DEAR FRIENDS

Day # 20... Today I am thankful for dear friends!

I remember growing up thinking that it was ALL about the friends. Especially as a teenager. It was ONLY about the friends. As I look back now I am amazed that my parents put up with me through it all, and that they still loved me, and even let me back in the house. (Yes, a few times I was dumb and thought I could do it on my own without them. Stupid mistake!)

Of all those "friends" that I thought were so important...well...through facebook I have found a few of them, whom I choose to still be in contact with. There are others that I choose not to have contact with. We are still "friends", but as adults, via the Internet. We all have grown up and probably if any of them are like me they look back on their teen years and think, "oh my goodness, what was I thinking?".

My mother told me several times as I was growing up that as an adult if I had 2-3 really close friends to consider myself blessed. She said, yes, you'll know a lot of people. But how many of them will really be there for you when you need them the most. As I have gotten older I have found out who my true friends are. I am so thankful for those people that have always been there for me, and my family.

There is one family that has adopted us as one of their own. The siblings are like my brothers and sisters.  The parents are like an additional set of parents for Gio and I, and grandparents to our kids. They have loved us and been there for us for years now. They have been there for all the special occasions,  baby blessings, baptisms, temple attendance, mission farewells, (and soon homecoming!). They invite us to be with their family on Thanksgiving and every Christmas Eve we spend with them. When there is a holiday they make sure to let us know that we are invited. We are so blessed to have Tom, Joyce, Randy, Aimee, Todd and Janine, Jill and Steve, Ali and Brad, James and Nicole, and all of their children as part of our closest circles of friends.

There are others who are dear friends too...and we are thankful for all of them. But this one special family has been such a blessing in our lives. We love you all and thank you for always being there for us and loving us! We sure do love you!