Good friends

Excuse me a moment for getting nostalgic.  This is just a collection of memories about some friends of ours.  Don't feel obligated to read.  

Our good friends, the Busby's, were in town so we made sure we got to see them!  They were the very first friends we made when we moved to Arizona in 2004.  At the time we didn't have any children and they had a newborn baby girl.  I instantly knew I wanted to be friends with Anika.  She was so friendly and sweet,  I felt I could trust her wholeheartedly.  We got to know each other through church basketball.  Our husbands played together and Anika and I would attend the games and get to know each other.  

One of the first things Anika asked me was when we were going to start a family.  She of course had no idea that I had suffered a miscarriage 3 months prior.   I told her that we were hoping to have a family any day now!  She immediately apologized, but I didn't take any offense, how would she have known?  Anika is the type of person that you would never be offended by.  She is so open and honest and real that you feel you could tell her anything, even your worst sins, and she would still think you were the most wonderful person in the world.  She has always made me feel so good about myself. 

A few days after I found out I was pregnant with Cyrena, we went to a Diamondbacks game with the Busby's.   It was a Monday night and Anika brought an Ensign to read in the car for all of us to have FHE together (amazing I tell you!).  After reading the article, she turns around in her seat...looks me in the eye and says..."Any news???"  I have nothing even resembling a poker face so she knew right away.  She was so extremely and genuinely happy for me.  

About 5 months later, we moved into our house in Surprise.  Luckily, we were still able to spend time with the Busby's fairly often.  Anika threw me a baby shower and she and Keith came to visit us in the hospital when we had Cyrena.  She brought me the yummiest Christmas sugar cookies.  Food never tastes as good as when you've just had a baby!

Then in the summer of '07 the Busby's decided to head back to BYU for Keith to earn his MBA.  It was so sad to know we wouldn't see them much anymore.  Keith always had a new board game to play with us; we loved watching Suns and Diamondbacks games with them, or watching the latest movies that had come out.  It was hard to say good-bye.

Now they are done with BYU and were down here visiting Keith's parents before heading to a new job in Ohio.  Luckily, we were able to meet up with them on Monday for lunch. Circumstances have changed, but not our friendship.  It was like we'd just seen each other last week.  They are such fun people to chat with and always have fun stories to tell.  They now have 3 children and we have 2 but again it was like no time had gone by.  

I'm so grateful for the many friends in our life.  We have met so many amazing people in the years we've been married.  It's so hard to say good-bye, we've had to do that with quite a few friends, especially in the years we've lived in Arizona.  But I feel so blessed that I was able to spend time with and know such wonderful people, even if it wasn't quite long enough and I wish I hadn't had to say good-bye.