I just feel like doing this today. Unless you know these girls or are one of these girls, this post probably won't interest you. I was just thinking of these girls today and felt like doing this.
Back row, Left to Right:
Kelsey: I first remember Kelsey in 4th grade. She doesn't remember this, but I remember calling her Chelsea and her repeatedly telling me her name was Kelsey. In 4th grade, Kelsey had a cute little bob haircut, with a side part, and always had a bow pulling the other side back.
It seemed to be a 4th grade ritual to walk up to Ream's Grocery Store on Short Days to buy candy and disgustingly enough, breadsticks with a side of nacho cheese. One of my earliest memories of Kelsey occurred on one of these days. Usually Kelsey wasn't allowed to go until she finished her homework (smart mom) and we were usually rude and never waited for her (sorry Kels). This particular day Kelsey's mom wasn't home, but her dad was and he said she could go as long as she brought him home a watermelon. She didn't end up coming with us because what 9 year old can carry a watermelon six blocks?
There's never a dull moment with Kelsey around. Kelsey LOVES to have fun and really makes any situation much more exciting. Kelsey is the kind of person that you feel comfortable around instantly and something about her personality makes your goofy side come out more than usual.
Kelsey is beautiful and during our senior year she had blonde hair. She got stopped twice (at least twice) and people asked her if she was Britney Spears.
Kelsey and I spent A LOT of time together during high school. Especially during our sophomore year when we were L.O.S.E.R.S. Big time losers. We drove around neighborhoods where we knew other people were hanging out and felt sorry for ourselves that we weren't invited. I drove Kelsey to school almost everyday. One day she got into my car at 7:00 a.m. with a stinky, nasty tuna fish sandwich for BREAKFAST! I yelled at her that she could never eat tuna for breakfast in my car again. One day after school Kelsey and I got in my car to go home and she was like, "Um, where's your radio?!" and I was like, "Oh. My. ****" I figured it was stolen but didn't want to check the school survelliance video because it would have shown me skipping class that day. Kelsey and I drove around in my car for months with a giant boombox in the back seat. Several months later I found out a frenemy had taken it as a joke, but forgot about it and it was now covered in grass clippings in his lawn mowing business van.
Emily: I remember Emily from 5th grade. We met through a mutual friend and together we shared an affinity for horses. Emily and the mutual friend actually HAD horses, but I still acted like I loved horses so I could fit in. Emily and I quickly became "BFFIS", Best Friends Forever in School. We both felt like our true BFFs were our cousins, but BFFIS would have to do. We'd draw each other pictures of smily faces with big noses, cartoon horses and cats.
In high school Emily and I again shared an affinity for not going to school. We preferred sleeping and eating. Our food of choice: Sconecutter Monster Cheese Fries with a side of fry sauce. It's a miracle that neither of us are dangerously obese and on waiting lists for new hearts.
Emily is someone you can trust. She's good at keeping secrets, which is sometimes hard to find in female friends (myself included). Emily is sensitive to other people's feelings and hates making people feel bad.
Hailee: I met Hailee in our 7th grade girls choir class. Hailee had an older brother in high school and I remember thinking how I couldn't wait for high school because he always seemed to be having so much fun. I always felt like Hailee was older and more emotionally mature than me and I always turned to her (and still do) for advice.
Hailee is a very positive, upbeat person. She's always smiling and even when things aren't going her way, she seems to find something to laugh about. Hailee is a great mom, it's seems like she's been ready to be a mom as long as I've known her. Motherhood came so naturally to her and I admire her for it.
Staci: Stace and I became friends in 4th grade. I remember she called me one day after school and asked if I wanted to "play". I hadn't really talked to her before, but was excited that I had a new friend. I remember she came over and we jumped on the tramp. She kept saying we should go to Chris's house (a new boy that moved in two doors down.) In 4th grade, I found my neighbor boy totally annoying and gross, but it seemed every other girl in my grade thought he was just as cute, if not cuter, than J.T.T. (In Chris's defense now, he's not totally gross and actually is quite handsome). Even if Staci had ulterior motives :) I am glad we became friends that day because she became one of my dearest friends.
I have lots of elementary school memories with Staci. She's the one who introduced breadsticks and nacho cheese to all of us. Staci's mom seemed to discover Costco before Costco was cool and always had TONS of delicious treats and snacks in her pantry.
