Kindred Souls (vol. 3)

This one is dedicated to a large group some of whom don't know each other. Nevertheless I love them all so very much for what they have all brought to my life. This is the group of people I have met in the last five or six years that have greatly influenced me.

*My first friend I met through my cousin Sandra who I lived with while Kent and I were engaged. Melissa Collins is one of the most beautiful women I know inside and out. I believe Melissa sees the world in shades of yellow. She is so positive, but she is also very real about her positive attitude. She is genuine and in no way fake because of this quality. Melissa is also a very caring and considerate person. One thing that is obvious about her is her love of her family. She is not yet married so I am speaking of her parents, brother's and sister's, nieces and nephews. She treats them as though they were gold and is very involved in their lives. She is the best cheerleader. If you need someone to encourage you she will be there in a heartbeat. Just being with her lifts your spirits more than I can say. I can't wait until she finds her match because he'll have to be amazing to be her equal. She has truly blessed my life as a friend.

* My next friend was one of the first one's I met after Kent and I got married. I will never forget the day I met her because of the horrible judge of character I was. Kent and I were invited to play games with some of the young couples in the Union Fort 2nd Ward and Carrie Keele and her husband Taylor were there. Our impression was that these couples were nice, but they were kind of weird. Boy were we wrong. Over the past five years Carrie has become one of my best friends. She is someone I can talk to who will always listen. She is very kind and considerate of others and she is a woman who betters the world around her. One of the things I LOVE about Carrie is her amazing parenting skills. Carrie is very careful to give her children love and respect. I have seen her get frustrated with them at times and yet she does not yell or allow herself to get out of control. She is also a great teacher and she disciplines her children when needed. She inspires me as a parent. Carrie also is a person who shows perseverance. She was in a car accident two years ago and was very seriously injured. She was in a wheel chair for many months and on crutches after that. Now only 2 years later she has found a group of friends to train for a half marathon with. I know she never would have imagined she'd be that strong ever again, but she persevered and I am SO proud of her. She truly is an inspiring friend to me and I am SO grateful to have her in my life!

* This next friend is another friend I met as Kent and I were newlyweds. Angie Gray lived in the same apartments as we did and she (dragging Jerusha with her) was the first person to come to my home and introduce herself to me. She can't imagine how excited I was that someone had made an effort to meet me. Kent even came home while they were there visiting and he commented later how happy I seemed to have them there. Angie is a woman who never makes you feel inferior. She is always very accepting. She also amazes me at how she deals with the challenges of motherhood. When I met her she had a very demanding three-year-old and she seemed to handle it well. In fact I am amazed at how well her daughter has grown up because of the great way her mother has handled her. The best thing about Angie though is that she is someone you can laugh with. She is very fun to be around. Angie is such a great friend and I am so very glad that even though she's moved away I still see her and enjoy her fun personality.

* With meeting Angie came the meeting of Jerusha Buckner as I said. Jerusha is one of those one of a kind people. As we sat and visited the day we met I must have shared some deep insight into Kent because some of the first words out of Jerusha's mouth when she met Kent were, "Wow, you're ornery!" She said this with a smile and a laugh. Jerusha is one of those people who tells it like it is. You will never wonder where you stand with her. I'm sure to those who don't know her you could be offended, but Kent and I loved her brutal honesty. She is also very athletic and involved in city league teams. One thing that impressed me about Jerusha was how prepared she always was. Jerusha is the mom with plenty of snacks, tissues, water, and toys, etc. She is an organizer. She would be the one to call everyone including the new people (like Kent and I when she invited us to play games with the couples) and make sure they know about a game night or event. You could never forget something like enrichment with Jerusha as a neighbor because she made sure you remembered. Jerusha is a friend I am thankful to know and I missed seeing from time to time.

