For the next few days, I was able to see a lot of old friends. Every since I left for college, right after high school, I have made an effort to get together with my elementary/middle/high school friends. At first, it almost always was at Pizza Hut in Jay. Now it seems to always be at El Vallarta.
We just happened to meet a few days before Robyn's birthday so we HAD to celebrate! Later, as I was looking through the pictures, I thought it was fitting. Before the ease of me being able to contact everyone through Facebook, Robyn was usually the one in charge of getting a hold of all the girls when I would come into town.
This is my way of saying "Thank You!" Robyn! Ha!
I was at El Vallarta again for lunch the next day but this time with the girls at the very first flower shop that I worked at. All because of a couple of missionaries and a post that Denise put on Facebook!
"Two young men in white shirts (and wrinkled pants) just stopped by my house to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with me and it made me think of you and Kelly Williams and Guylene Berry. (A Mormon, a Baptist, an Assembly of God and a non-denominational Pentecostal all working in a flower shop )sounds like the beginning of a joke) What a great group of ladies we worked with. I miss smelling the new shipments of the fresh armpit (fresh peach) candles and listening to the instrumental theme from titanic all day long with you ladies!"
She just happened to have this happen while I was visiting! Which is what let to others replying that we should get together.
Right after college, I worked at a flower shop in Grove. I was the delivery driver. It was an amazing job. I mean really! Who doesn't want to get flowers?! I got to deal with customers who were super excited to see me!
But to add to the wonderfulness of this job, these ladies were so good to me. They would become my friends. Some would later come to one of my bridal showers, my wedding reception, lunch dates, and I would even get to work with some of them again years later!
But one of the most memorable things that I experienced with them was exactly what Denise wrote on my Facebook timeline. They knew little about my "Mormon" faith and so I was able to share what I believed to be true. I, in turn, learned of their beliefs. So many people are afraid to speak of our relationships with Christ yet we were able to do it freely.
Oh, and when we were stressed out, we would go and smell the candles in the "shop" area of the flower shop...and yes, the so called Peach candle did smell like nasty B.O. (armpit)! Well, to me it did!
Right after college, I worked at a flower shop in Grove. I was the delivery driver. It was an amazing job. I mean really! Who doesn't want to get flowers?! I got to deal with customers who were super excited to see me!
But to add to the wonderfulness of this job, these ladies were so good to me. They would become my friends. Some would later come to one of my bridal showers, my wedding reception, lunch dates, and I would even get to work with some of them again years later!
But one of the most memorable things that I experienced with them was exactly what Denise wrote on my Facebook timeline. They knew little about my "Mormon" faith and so I was able to share what I believed to be true. I, in turn, learned of their beliefs. So many people are afraid to speak of our relationships with Christ yet we were able to do it freely.
Oh, and when we were stressed out, we would go and smell the candles in the "shop" area of the flower shop...and yes, the so called Peach candle did smell like nasty B.O. (armpit)! Well, to me it did!
Later in the afternoon, I went to meet Laura in Bella Vista, Arkansas. 3 of my high school friends live in Arkansas now so we decided to met in Fayetteville. But Laura offered for me to met at her house so I could meet her family and then we would ride together from there. I'm so grateful that we did. I LOVED meeting her family. I already knew her husband and daughter but never had met her boys. Sometimes I can get a real sense of love between people. I immediately felt that in her home. For years, Laura lived in California and so I didn't get to see this side of her with her family. I have so many memories of Laura from growing up and I love her very, very much. I think a part of me was just so happy to know that she was safe within her little family.
We met up with Pounce (Misty) and Valerie at Red Lobster and believe it or not, we didn't get kicked out! These girls make me laugh soooooooo hard. Our dynamics can be so different from each other but at the same time be so very similar...and that is what I love about our friendship!
At one point, an older couple came over to us and told us we were very entertaining and that we should get together more often!
A few days later, Valerie and Pounce came to Jay so that they could see my family as well.
I love this picture so much!!! Not many siblings can say that they got to hang out together while in school. But as many of my friends can attest to, April was just different. We didn't care that she was younger. She was just so funny and that is why my friends didn't care when I would invite April to things. So of course, we had to take a picture together!
Having them come to Jay was also a reminder of my parents abilities to make my friends feel so welcome. Over the years, I have had some of my friends come to me with things that I had no idea was going on in their lives while we were growing up. Some of the things they were going through was traumatic in their own ways. The stableness and safety of the Beck home was what they needed at that time in their lives. I will forever be grateful that my parents loved my friends the way that they did.
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