Friends!

It is funny to me the little coincidences that occur in life.

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Like having our car break right when we got home, instead of me driving to/from work.
The unexpected help right when you need it.
The check that comes through exactly when you think you are at your breaking point.
People that come into your life and change it.

I've been thinking about people in my life.
and I can remember back to when I was in elementary school and the friends I've had throughout the years that have been exactly who and what I needed.
There were lots of friends throughout the years, but some people made a HUGE difference.
In kindergarten/1st/2nd grade, it was a little boy named Stephen - although I'm sure my family remembers a different boy's name being used to tease me about my "crush" - which I did NOT have - and him being the apple hanging in the tree.
Then we moved to Houston partway through 2nd.
 One of the very first things I can remember about living there was not going to school right away and swimming in our pool. When we finally did go to school, I remember some of the kids making comments about how I was wearing shorts in October. BUT we moved from UTAH to HOUSTON. IT WAS HOT.
I remember a small group of girls through the rest of elementary school to 7th grade. A few moved in and out, but mostly we stayed the same. My 3 closest friends had names that started with an S. I was not like the others.
Moved to NY. Kind of had to figure out who I was again. (*I definitely consider moving to NY a huge influence in who I am today)
8th grade school year, I had people I sat with at lunch, but LINDSAY and I definitely were friends after being the only 8th graders in a 7th grade French class. (HA. so much fun.)
I went through a whole school year of sitting by Babetta in church, but we weren't really friends until girls camp. Then we were. Makes you wonder why you don't talk to people the first time. I was devastated when her family moved to Utah during high school. (And I can't find any pictures of the two of us on my computer here.. sad day.)
For the rest of high school, I had (and still HAVE) AMAZING friends. L'BAGHS was And I have so many good memories of everything. Oh man. I loved high school. Definitely get nostalgic for it sometimes.

graduation for the older 6.

Before Hannah went to Africa

Most recent of all of us! - summer of 2008

(can you tell when we all got facebook? that's where most of these pictures are from...)

Then I moved back to Utah for college. Originally it was me in one room with another girl who was never there. I didn't like it at all. One week later, I moved into an apartment of girls who changed my life.

2007

2007

2008

2009

2008

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And in looking at the two pictures above, I realized we are standing in almost the same exact order.

2009

2010 - also my arm is just weird here.

There were so many more pictures I wanted to put up because the memories are incredible.

And now that we are married, we still are finding amazing new friends! (Hello, other Beans! Also, the 4 of us have exactly 1 picture together. We should work on that.)

2010

I actually think a lot about the people from my past and the experiences I've had that have helped me and it is interesting to me that I still need to surround myself with good people and that I am still being blessed by the people that come into my life. 

I am continually amazed by the caliber of people that have influenced me and I am so grateful for them.

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