Friends...

This is my friend Taya. She has started her own little business, JonesyBaby & she participated in the boutique this weekend & made a killing. She has super cute stuff, so check it out.

Anyway, we met 5 years ago on our semester "abroad" in Nauvoo, IL. We lived across the hall from each other in the Joseph Smith Academy & were fast friends. You know those people who you just instantly click with? That would be me & Taya. I think it was with one look at each other & we decided we'd be friends. I think it has been at least 4 years since we have seen each other so it was a treat to get to hang out with her on Saturday & pick up where we left off. I love that I don't have to see her every week to still be great friends...does that make any sense? I suppose she just gets me & I just get her.

Anyway, we shared so many fun experiences while living in Nauvoo, it was so fun to laugh about old times this weekend. While there, we lived across the street from the Nauvoo Temple while it was under construction. What a wonderful place! One thing I distinctly remember is our running regime. Taya & I, in the fear of going home fat from all the MTC-like food, decided to wake up at 6:30 every morning to go running. I forget what we called ourselves but we had some funny name...anyway, I think we ran in rain, sleet & snow. We were there from Jan-April & some mornings we were hanging on to each other so we didn't slip on the frozen streets! We used to run with our hoods up, because the air would freeze your ears & I remember having frozen crystals on our hair around our foreheads when we were through. I laugh just thinking about it... & despite all our hard work, I think we still came home with a few extra pounds!

Nauvoo holds some of my most treasured experiences thus far. It was a time of learning & spiritual growth & I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be there! And I am glad for fun friends like Taya...they are the best!