Your friend forever

Conversation between Emily and I the other morning.

Phone rings.

Me: Hey what's up?

Em: I was eating some Reese's pieces and I thought of you. So I thought I would call.

Me (confused): Why did you think of me when you ate Reese's pieces?

Em: Cause we always used to get them and eat them ....(Pause in the phone)

Me(Still confused): We Did?

I have had a hard time being away from home this is no secret to my blog readers. I was prepared to miss everything and everyone, but what I didn't prepare myself for was the pain of missing my friends. I have known Emily for almost ten years. In those ten years we have endured alot together. Infertility(hers) lack of husband prospects(mine) school, moving and jobs to name a few. I was with her when she gave birth to her two oldest children. I remember watching her labor with Josh and I cried because I hated so much to see her in pain, but I was grateful to watch her bring that little man into the world after all she had been through. Tears streaming down my face as she held her son those memories of negative pregnancy test and crying were a distant memory. Emily is a solider and one of the elite spirits I know that to be true and I grateful to call her my friend. I don't remember Reese pieces my dear friend, but I do remember taking you to a movie just the girls before Josh came. I think it was 13 going on 30. Anyways on the way home these girls in the car next to us got upset for some reason and flipped us off and yelled at us and you started crying. "Why would they do that it's so mean". I was like "whoa pregnancy hormones!" It's funny what memories you remember of people that they don''t remember and vice versa. Em I know you remember the car incident. Too Funny. We have had some laughs together and cried together(more to come I am sure) but these are the memories I hold dear to my heart. Thanks for always forgiving me and loving me.

Love,

Your friend Crystal

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Today marks one year since I have been blogging. One year ago we were living in Wyoming anxiously awaiting our life in Oregon. I blogged about all the things we had done since living those short few weeks with Devin's parents. I was so scared to be away from my family, friends, home and all the things that were comfortable for me. Although it has almost been a year since we have lived here , I still feel the sting of missing home. It is few and far between now, but I still get homesick. Certain events or days can trigger it, but Oregon is my home for now and some day I will miss it as well. I think back to all the fears I had about moving here and Heavenly Father must have been smiling at me because all my worries and fears were in vain. Devin and I are surrounded with great friends who have become our security. I have said it before, but so many of us are away from our homes and families and we rely so much on one another that we become our families away from families so to speak. Devin and I have tried to be there when our friends have needed us and the favor is always returned. I really do love my new home and I am grateful for blogging and the outlet it has become in my life. Here is to my first year down and many more to go.

BUBBLES WITH THE WHISPERER

I went to a movie with some of the girls the other night and Heather the mother of the little blond Jackson in these pictures(who loves Devin)asked me if Devin had told me about playing bubbles earlier that day. This is why I love my husband so much. He pulls up from school and notices the neighbor kids out playing bubbles and he of coarse has to go join in. I can already see that my future house will be the neighborhood hangout, because of my "kid whisperer". That's what I call him anyway. Devin has a gift from heaven when it comes to children. I have seen it with our nieces and nephews, but he has displayed it even more since we have moved up to Oregon. When they see me I see there little curious wandering eyes searching for that guy I am always with. It's so cute. I have to blog about these moments so I can remember them. My friend and neighbor Marykaye sent me these pictures of the "kid whisperer" in action.