Okay, so we're really tiny in this picture, but my photo editing program (along with much else on this computer) is having fits, so here we are little. These (plus one who couldn't make it) are the women who ... how awful does this sound ... helped me become a woman. I grew into a functioning adult with them. Or, in better words, my college roommates.
The six of us were actually only roommates for one year, but subsets of us were together for up to three years. It started with four, then they added me, then we added one more, then for the last year we all got married, or student taught, or served missions. Basically, we moved on.
But then a couple years later, Gwen wrote to Sue, who wrote to Tayna, who wrote to Anna, who wrote to Tara, who wrote to me, and here we are, thirteen-ish years past graduation, still friends, but more importantly, still in touch.
Here we are holding our youngests. There is also one really young baby, just a month or two, but she (and mom and siblings) couldn't make it. (Sad for us, good for her.) Between the six of us we have 26 children. (I'm the underachiever, make no mistake about it.)
It was so good to see them again. I grew up with them, where growing means becoming an adult. And it's good to see people who knew you when you were just learning about life.
In a thought that may seem unrelated, my aunt J saw Kiddo on Christmas, and told me how much she reminded her of me when I was that age (Kiddo has my eyes). My other aunt K said the same thing at Thanksgiving. And both times when they said that, I felt a sense of security, of being around someone who knows you better than you know yourself, because they've known you so long, longer than you remember.
Although I certainly haven't known them that long, that's how being with the roommates felt. Secure. These are women who knew me as I was getting to know myself. And through letters, we've started families, and are learning to raise them, and it gives me strength to know that they are doing it, and doing it well, and so can I.
I'll let you know next time I'm around...
After Christmas I finally saw the lights on Temple Square. And fulfilled my adulthood dream of randomly running into someone I know while in Utah. Note Babs inside my coat. I put her in my Mobi wrap and carry her next to me for both of our warmth. I guess buying that coat too big didn't turn out to be a horrible mistake after all. Lots of people don't initially see her, and then are surprised when her little face peaks out. The longer she's in the hold (we barely both fit at this point) the harder she pushes against me so the coat comes unzipped, and she has more room.
Kiddo learned that she shares a love of Doritos with Grandma. So there are often chips to be had.
It snowed again! And this time she had snowpants, which completely changed the game. While Aunt M shoveled the driveway in preparation of Daddy and Grandma' return, Kiddo literally ran back and forth across the snow covered lawn. Snowpants may be the bane of my sister-in-law's life, but they are a joy to my daughter. (Although in all fairness, they are the exception for Kiddo, not the rule.)
And Kiddo made modeling clay with Grandma. And played with it as much as possible for the next two days. And has asked me at least twice since we've returned home if we have some. One of these days I'll have time to breathe, and truly think about making some with her. But not today.
