What a Great Ladies' Night!

Well, as always, tonight was a fantastic evening of fun and certainly laughter. I am blessed to be in the greatest ward in all the world, so Peoria, AZ has a lot of "living up to" to do. I think it's great that in this ward one lady will get the idea for a ladies night and she'll tell another, and then pretty soon there are 15-20 girls going out together having an evening of fun. I'd say the group has its usuals, but all are invited to join the fun. Ladies, I absolutely love you guys! I know I posted about my friends here the other day, but a friend in Vegas did a more personal post where she told each one of her ladies' night and blogging buddies what she loved about them. So I'm going to be just as corny, and I'm going to do the same. I just want everyone to know the individual things I love about them.

Amy Blake - I love your personality. You have such a friendly demeanor about you, and you are such a sweet, fun-loving person. I don't think I can ever imagine you being angry. You are so talented at photography and I'm sure many other things as well. So I will miss your always-smiling face. But at least we have blogging.

Annette Buhler - I love you to death! You are one of the people that I can tell anything to. I love that anytime I wanted to I could just drop by unannounced, and I know that I would not be imposing. You are such a wonderful, caring person, and I'm so glad that we have become such good friends. I know that we will always keep in touch. Adam and I both love your family. But I know that we can still always talk on the phone. I will miss you tons anyway! Who will let me stop by announced and just kill time or just hang out doing nothing together? You're the best! My sister and I were talking and we were saying that we didn't really have friends that we could hang out with like a sister, but then I thought of you and how casual things are with us. That's totally how I am with my sister, and we've definitely shared personal things with each other. While I definitely have a ton of really great friends, there isn't always time to get to know all of them like we've gotten to know each other. You are one of my best friends. We have just clicked. How grateful I am for your friendship.

Annette Larsen - I am so glad that Summer and I recently became your visiting teachers. I'm sad that we didn't have more time to become better friends, even though I think we are pretty good friends now. I had such fun getting to know you and I'm so glad that we can be blogging buddies now. By the way, I saw some of your maternity pictures on a photography link from your website, and you looked great!

Bonnie Strickland - Being your next door neighbor for a year, I feel like we had no choice but to get to know each other so that I could borrow things from you. But honestly, aside from my mom and aunt, I have never met a person so concerned with the happiness of others. You have taught me so much from stories you've told to just the arm of friendship that you extended to me and my little family. I know that Lord will bless you because you truly have the love of Christ in you, and you share it with others. Thanks for all the cookies and random acts of kindness. I love your little family, so let's stay updated on each other's lives.

DaNae Snyder - Summer and I have been your visiting teacher for a while now, and I have loved every minute of it. You have such a warm and friendly personality, and I'm glad that from several girls' nights I have gotten to see the non-visiting teachee side of your character. You are such a good-natured person, and sweet, and one of the big hotties in the ward. Seriously, how can a person always look so cute?! I will miss you. We should have hung out more. Darn those busy lives.

Emily Snow - You are one sweet person. You might even be sweeter than Amy. I don't know how we would ever decide that, so lets not try to. It was fun to do play group with you and Carson in the summer and to hang out whenever we got the chance. Also, we've really enjoyed having your husband as our home teacher. He's a very likable person and a good example to us.
I wish that you and I could have hung out more, but then again, life is just busy. But you better get better at blogging, or we'll never stay in touch.

Jamie Harris - You are the most fun therapist I know (No, I don't know that many therapists, but that's irrelevant). You don't try to counsel me and you haven't recommended that Adam be evaluated either. Thankyou for that. Adam and I really love your family. You have such fun little girls, especially that little Allie who ran around topless at our superbowl party. But it's hard to find couples that both the husband and wife can be friends with. However you and John are definitely one of those great laid-back fun-loving couples. We are both going to miss that.

Jenni Terry - You are one really fun person. I love how open you are with things, and I love it that you aren't afraid to share quirks you might have with those around you. I hate it when people make me feel small and dumb and imperfect, but you make me feel like it's fun that we all have our little wierd things. You are always making me laugh when we talk, and you're the type of person that you just want to be there in the group, or it feels not quite right. I love all the great things I've learned about you, especially recently, and you're so you no matter who's around. I love it when people are just real like that. And again, we will always have blogging. At least until the end of the world.

Kim Matthews - You are my blogging compadre. Who else would check my blog and comment if you didn't? I'm glad that I'm not the only one whose life revolves around the latest blog posts. One thing that I love about you is that, like Jenni, you are just a very real person. You and Jenni aren't really alike, but in that aspect you are. I'm so glad that we got to do some photography stuff together, and we'll always have to stay in touch about our photography businesses. You also have such a fun personality. You are always good for a laugh - well to make me laugh, not to be laughed at. I wish that we got to hang out more and do more photography stuff, but just being at girls' nights together has been a blast. I'm glad that you are such a friendly person because you've never made me feel like an outsider. And you bounce back really fast from having babies, just so you know. I just had to throw that in there. And you must be the best wife ever since you are so in love with your husband. But that's a good thing cause I really love my husband too.

