Utah Friends

While we were out in Utah, we were lucky enough to have lots of friends reach out to us and want to see us! We knew that we couldn't see everyone, so we just saw the people who wanted to see us!

We had a fabulous dinner with the: 

Kinghorn family. 

We love, love, love the Kinghorn family.  They kind of feel like an extension to our family.  They love us so much and there's nothing that feels better in life than feeling loved.  

And Lily fell in love with their kids.  Grace was so cute and drew a million pictures for Lily while Sam protected her and made sure that she wouldn't get hurt.

We made a special trip to Salt Lake City to eat at the Blue Lemon, and lo-and-behold, I run into a dear favorite mission companion: 

Katie Bastian.  

Pro-piano player, singer, dancer, (pretty much everything she wants to learn how to do, she becomes a pro at it). Every photo we took together was photo-bombed by someone (ahem... Michal or Lily). But look at how adorable Lily's photo-bombing is... she is crying her eyes out because she wanted to take a picture with me.

Heather Collier 

(new last name - Valerga, but she will always be Collier to me)... met us for lunch at the Blue Lemon.  (And, oddly enough, actually knew Katie Bastian also!) We were so excited to meet up with Heather and see her cute, adorable, well tempered little boy, Hank.  He has more hair than Lily!  

Heather is always so full of surprises, smiles, hugs, and great stories.  She has such a special, special place in my heart and I am so, so grateful that we have remained friends throughout the years.  She is someone that has always made me feel like a better person and is able to see the good in anyone or any situation.  I have a lot to learn from her and consider myself blessed anytime we get the opportunity to meet up.

Joy Hansen 

is another one of our favorites.  I feel like anytime we get together our conversations pick right up from where we left off.  She has such a great outlook on life and really loves my husband like a mother.  She kept him in line when they worked together at Fidelity.  We owe Joy countless times over and these visits never seem to quite make up for the times that she's helped us out.

The Rodriguez family.  

Take all the nice comments I've said about anyone on this post, squish them all together into a Blurb book and that accurately describes the Rodriguezes (es? apostrophe s? Kristina help me out here!) I love, love, love this family and feel like everyone should have another couple to hang out with in the ward like the Rodriguezes... Rodriguez's... Kristina and Ivan. 

To this day, if Michal and I are ever having an argument over some scientific (or not-so scientific) fact... we always end the argument by saying, "Let's call Ivan and find out who is really right." Only we never actually end up calling Ivan.  Seriously, Ivan's a genius.  And so is his wife.  I kinda relate more to her, but I think that she has as many talents as hairs on her head.  Every time I spend time with her I am blown away by all the things that I learn.  I kinda feel like she is wonder woman and super man combined into one. After I talk to her, I always feel so empowered to take on the world.  Now that is a good friend!

And their cute little boy Max is only a few months (2.5) younger than Lily.  She was hitting on him the whole time!  It's a good thing that he was such a good sport about getting a lot of attention from a girl.

Miss Melisa.  

She is my soul mate slash friend slash alibi slash (insert adjective here). I just love and adore this girl beyond words.  Melisa is my go-to gal for anytime I am having an "Alexander horrible, rotten, no good, dirty, bad day." I don't know what it is about talking to her... but I am always lifted up  whenever I have her around.  She is another person that will remain my friend throughout my lifetime.  I would do anything for this gal, and I feel that she's the same way.  Melisa was an answer to so many different prayers.  And she's also one friend, who when she tells me about trials that she's enduring, I feel like I am able to learn the same lessons by what she encounters.  It's almost like I have this bizarre vicarious bond with her and I "get" what she's going through, without actually having to go through it myself.  Anyway, I love her and my life is so much better with her as a part of it.

The Sirrine Family.  

A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without spending some time with the Sirrine gals.  They are some of the kindest people I have ever met.  Every time I'm with them they make me feel like I'm a part of their family.  Whether an older sister, an Aunt, or a cousin - I always feel like at home when I'm around them.  I have shared some happy, happy times with them.  Even though they moved in when I "technically" moved out, I'm so grateful that they have made me feel so welcomed whenever I stop by to visit.  They are the embodiment of really reaching out to others to make them feel welcome and loved.

And while I visited a lot of people, I didn't get the opportunity to take an pictures with the following individuals.

Brooke Blair
Hands down Brooke, everyone needs a friend like Brooke.  She is the best coach, therapist, friend, alibi, and sidekick.  She is one of the most non-judgemental people that I have ever met.  And she loves people for who they are.  She never, ever, ever tries to change people... but she has this compelling, almost hypnotizing, way of helping you understand and see things from a different perspective.  You often hear the phrase, "She/He'd give you the shirt off his own back." But would they really?  Brooke would.  She is like a little angel that sits on my right shoulder and helps coach me to do the right things, but she is also an angel in the sense that times that are the darkest for me - she shows up because she is listening to the spirit and knows when I need a friend.  Michal loves, loves, loves to tease Brooke... pretty much about anything controversial.  And she's such a good sport to put up with his pestering.  He teases Brooke by saying that if women could be General Authorities, she'd be the next one called.  But I have to agree with Michal... she is so christlike and has such a deep profound understanding and love for the gospel, that she would be a great "General Authority." (Relief Society General Authority maybe?)

Katrin Martin
One of my highlights of coming home to visit is visiting Katrin.  Every time I get together with her I learn something new. She has all the coolest baby toys, products, gadgets, gears, etc. and I get so jealous of all these super intense, rare, unique, clever finds that she has for her darling little boy.  I feel like I am in this "elite" club of "people who know about cool things for kids" whenever I hang out with Katrin. She introduces me to so many neat things. And she is German. How cool is that? No one understands my husband's passion for all things German better than Katrin. She is able to laugh, and blush, and smile, all at the same time and Michal just eats it up because "its German." Getting to know her has been a huge blessing in my life and I'm so glad that she puts up with my crazy busy schedule and still finds room in her heart to love me and be my friend. She deserves the very best and as she strives for this I can't wait to see what things she will achieve.