It's a little cruel, don't you think, to finally be within 2.5 hours of my best friend, only to have her move 6 months later. Lame! But, considering the fact that her hubby is in the air force and their lives could take them anywhere, I am grateful that we even had that much time.
Ryan was able to get off work a few hours early on Friday to make our travel time better. We arrived sometime after 5. Nicia had prepared a delicious meal of chicken Cesar salad. I love that stuff. I brought down some home made salsa I had made the day before. Thankfully it wasn't as scorching as my last batch, but still good.
For whatever reason, Pierscen had a really hard time going to bed that night. He just cried and cried and cried. Ryan volunteered to take care of him while I played Snorta with Nicia and Joe. Seriously, Snorta has got to be one of the best games ever. My sister-in-law gave it to us for Christmas a few years ago (or maybe it was my birthday...pretty sure Christmas). Anyway, it has become a family favorite. In fact, I wanted to get it for Necia and Bill for Christmas this year, but to my dismay, I learned that they have stopped producing it. Why?!?! They still had some copies on Ebay and a few online shopping spots, but it was really pricey. I told Nicia about my dilemma (trying to come up with an alternative present) and she jumped online and found Snorta going for about $27 on Ebay. That is an excellent price. However, for whatever reason, I didn't jump online when she told me to, and thus missed out on a great deal. Funny thing though - Nicia decided, even though she had never played the game, that she would just go ahead and bid for it for me. If she won, then I could either pay her for it, or she could keep it for herself. She didn't tell me about this until after the fact, but it turned out she won! $27. Fantastic! After she told me about it, in my muddled brain, I ended up getting Necia a different game. So I told her it was up to her - she could keep it, or I could return the one I got and buy Snorta off her. She decided to keep it and I can guarantee you after an evening playing it, she has no regrets. :)
Let me just say, it is a really fun game regardless, but when you are "old" and exhausted like us, it is 10x funnier. The three of us were dying! After the first round, I went down to trade Ryan and let him go play, but he kindly refused saying that "this is the last time you are going to see Nicia, like ever." Wow! Sad day! A little on the dramatic side, but hey! I was really touched by his thoughtfulness to let me spend that time with her.
Pierscen eventually gave up and so did the adults at the awful hour of 10 pm. How did we stay up so late? Haha. What old foggy parents we are now. :)
Little P did decide to wake up literally the moment we climbed in bed, but after holding him for a moment, he decided that all was not bad in the world and went back to sleep.
The next morning we went to their ward's Christmas breakfast. That was awesome. I am always down for free food. :) Santa Claus made a showing and all the kids were thrilled. Well, when I say "all" I mostly mean all the other kids. Alyssa was happy about it. Logan, not so much. Before we went to the church he was having an argument with Joe about how Santa is "bad." Thankfully, he did not cry when they took him up for a picture. I don't think he sat on Santa's lap, but he didn't cry. Pierscen could care less. He just liked the Christmas tree.
Since we didn't have anything "planned" Nicia and I ran some errands while the boys worked on taking down the TV and a few things to prepare for the movers to come. One of our errands was hitting up a firework stand. Ryan and I decided to get Necia and Bill Wyoming fireworks for Christmas. Genius, right? However, when we went to Utah over Thanksgiving, we passed through Evanston too late. Then on the way back we just didn't stop. I still don't know why. When I realized we were going to Cheyenne, I thought, Hey! Fireworks! Nicia and I were a little bewildered that the boys sent us two GIRLS to buy the fireworks. I will admit, I know nothing about them. Neither does Nicia. Thankfully the lady selling them was pretty helpful. All fireworks should have a picture on the box showing what they do. Just saying.
Before we went, Ryan told me to make sure to ask for special deals and to barter. He told me that buying fireworks is like buying stuff in Mexico. They make up the prices as they go. I didn't believe him, but he was totally right. Nicia was more brave than I was and pushed this a bit and sure enough, the lady said she just does what she wants and that she is willing to make deals to make us happy. She even threw in a pack of "grasshoppers" as a military discount. Thanks Nicia!