Liz Pilling - There is something just fantastic about you. You are one of the hottest people I know, and you would think that I should hate you for that. But you make it absolutely impossible to dislike you because you are just so fun and friendly and such a sweet person. And you are so humble about what's great about you. You are a great choir director. And another thing that I've discovered is that you are hilarious. And way down-to-earth. If I were you, I'd probably be a snob. But you're not because you are Liz and so good-natured. Be better at blogging, ok?

Mallari England - You aren't really young. You're an old soul in a 20 year old's body. Seriously, you are so fun! You have such a great smile and the sweetest voice. I wish that I wasn't leaving all of you guys behind. I'm glad that we have had the chance to chat at the ladies gatherings, and I just feel like I'm leaving before we have gotten the chance to become really good friends. But then again, I also feel like I love who you are and that's all I need to know to say that I know Mallari. Does that make sense? Sometimes you love a person's character, and saying that you are fun doesn't quite get the job done. You are so much more than fun!

Sarah Hilbig - Everybody loves you. You are so well-rounded and non-clique-ish. You are friends with everyone, and I seriously think that that is one of the greatest qualities to have. You have made me laugh, and the room just fills with smiles whenever Sarah Hilbig arrives. You are so down-to-earth and you make me feel comfortable. Everyone should feel comfortable with who they are, and you are just so accepting of so many different types of people that you make us feel like we are pretty great. At least for me, I would consider you a really good friend even if we haven't hung out a ton just by ourselves. I love your testimony and your level of maturity as well. And I love reading your blog because it's you. And you are fun and you have some quirks as well. But that's what makes people fun. I'm going to miss you!

Sarah Birch - I'm so glad that Annette introduced me to you. I have loved being friends with you, and of course when we plan to get together for couples' night we up and move. You are another face that I feel happy to see and excited to talk to. You have come to many ladies nights and lunch groups and women parties, and I have always enjoyed our chats. You are a great person!! And maybe someday you can get me some tax breaks :).

Summer Nead - I hate saying goodbye to you. I seriously love you, and you are such a good friend to me. People don't have to hang out all the time to be really good friends, so we can be really good friends. But we've seen each other so regularly that we kind of did hang out, right? Come to think of it I acutally probably saw you a lot more than I did other ladies cause we have been visiting teaching partners all this time. And we have visited with other ladies together, and I have seen the strength of your testimony and your love and concern for those around you. I feel myself getting a little teary-eyed when I talk about Summer, and all I can say is that I love you! I didn't even realize how much your friendship has meant to me until this very moment that I'm sitting down and thinking about the people that I love. You are at the top of my list, and I know that my worth is more than skin-deep with you. You are an amazing person, and it's no coincidence that we ended up as partners. I can't even tell you how great you are, and I mean that completely. Don't forget me!

Jenny Guthrie - I know that you don't blog, even though it's a great thing, but words cannot express the impact that you and your family have had on me and my family. Jenny you are a great friend. You've taught me to make bread. Our kids are soon to be spouses. What fun Adam and I have had with you and Mike. You two are the kind of people that make moving crappy. Mike has played a vital roll in many blessings that have come to my family. From confirming my brothers and befriending my dad to 1 am calls for Priesthood blessings. Thankyou for the amazing example that you and your husband have set for us. Your family is one that will stay in our minds and hearts forever. The Guthries were on our list of reasons not to move, but sadly we have to go.

Jen Forrey - I love you to pieces. Even though you're old:). Your friendship and your love for those people around you is so great. You are one of the rare people that I can talk to for hours on the phone, and you're not a phone talker. But we've had plenty of long conversations. Thankyou for giving me the chance to be such good friends with you. I love who you are. I love that you want to be friends with everyone, and you don't want anyone to feel left out. That shows a real sense of charity on your part. Wherever you guys end up, I know that you will be loved. And I will miss you, but come visit me when you want some place warm and sunny to hang out. You have taught me so much about the worth of every soul, and you probably don't even know that you've taught me that. And you and me have been ethnic friends! Who will make jokes about me being Mexican, even though I'm Spanish? And you being Korean? Those are the kind of things that are so Jen Forrey. I'll miss you so much!

There are a million more that don't blog or haven't read my blog that I love and will miss as well.
I look at all these people, and I think of all my blessings, and I realize that it is no coincidence that we ended up here in Meridian, ID on Lost Rapids Dr. in the Verona Ward. Too many good things have come of it for it to be a mere coincidence. Too many great friendships have come from it, and our testimonies of the Lord's love for us has been strengthened. Thankyou to all of you in Meridian who I will miss tremendously. Even if we only saw each other at church that's enough for me to really miss you. I love you all!

And that is the end to my sappiness.