A Fairy Picnic

Yesterday we had our last fairy picnic in the fairy meadow. We took our neighbor friends who had just gotten home from visiting cousins. To get to the meadow we cross a sheep bridge built across the Teton River. As I stepped off the bridge an old feeling from my childhood washed over me. It was a feeling of anticipation that some wonderful pretend was about to happen. I felt that way every time I imagined anything magical. I like to believe in fairies and pretend with my children. We spread our blankets under a big tree on the edge of the meadow. The younger kids ran immediately to the fairy tree, a big pine tree whose branches spread so wide and hang so low that they can hide and play underneath them. It was in that tree many years ago that Sarah and her friends found fairy treasure on her birthday. Everyone loves a fairy picnic. It's simple, just rounds of baguette, crackers, cheeses and meat. Fairy cakes finish it off, their just Ritz crackers sprayed with whip cream and heaped with berries. Silly, but fun.

 After we were done the children ran down to the river to build fairy houses. I almost wished we were camping so they could have spent all the time they wanted. The older kids were ready to go well before the younger ones were done. Emma had a total meltdown when I told her it was time to leave. She'd built one house, but was working on another that wasn't finished. I probably should have helped her more with the second one so she could have finished.

Building fairy houses

The finished product.  She's hoping her fairy friends love it.

These girls are such good friends.  They have so much fun together. 

I love this sign that one of the boys made.  It says FARY.

I caught McKay pretending something.  He'd just jumped off a log and was in his own little world.

These guys are best buddies.

Hiking Horeshoe

On Thursday we took a hike together up Horseshoe Canyon. Joshua built bridges up there last year with his forest service crew. Ever since then he's wanted to show us what they did. It was a hazy day, but a good one for hiking. I armed us with hard candies, snacks and water. I wasn't sure how far it would be and how the kids, especially the younger ones, would fare. They were all troopers.

 We stopped and had lunch at the first bridge and it wasn't much further to the second. It was so beautiful. The meadows were full of flowers and I especially loved walking through the dappled shade of the pine trees. It must have been quite a task to haul the lumber up that trail to build those bridges. Those were long boards! Josh seemed really proud of his work and I was glad that we could make the hike part of our final weeks activities.

 Emma had a hard time making it back to the car. She was tired and hot. We were way behind the rest of the kids, but we finally made it. She walked every step. I was so proud of her.

Good Friends Take Time

It takes time to make true friends. It takes years. It doesn't happen overnight. I fully expect to have lots of friends in Fillmore. But the establishment of solid, trusted friendships just takes time. On Monday I went to breakfast with my friend, LaNice. I was assigned to be her visiting teacher 4 years ago. I knew her, but not well. For the first couple years I felt like she was testing me. She'd say shocking things and sometimes I wonder if she wanted to see if I would go away. I didn't. We've spent time visiting, sewing, laughing and crying. Right after we found out we were moving I went to see her and she sat me down in her big, comfy chair and covered me with a quilt she was finishing so I could mourn for a minute. She showed up a few days later with that quilt so I could take a bit a her love with me.

Tuesday we headed out to Rexburg so I could visit with my friend Suzette. We met in the gardens at BYU-I close to her gardens. I took the kids with me, thinking they would enjoy exploring the gardens while we visited. I was wrong. The hovered close by the whole time. Still I got to hear about her joys and struggles with being a new wife and mother. I got to share some of my secret struggles and joys. We've been friends 20 years. It is nice to have that much history with a friend.

Emma had the camera while we were talking and took all kinds of pictures, including these ones.

That same day we met up with Debbie as well. We only had about a half hour with her, but it was wonderful for all of us. Debbie is my friend and the wife of my doctor, the one who delivered four of my babies. They moved from the valley several years ago. To the children, the Debbie and her family are magical people. They know how to have fun and keep a little childish joy in their lives. In true fashion she took us all to get a frozen butter beer. Who else, but Debbie would do such a thing? It began to rain so we sat in the car and visited for a few minutes. Our short visit left us with a little of the happy magic that comes from being around Debbie.


The next day my friend, Dana, stopped by because she was going to be gone this coming week. She was my first friend in the valley. She is my mothering friend. When our children were little we did a lot together. We talked through our mothering difficulties, shared things we'd found to stretch our incomes, and had several of our babies at the same time. She and her family have been so important in our lives. My younger children know her as their school counselor. She saw McKay through some rough spots in 2^nd grade. She's been there a lot for Harold as he went through hard things during his counseling years. Our visit was short that day, but behind it was a rich legacy of love.



That afternoon I went down to my neighbor and friend, Avery and sat on her porch one more time. We've spent many summer days in the shade of her porch. We've spent hopeful spring mornings there and mellow autumn afternoons. We've shared the stories of our lives, crisis of our faith and encouraged each other in our journey. Her children have been good friends to my children.

Friends are so important in my life.  Something happens when you are far from family.  Your friends become your family.  It's just what happens.  Leaving these friends feels like leaving family.  I'm so grateful for good friends and the blessing they and so many others in this valley have been in my life.