When we got back to the house, the boys of course wanted to see what the grasshoppers did. They are kind of like firecrackers, but they way they are packaged, they literally jump and hop all over the place like a grasshopper. Aptly named. :) And, I would just like to add, the boys were impressed with our purchases and the prices at which we got them.
Unfortunately, we didn't have much time left after that. We wanted to be able to get home and get Pierscen to bed at his normal bedtime so we wouldn't have another rough night with him. We had lunch and after cleaning up, we sat around and talked for a while. Without warning it hit me like a ton of bricks the awful reality that we were facing. Nicia was actually moving! Before I could stop it, I was crying and so was Nicia. Thankfully the boys were in the other room and didn't see our cry fest.
I feel so incredibly blessed and lucky to have Nicia as my friend. I feel like we truly have something special. I know - gag- it's so cheesy and awkwardly romantic. But I mean it. (In the non-romantic way.) We met when we were 12. Both of us can tell you what that meeting was like. We were sitting in church and made eye contact. Instantly it felt like we knew each other. Later we tried to come up with any way in which our paths might have crossed, but we never figured it out. The only answer is that we must have known each other before this life. We were best friends instantly. Sure, it took me a few days to work up the courage to just ask for their phone number instead of riding my bike to her house each day to see if she could play, but that was the only real hiccup. That and a silly phase where Nicia thought I wouldn't want to be her friend because she kept breaking everything in my room. Hahahaha. It's hilarious and true. I didn't care about that stuff, but it was really funny that it kept happening.
Anyway, we saw each other through just about everything over the next few years. My only regret was during the time that I started dating Ryan, I feel like I lost some perspective for a while. You know how it is. During those teenage years, the boyfriend is all that matters. And though I feel like that time with Ryan was really important - obviously - I wish I had not allowed Nicia and I to drift apart during that time. I mean we were still best friends, but since I was always with Ryan, she gained new friends and the next year or two we weren't as close. I kick myself a lot for that.
However, Heavenly Father is merciful and blessed me with a forgiving friend. Even though this move to North Dakota will be their fifth - wait, is that right? New Mexico, Texas, California, Wyoming... was there another one in there? Anyway, with all of those moves, we have stayed really close. We call each other all the time and in those precious moments where we actually get to see each other, you would never know we had ever been apart.
Family is everything. I understand that. Nicia and I will support our men no matter what, or where it will take us. But we have already decided that when their "duty" is done, we get to pick the retirement place, and you better believe that we will be living right next door to each other. Joe and Ryan get along well so I don't think they will complain, but even if they hated each other, you know what? They could just be two grouchy old men. Ha!
I had a cheesy, but "profound" thought during this last little romp to Cheyenne. We went down on Dec 21st, the day the world was "supposed" to end. I thought to myself - hey - if the world is going to end, at least I am with my hubby, my baby, and my best friend. It would be a good way to go. :)
They have only officially been gone for a few days, but it's strange how incredibly lonely and isolated I feel just knowing that she is gone. In the few months we were actually living in the same state, I think we only met up about 6 times, but the knowledge that she was just a couple hours away was a lot.
I know this is horribly sentimental and if anyone is still reading, I am sorry, I guess. But I'm not. I feel it would be a disservice to not acknowledge how much her friendship means. And though I have struggled with the purpose of my blog over the last little bit, I have just recently started the process of printing off my blog as it really is my only journal. So it's not for you few readers out there. It's for me.
I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed me with such an incredible friend and sister. And Pierscen is pretty lucky to have such awesome "cousins" and an "aunt." Alyssa is an amazing big sister. She was so cute with Pierscen. Logan was hilarious with Dodger. And Nicia sent Pierscen home with an amazing birthday present and HUGE bag of board books and clothes for the little man. SWEET!!!
And the tears are flowing. I love you!! You seriously are my best friend. And I miss you terribly. :(
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