Bonds of Friendship

Today is my LHS BFF's birthday! No, I'm not going to tell you how old Julie is -- since I turn that age in 6 months. And no, you don't need to see a comparison photo from Luck High School -- since I can assure you we haven't changed a bit!

It's amazing the staying power of a good friendship. When you think of it, we've been friends for some 30 (gasp!) years. Whoa. We've gone our separate ways and our paths have intersected now and then. But we never lost touch and we certainly have become so wise at our old age that we realize we need to make the opportunities to see other happen. They won't make themselves.

The photo above was taken this past fall when our teenagers competed at the same cross-country meet up in Wausau. We saw each other again later in the fall when Jim and Carter went to the Badgers game and I spent the afternoon with her. That's the day I started coaxing her over to the Dark Side.

Oh c'mon, you know what I'm talking about... scrapbooking!

I brought some of my books with me that day to show her for some inspiration. Her oldest daughter graduates this June so she wants to put together an album for her. I showed her little digital books, Carter's Middle School book and one of my big fat "year in our lives" books.

Fast forward 2 months and she is signed up to go to Camp Crop-A-Lot with me in February! Oh yes. The bonds of friendship are strong with that one!

While our husbands -- and plenty of others -- think it's a cult, I am excited to spend time with her doing legitimately creative and productive work. Plus maybe talk, laugh and be silly like we never grew up and apart. There's still some suspicion about the "growing up" part.

I do think she'll enjoy it. However, I will wisely not take credit nor blame if she gets hooked. I'm pretty sure she knows it's cool.

I mean why else would she hang around with me this long?