* Another Apple Honey Apartments friend I have is Katie Hallet. Katie is the sweetest person I know. There are two things that come to mind when I think of Katie; delicious spinach salads and "everything has a place and everything in it's place." That's not to say that those are the only two things to her mind you. I was always very impressed with Katie's level of cleanliness. She didn't seem to be one who cleaned all day everyday, but her house was always in order. Later I learned from her husband that the previous phrase is why. Katie is someone who is always a pleasant, positive person. I have never heard her say anything negative about anyone. Also as I said Katie is a great cook, but it was her salads that I would crave. She would make the best dressings to go over salads and if she were to make a cookbook I would have to buy it. Katie is just a delightful person to be around and I am so glad I bumped into her mom a while back and got her number to keep in touch.

* When I think of giving 110% Kourtney Vickery is the first person who comes to mind. She also lived in Apple Honey and I recall she was such a friendly person even before I met her. I would drive by her and she would always smile and wave at me. I was dying to get to know her because I already liked her even before I knew her. In the time that I knew her she was the Enrichment leader as well as our apartment manager and both jobs she did well and it was always tied off with a bow. Every activity was decorated and put together in a way that just made the evening feel complete. She was constantly on the go with being apartment manager. From cleaning the grounds, to showing apartments, to taking lengthy calls with the owner she was always doing her best. I really wasn't much of a surprise to me that when he third child came along she needed to quit. There was no way she could do such a great job and give that same 110% to her family. That was something you could tell was important to her. I miss our association with her and hope that somehow I can get back in contact with her again.

* My former roommate, Sara, introduced me to my next friend and I can't remember when it was I met her. Janessa and I were what you call instant friends. It was as if we had been friends for a lifetime. Janessa is a go get 'em kind of girl. She is always busy with one thing or another. She doesn't wait for life to pass her by. She is also the party planner. In fact of all the friends who could have thrown me a baby shower she was the one who took on the task. She is a natural born leader. When Sara was planning her wedding it was Janessa who came up with all kinds of suggestions to help Sara with the planning process. She is one of those women who is able to square everything away nicely. She is also an excellent country dancer. You wouldn't know it by looking at her but the girl loves country. She also has the great fashion sense of a city girl. She is one person I love to go shopping with because she gives me ideas about things that I would never even think to try that look great. She's one of those friends who feels just like a sister. I am so thankful for her friendship.

* This friend is one I served with in Young Women's and I had to add her to this post. Katie Anderson is one of the most amazing people I know. She is positive, faithful, and obedient. When it comes to the gospel she is my hero. Katie is someone who talks of her faith all the time and she is what I would call a true disciple of Jesus Christ. She never seems to have any despair because of her faith in the Lord and Jesus Christ. You can tell that she has a deep connection with her Savior. She is also very obedient. She is the kind of person that hears a prophet speak and will immediately go to work. Another thing I love about Katie is that she was the first one to thank me for a lesson given in young women's. That meant a lot to me that as another leader she would compliment me on my lessons. She is also a very competent person. She works as an assistant teacher and for quite a while took over the class while the teacher was away. From what I understood she did an excellent job. I am so thankful for Katie's influence in my life because she makes me feel like I can be better than I am.

* My last friend is another lost friend to me, but I love what she has added to my life and I miss her friendship very much. Michelle Bradshaw is an amazing woman. She is beautiful as well as intelligent with the quickest whit and a great sense of humor. Michelle has an exuberant personality. She is the friend who was there for me when I had Braxton and was getting used to the new mom stuff. She and I would often get together and go to the mall or out to lunch. She had a little boy that was about nine months older than Braxton and so it was fun to enjoy our little ones together. She was one who seemed to be scared to death of having an unexpected child, but she took to it like a fish to water. I remember her making the comment that she felt so bad when her baby cried because he couldn't tell her what he needed. I would always try and remember that when Braxton was crying and I would be frustrated with him. She amazed me because in addition to being a mom she also was smart enough to get paid to grade term papers and write college tests and tutor kids in the evening when her husband was home. She did it all and made it seem like a breeze. I hope that somehow at some point I can get back in touch with her. She too has blessed my life.

Again I want to thank all of you who have been a great part of my life. You bring me blessings in so many ways. I can't thank you enough for all you teach me. Thank you!