the Daily, and it was great. Jos brought her boat down and we all loaded up and did a bunch of floating and chillin. 

Jess and Kristina and Jos and I all have been guides, not all together but it feels like it. That's how I met all these girls and I love the bond that that gives our friendship. 

We were missing our friend Molly, though. Our moms are friends and I've known who she is but we really got to know each other when she worked as a guide. She's got 4 older siblings that are closer to my age, but she's my favorite and only sometimes when I make a comment about Jem and the Holograms or my puffy painted rollerskates do I remember that yes, I am in fact at least 5 years older than most of these friends. But doesn't matter to me, really. But Molly decided that it would be hard for her to be there and she didn't want to take away from the fun of it, so she didn't come but we were really thinking about her and Garrett while we were down there. We missed her! 

 

Jess's little sister and her other friends Katie and Megan came and it was really great. We went into town and heard Stonefed and ate Sushi at our friends restaurant (if you go to Moab go to the new sushi place! It's really good and they have some really cool, unusual rolls and it was started by a river guide turned business owner, I know, right? it can actually happen)

The next day we went biking. Long story short I had to rent a bike while I was down there and I LOVED it! It spoiled me sooo bad! We did the Baby Steps trail and it was a really cool trail. Katie hadn't biked very much and it was a little tough, but she did great. My brain usually complains a lot on the uphill but I usually put up with it so that I can do the down but this trail was fun enough and I was working hard to keep up with Jos and Kristina so it was really fun. I didn't have my camera so I'll try to round up some pics and put them on here.

Over all it was a really great weekend. I really love those girls. We have so much fun together and I love having girls that I can play outside with that will push me to be motivated to get outside and I know these will be friends I will have forever! 

Here's some pictures from Jess's wedding.

This is Jos, Jess, me and Kristina. I've now known Jos for 8 years and the others pretty close to that. I really hope we'll always keep each other young!

Here's Joselyn and her boyfriend, Dustin.

Kristina did in fact catch the bouquet, so she's officially on the prowl. She did however loose it before we left so I don't know what that means.

Bottom line: I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!! THANKS FOR BEING A PART OF MY LIFE!!!