Friends

I truly have some amazing friends. I feel so honored to be surrounded by so many amazing women. At the RS Broadcast three years ago President Faust gave a wonderful talk. I remember talking with a friend about his words the next day; what stuck out to us was how he said we all need friends. I find this especially true for females. Husbands are great, but we thrive on friendships and time with other females:

"As President Hinckley has often said, we all need friends. Friendship fills us with warmth and love. It is not confined to the young or the old, the rich or the poor, the little known or the public figure. Whatever our circumstances, we all need someone who will listen to us with understanding, pat us on the back when we need encouragement, and nurture in us the desire to do better and to be better."

I've been thinking about this a lot the last few days. About a month ago, a good friend told me she'd be giving me a baby shower. I resisted (I already had a girl!), but she turned it into a double shower (the other girl is having a boy 4 weeks after me) and wouldn't take no for an answer. Realizing there wasn't much I could do, I gave in. Don't get me wrong - I was flattered. I just was a little embarrassed. Anyway, the shower was last week and I was so overwhelmed by the dear friends who came (or sent gifts) to show their support. There were young girls who came (Emma being the youngest), and the older ladies in the ward were also there, many of whom don't know me very well. It didn't matter - people came because I think other women feel the same way I do and love the chance to hang out with other women.

The gifts didn't really matter to me. Of course it was so nice to get new things for this baby (who will, by the way, be the best-dressed little girl ever. Think Paris Hilton, who never wears the same thing more than once. No joke.). Spencer said, "You've GOT to be kidding" at least 35 times when I brought the bags of stuff home. But more than that, I realized how lucky I am to live where I do and to have such a great group of friends - from the children all the way up to the grandmas. The fact that they all came and we got to eat chocolate and pumpkin pie and just be together was the best part.

Here are a couple of pictures from the shower/post-shower. This first one is Melanie and me - the shower was for both of us.

By the way...we found an AWESOME dresser/changing table for the baby (we're already giving our younger kids way more than our older ones ever had!) for dirt cheap - brand new - as well as a new glider for Spencer...er, for me. Haha, we'll see who really uses it.