Good Friends

Years and years ago,

Rod started to investigate the church.

We were helped along the way by our

good friends, parents of the Jim's best friend,

Carol and Dayl Seigfried.

Dayl was our Bishop at the time,

but more than that, he and Rod had 

already become pretty good friends.

And Carol and I were good friends.

She is one of those people who never

met a stranger...

Over the years we became closer and closer.
We even weathered a major hurricane together!
(A favorite memory...)

And then we started looking at possible land

purchases in Arizona.

But instead of Rod and I buying land and

moving out there, Carol and Dayl did instead!

They bought property, moved to Snowflake

and built a BEAUTIFUL home.

We remained close friends though.

Kyle and I stayed in their home when we 

made the trek out to see if he could live

on our property by himself.

He couldn't.

They moved again,

this time to the COLD north,

Michigan!

BRRRRRRRRR

They stayed in our home when Carol's father

passed away and their entire family came out.

Her mother still lives in our ward and they

come out each year to visit and we always

get together a time or two while they are here.

It was time for their annual visit this week!

Carol took a picture of Rod and Dayl, but it 

didn't turn out. Fuzzy. Rod was making a face

and she was trying to hurry and catch it.

Darn.

The 4 of us went to our favorite Mexican haunt

and had some of our favorite Mexican food

with some of our favorite people.

It was a great evening of visiting and telling

stories and catching up and re-connecting.

But we are all old now,

so we had to call it a night about 9.

LOL

Then last night we had a chance to get together

again with the "old gang" from our old ward

where he was the Bishop.

Up front is our good friend and the boys' mentor

Mike Taylor, otherwise known as BT.  (Bro Taylor)

Then to the left is Jordan, Jessica's older brother.

Then Ruth Ann and Keith Arbuckle.

Keith was our Bishop at one time in the other

ward, now he is the Stake Exec Secty and he and

Rod work closely together on Stake stuff.

Hiding behind them are Peggy and Richard Rasmussen,

hosts, parents of Jordan and Jessica, GOOD old friends,

Richard went to my school many years ago,

he is now 2nd Counselor in our Stake and he 

and Rod have gotten really close.

Then there's me.

And Kyle.

Then Carol and Dayl.

And putting a piece of chicken in her mouth

is Jessica Rasmussen.

Recently returned from the Calgary mission

and becoming a good friend.
(The young lady you guys saw in Okotoks!)

And then an exchange student from Mexico.

SUPER shy and I never did get her name.

It was a wonderful evening!

Jim showed up in time for pictures,

and Kyle conveniently ducked out.  

lol

There isn't a guy in this group who doesn't

know how to have a good time!

(Rod, Dayl, Richard, Keith and BT as

the lap dog...)

The women weren't NEARLY as goofy.

Ruth Ann, me, Dayl, Peggy, Jessica, Carol.

Dayl looks a little shell shocked.

He wanted off the couch - "I'm not one of the girls!"

But we wanted our picture with him.

So he stayed.

He has played an important role in each

and every life on that couch.

Before they moved, the whole Seigfried family came over and
helped us paint and repair our new
farm house before we could move in.
And then each of the men (from the
pictures above) came on New Years Day
and spent the ENTIRE day
(and Dayl stayed until well after dark)
putting a new roof on.
What terrific friends!

It's easy to see why we moved to our farm house

but continued to attend that ward until we were

finally "formally invited" to attend our correct ward.

These are the warmest, most wonderful

folks you'll ever want to meet.

(Not that our ward isn't great, but they are

a different kind of fun. 

And the demographics

are different.

Newly Weds and Nearly Deads 

as Grandma used to say... LOL)

Anyhow.

It was a fabulous evening.

One I'll cherish for a long long time.