Getting Sentimental

Today was one of those strange days where almost everything seemed to make me sentimental.  I found an old mix CD stashed away in my car, so I put it in, ready to listen to a lineup of songs I hadn't heard for a while.  One of the first was "At the Beginning" from the Anastasia soundtrack--a song that took me waaaaay back to my days living at The Colony at BYU--Jess was almost more in love with this song than she was with the boy--serving a mission in Russia--that inspired her love for the tune (aaah...the JPR + PMC days still put a smile on my face).  It was strange how listening to the song in my car today suddenly had me thinking about our big living room with the navy blue carpet and navy blue furniture (my sister tells me it's still the same!) and Jessica, Laura, Jana, Candice, Heather, and I lounging around the apartment late at night chatting, listening to the same song over and over, watching Jana eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and chocolate chips or Jessica munching on a bagel pizza.  Heather was probably in sweats and a sports bra...maybe she was still in her room beating up her punching bag or participating in the conversation by shouting from the bathroom while sitting on the pot--door wide-open of course.  Jessica and Laura had probably just walked back from the library--backpacks stuffed and overflowing--and laughing their way through a hilarious story like the time Jessica slipped on the ice but couldn't get up because her backpack was so heavy.  And the boy who shouted from the other side of the quad that he'd come to her rescue who somehow ended up flat on his back next to her.  Maybe Erica or Candi had stopped by for a chat, and more than likely Jana was in PJs, bandanna tied around her hair peasant-style, announcing that she had to get to sleep and could we please please please keep our voices down.  Candice and I were at the piano, trying out one of my newest compositions...Candice singing, of course.  Wow, I suddenly missed my dear friends more than I had in a very long time. Now beautiful Laura has her absolutely beautiful babies and finds herself a stronger woman than ever having led her family through more trials and hardships this past year or two.  Jana now a busy mom of three and Bishop's wife--can't even imagine that right now!  Jessica just reached her LONG time goal of running a marathon...you go girl!!  Gotta thank Jess for convincing me and Jana to try a little bit of running our freshman year, something I then hated but quickly grew to love (though my post-baby body has yet to get back into it), while Candice and Mark are living the life of east coast artists...raising their babies in the middle of NYC where Mark continues acting and Candice captures magic on her camera.  Heather is just what we (and she!) predicted she'd be...mom to a whole houseful of adorable little cowboys and cowgirls.  What a blessing to stay in contact with these wonderful women.  I also remember our reunion in summer 2006 at the Lewis' cabin in Southern UT--the timing couldn't have been more perfect for me...it was one of the toughest weeks of my life, so being surrounded by such strength and faith was truly a divine blessing.  I'm so unexpectedly nostalgic today and feel incredibly grateful for their friendship.