Staci and I stayed friends all through middle school, but then her parents moved their family and she ended up going to a different high school. We stayed in touch and eventually were roommates at Utah State. We both had "missionaries" out at the same time and discussed the woes of dating other boys while having a missionary. Ha, ha, ha. So dramatic.
Staci is a very talented artist who can paint, draw, and take beautiful pictures. See her photography site
here.
Front now, Left to Right
Jamie: Jamie is the friend I've known the longest. We met in first grade. My early memories are playing chinese jump rope with Jamie and her sister who was just one year older than us, Julie. I remember being at her house and her climbing on the pantry shelves to get something to eat, and all of them came crashing down. Since first grade to probably 9th grade when she cut her hair, she was the queen of the perm. Jamie has 5 older sisters and always seemed to be the most fashionable from a young age and always had great hair. I, on the other hand, need a serious update from my tapered leg Girbaud jeans and oversized old T-shirts from my dad.
I think it's safe to say that Jamie and I had a love-hate relationship through most of elementary. I don't think more than two weeks could go by without one of us hurting the other ones feelings. But now, after years of friendship, it's just love-love. :)
Jamie's parents were called to be mission presidents in the Domincan Republic at the end of the 9th grade year so we missed our high school years together. She came back for a semester of our senior year, but we had a rough go again.
Now, years after high school she is one of my dearest friends. I know Jamie will always be there if I need to talk, to support me in something, or just to meet up for lunch.
Jade: I first remember Jade from our sophomore history class. Mostly what I remember about her is her name and fitting into the sentence spoken by every male in the Hillcrest High School student body, "Jade Smith is so hot". I mean, look at her right? :)
By our junior year, I considered Jade a great friend. Jade is a very honest person and speaks her mind, but in a respectful way. Jade never seemed to go along with things just because others did. Jade is a generous and selfless friend, who is willing to do anything for her friends when they need her.
Jade is now a personal trainer, makes beautiful babies, and is the only white person I know who can pull off corn-row braids. Seriously, the girl can pull of any hair style.
Amy: Amy is a blast. Simply put. Amy has a great, contagious laugh. I went with her family to Lake Powell once and will always be grateful because Lake Powell is the greatest place on earth, hands down.
The words that come to mind when I think of Amy are: Rocks (as in "she rocks). Fun. Great hair. Rockin Bod. Diet Coke.
I remember Amy in middle school. She did gymnastics all growing up and was (and still is) teeny. She wore kids sizes forever! I remember in 8th grade she had a fleece vest from Gap Kids that my little sisters had. I think I told her every time she wore it that my sisters had the same vest. She was sweet and always acted like it was the first time I told her.
I remember in high school Amy asked me if I wanted to start doing Baptisms for the Dead BEFORE school once a week. She was cool like that.
Amy has incredible strength (and not just because she has big muscles) and I've admired her for it as long as I've known her.
Amber: She's not in the picture, but I can't remember why. All I know is I can't compile a list like this without Ambie Bambie. Amber and I became the best of friends in 7th grade. Right away I loved her suede shoes that she had in 3 or 4 different colors. I thought she had great hair and great bangs. This was the barrel curl bang era. I have about a bazillion memories with Amber that are totally random on not very interesting to anyone but myself, so I won't share many.
In 8th grade, Amber and several other girls, including myself kept a notebook that we passed around to each other. We wrote to each other about boys we liked, had kissed, boys we didn't like anymore , you know, important 8th grade issues. One night some boys stole it from her house and we ended up chasing them for several blocks in bare feet, and I think it was the first time I swore at somebody out loud. We got the book back.
I think it was Amber that introduced me to the wonderful world that is "Friends". Amber was always the friend that would leave something with you if you weren't having fun, would sit out dances with you if you didn't feel like dancing, would ditch class with you when you didn't feel like going, and who wouldn't hate you forever even if you made her lie to your mom. (A whole post in itself, but don't worry, yes my mom knows she lied and that I made her and yes, I got grounded. Very Grounded. )
When I think back to all these friendships it makes me miss those simpler times in life and at the same time makes me laugh at how dramatic we made everything. All our friends are doing different things with their lives, some still stay in touch regularly, others not as regular but things are just the same as if you talked to them everyday, and others I miss a lot.
I don't make friends as quickly as some, so I'm always grateful for the friends that I've made and have trapped into staying my friend. I'm especially grateful for these friends since they were the ones who stuck out friendships despite the orange vest I wore every week of 7th grade and the cursed 8th grade day when I wore boots with shorts (You guys will never let me live that one down).
