We just got back from our long annual summer vacation to see family in Utah (which I will blog about soon!) and now it's time to settle in and get back to building real life here in Iowa. Before the vacation, we were new to town, it was summer vacation, and the only pressure was to unpack our boxes and then get ready for vacation. Now vacation is over and we're no longer the new people with no/very few obligations. I spent all day Saturday pulling out weeds and trimming bushes in our front yard because, now that we're not "new", I can't get away with blaming the yard mess on the previous owners! I've spent all week figuring out schedules and registration information for school starting in two weeks. Both Katie and Colton will be going school this year and I need to get ready for a whole new schedule! Yes, summer is almost over, real life is here, and with that comes that necessity to make friends.
Can I just say moving is HARD! I'm not talking about the packing, the house cleaning, the showings, the stress of selling your house, the cross-country drives, the unpacking, the finding new pediatricians/dentists/eye doctors/insurance/obgyns/parks/pools/etc./etc./etc.. Those things are difficult for sure, but it's the leaving good friends behind and having to start all over that is the biggest struggle for me. Friends are a big part of my life and they always have been. Some people don't need or rely on having friends much, but I am one of those people who really NEEDS good friends. Friends to laugh with, cry with, have deep conversations with, set up play dates, watch each others kids, bring each other dinner when needed, and so much more!
As corny as it sounds, every time we've moved I've felt like I've left a little piece of my heart with the friends I've left behind. I love that I have so many good friends all over the country now, but to be honest, it also really sucks that I have so many good friends I've invested so much with that I'll probably never see again. It makes it really hard to want to push myself to make new friends in each new place, because I don't want to have to leave them again somewhere down the road. I also get really anxious worrying that I won't make as good of friends in this new place as I had in the last place.
However, despite how hard it is, and all my worrying, I have somehow been able to make amazing friends everywhere I've lived. I feel truly blessed to have had each and every one of my awesome friends in my life! I feel even more blessed that we live in a day and age where, even if I'll never see them again in person, I get to still see pictures and keep in touch so easily! I can honestly say that every friend I've had has helped shaped me to be a better person. They've all left little pieces of goodness with me and helped to create lots of amazing, happy memories!
Once again, I came back from vacation feeling very anxious about making new friends and, once again, I've been reminded that there are great people everywhere. We just had a great weekend and had lots of fun hanging out with and meeting new friends! I don't know how long we'll be here (or how long they will), but I'm excited about the prospect of creating new friendships and getting a few more pieces of goodness to take with me wherever I end up going in life. I just hope that I am able to leave as much goodness with others as they have left with me!
To all of my friends, thanks so much for your friendship! I miss you and I would love to live in the same city again someday! Even if that never happens, though, I am so grateful that we became friends! I am so grateful for all the goodness you left with me and all the great memories we have! Thanks for everything!!
Just a few pictures of some of the amazing friends I've had! There are SO MANY MORE I just don't have pictures with, and I wish I did!
High School Friends- some of the best girls I know! I love that we can go a years without seeing each other and still pick up exactly where we left off!
BYU-I Friends/Roomies (We had us a lot of fun! Miss those girls!)
BYU- Sharsti was my main bestie at BYU! Same classes every semester and babies at the same time! One of my BFF's for sure :)
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| Me and Sharsti graduating BYU! |
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| Several years and babies later! |
Iowa Round 1 Friends:
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| Sarah, Alissa, and Amy- the awesome girls who threw me a baby shower for Katie! |
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| This is friendship!! |
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| Alissa and Justin, probably still the couple that Jon and I have clicked with as a couple the most! Love these guys! |
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| Kristen, Stacy, and Sarah! We had so many fun playdates and girl's nights! Such beautiful women, inside and out! |
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| Aly, I wish we had a pic together but this is only one I have. Such great memories of parties, playdates, and volleyball! |
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| Kristen and Sara! |
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| Thompson's and Devore's, such great couple friends! |
North Carolina Friends:
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| All the amazing ladies that came to my going away girl's night! I will miss you all! |
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| Best Vacation ever! Such amazing friends! |
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| Wade and Krissy, our first NC friends! Our first Sunday in church we sat next to them and as soon as I found out Wade was an accountant and Krissy had the same due date as me, I knew we were destined to be friends! |
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| Lindsey, definitely a forever friend. Such a great example of friendship and service and always being awesome! |
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| Lindsey and Krissy! |
Again, so many great friends I've had are missing from these pictures! I wish I had some so I could post a picture of every single amazing friend I've had!
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