Day 11 - Surrounded

30-Day Challenge, Day 11

Another picture of you and your friends

Seriously?

What part of "they do not exist" does this challenge not understand?  

...tell you what.  My last "picture of me with my friends" post really covered the gamut of the many friends who affect my life, regardless of whether I'm in the picture with them or not.  And I did a lot of pictures that time, so this time I'm going to just highlight some SISTERS who mean a lot to me.

First, are the women in our ward who really have become sisters over the years.  I was looking through these photos and realized just how much I love the women in my ward.  The two ladies below just happen to be my visiting teachers, and have been for several years.  I'm a hard person to connect with, but if it isn't in the home, at least they stop me at church and make sure everything's going okay.  These are friends who bring a sense of belonging and love with them every time they step across my threshold. 

Carol Ruth Thompson and Lee Merrell, my visiting teacher 'sisters'

Colleen Peterson was the first person to reach out a hand of fellowship to me clear back in 1973 when we moved into our home.  We "clicked" immediately.  She was a friend who felt like a sister.  Though life keeps things crazy, and we don't visit often enough any more, she will always mean the world to me.  It all made sense the day I found out we aren't just ward sisters, but are actually and truly blood related and share the same great great great great great grandfather (or something like that). 

Colleen Peterson at Super Saturday 2008

Leslie Harms, Nov. 2010

And Leslie Harms (above) is one of my most recent ward sister friends.  She's been a wonderful friend not just to me, but to the entire family and we're so glad she came into our lives.


So much of my life is centered around the Church, is it any wonder that so many of my friends are, too?  From Colleen to Leslie, and all those in between who were and are my friends in the gospel, I am eternally grateful.  And, really, Relief Society is the place where those friendships truly blossom, through visiting teaching, through week night meetings, through Mother/Daughter Overnighters and serving together in our callings, I have made so many special friends that I can truly call my sisters.  I've only named a few, but there are so many more - close, close friends like Crystal Grover, and new acquaintances who've just come into our ward.  I said it before, you have touched my life.  Thank you.


Special memories of Relief Society events:

White Elephant Gift

Mother/Daughter Overnighters (the Pat Bone clan)

Super Saturdays  (Carol Ruth Thompson, Kathy Loveridge, Sian Allred)

Mary Price, Holly Nielsen, Heidi Parker - more Super Saturday

Of course, I can not talk about sisters without talking about the real blood sisters in my life:

Top to bottom:  Mom (Norma), Grandma Heaps, Lois, and Colleen (bottom) - about 1927

My mom and her sister Lois have been best friends I think from the day Lois was born.  

My Mom (Norma Hansen) and her sister (Lois Urry) at Women's Conference, BYU

Connie Barnes, Susie Wheeler, Me  - 2010 Hansen Family Reunion  (photo by Kelli Barnes)

I probably can't say the same about my sisters, because I was enough older I always got the job babysitting - and they'll tell you I was not a fun babysitter.   But I think they've forgiven me.  Today we love any chance to get together - though they are not often enough for me!  I think of Susie and Connie as my next best friends (next to Brent, of course).

Makinzee, Tonya, Me, Heather, Stephanie

And my other "next" best friends are, of course, my own children - the Sisters of our Family.  Wish we had a picture with Linzy in it, too, but this is a fun one of all the girls who could be to Tonya's baby shower in November.  And if you've seen Makinzee's post, or my old posts, you've already seen this.  But look at that, two pictures with ME in them!

SISTER FRIENDS ARE THE BESTEST EVER!