Back to Boise 2010

I went to Boise for 4 days this August to see my best girlfriends!

Some of you may or may not know that when I was 9 years old my family moved to Idaho. Growing up in Idaho I met 4 girls who changed my life. These girls are still my best friends. All of them still live in Boise. I am the only one who has moved away, and although there is a world between us and we may not to get to see each other as often as we would like, nothing has changed. We are still the same group of girlfriends we have aways been!

My Girls are:

Ann - (in the tree with me) I meet Ann in 5th grade, my Mom made me go to a new school for the last week of 5th grade, and good thing cause Ann sat next to me in class. She lived just behind my home too, there was a lot of fence climbing over the years from her house to mine. Ann is the glue of our girl group. Also Ann's Mom makes the best cookies in Idaho, uncontested!

April -(on far left in second photo) I meet April in 7th grade at West Jr. High School. This girl can warm any heart with her smile. I remember loving April's sense of style growing up and was always trying out her ideas (although she may not have known this). When April fell pregnant her baby Taylor (kido in the photos) I remember having this intuition about it. I knew before she called to tell me. Taylor is the sweetest girl and so smart! Just like her Mom!

Kristy - (photo holding a bird) Ann, Kristy, and I all lived in the same neighborhood. Kristy lived on top of the tallest hill in our neighborhood. Kristy and I became close when both of our families went to a car auction in Sun Valley Idaho, from then on we where the best of buddies. Kristy was the girl who introduced me to make up and the art of looking like a lady. Kristy's words at our sleepovers still ring in my ears "Hey lets give Mary a makeover." I met Kristy in 6th grade. Thanks to Kristy I made it to High School on most days.. thanks for the rides.

Lindy - (center of second photo) I met Lindy in 7th grade too. The first thing you learn about Lindy is that she loves to laugh and her laughter is contagious. Lindy is so generous and always helpful. Over the years Lindy has given me great advice and gotten me out of a few jams. She is a Mom to little Kyra, the cutest baby girl ever!

Going back to Boise was a blast. The last time I had been back was in 2006. I moved away from Boise when I was 17, but always made my way back every year till 2006 (lots of spring breaks). I even spent a wild summer with them in 2003, and had way to much fun!

I was surprised to see Boise had not changed too much, its the same town I love. The afternoon I flew in from Australia I was picked up at the airport by Ann and quickly whisked to her house for a shower and then we were off to Kristy's parents birthday parties; being held at Kristy's house. It was a great party and good to see lots of Kristy's family and catch up with her parents. There was BBQ southern style, cake, an open bar, and poker tables. It was a good party, and I quickly felt like I had never been gone.

The following days we had BBQ's and spent time catching up with some old faces. As well as meeting some new ones. It was just great to see my girlfriends and spend time seeing there homes and laughing like old times. One of the highlights was meeting Ann's neighbors. She lives between a house full of 23 year old boys and on the other side an 80 year old lady. This lady and the boys love Ann and they often have parties and spend time hanging out together. I can understand why, Ann is one special girl, if she was my neighbor I would be at her house every day!

The Bird Picture Explained

Another highlight was my day spent hanging out and shopping with Kristy. We meet an old friend from school out for lunch, we where eating outside on the restaurant patio when a yellow cockatiel lands on the handrail beside me. Shocked to see this kind of bird just landing next to us I put out my hand and the bird climbed onto my fingers. Soon the bird was enjoying our french fries and had the whole restaurant looking out at us! For some strange reason Kristy and I seem to find lost animals when together. Realizing we could not just leave the bird there we finished our lunch and with the bird on my shoulder we got in the car. Kristy started calling our friends asking them if they wanted to free pet cockatiel. Let me tell you this was one cool bird. It was gentle, didn't bite hard just nibbled you, it also danced to oldies music, and liked to be handled and petted. This was someone's beloved bird. Knowing finding the owner was going be tuff, we frantically looked for someone to care for it. Kristy drove me to a pet shop and was shocked when I came out with a cage for the bird compete with food, and toys. As a last resort Kristy called her Mom, and luck would have it her Mom said she would take the bird and look after it. Now the bird (named Sydney for Australia) is happily living at Kristy's parents house with no other pets. What a relief! But also a strange adventure in our day!

My trip went by too fast and soon it was time for me to head off to Indiana to see my parents. I am so grateful for my girlfriends. They have shaped the person I am today and have enriched my life more then they will ever know. I miss them everyday and often wish I could just walk over to their houses for a visit.

One thing is for sure, there is nothing like the friendships you make while you are young, they help us remember who we are, and who we want to be.