Just exactly as if it were yesterday

It was so fun to go with Koni Smith to give a surprise, Happy Birthday visit to Jen Aldous Moffat. 

I hadn't seen her since the summer of 1990. 

We had all 3 been in the Hill Cumorah Pageant together since we were 16 years old.  Although I didn't know these 2 the first couple of years at the Pageant, I admired them from a distance hoping I could be their friend. Then, without even planning, we saw each other on the airplane, headed to Israel for a Jerusalem Study Abroad where we spent 4 months becoming the greatest of friends.

Heavenly Father is so nice.

After our Study Abroad together we then returned to spend one more summer together at the Pageant.  I have some of the best memories of Koni and Jen through all those years. 

When we were at the Sea of Galilee they would come to visit me every night to tell me a story, sing me a song or talk.  Those were happy, warm times.  I want to cry thinking about those times because I feel like those were some of the happiest times of my life; a time where Heavenly Father was helping me build a strong foundation of who I was and who He is.  And He blessed me with some super, special and amazing friends.

These are great friends.  The kind where even though there are 19 children amongst the 3 of us (yikes) and 22 years have passed and there's a little more weight on us and some gray hair, we can still pick right up and laugh and talk like there's been no time lost. 

Love friends like this. 

Love to be reminded of how blessed I have been in my life.

It also makes me thankful to be back in Utah where so many of those friends live.  I just need to seize the opportunity to keep in contact with friends.  It takes effort but so worth it.