Jen

There is something that is so comforting about an old friend - - the kind of friend who, although you may not see for years at a time, remains constant. Jen and I lived together for a year at the University of Maine - - I was renting an apartment with two other friends and we needed a fourth person, and that is where Jen came in. I knew of her from Gannett Hall, where I spent my freshman year, but that was about it. I vividly remember my first introduction to her, at our apartment on Crosby Street - - it was the morning after our first night at the apartment, and Jen appeared in the kitchen and proceeded to eat a very large piece of cake for breakfast. We had some good times that year, but in retrospect, I wouldn't say that we were overly close then. It seems we grew closer after college, and have remained so ever since. We have shared some unique adventures over the years - a road trip to New York City, biking on Islesboro, making a pilgrimage to the Late Show with David Letterman, & sharing the joys of the black and white cookie, to name just a few. Jen stood next to me on the day that I married Steve. It seems that she has always accepted me just as I am--good, bad, and otherwise. She is strong, she is humble, and she probably has the biggest heart of anyone I know. I treasure her, and feel blessed to call her my friend.

Yesterday, with the boys happily in the care of my parents, I drove to Jen's home, and then she and I proceeded on to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for a "girls night" out on the town. We had a beautiful room at the Hilton, sipped cocktails and ate fabulous food at The Green Monkey, and just had a chance to catch up. It is odd to think that I hadn't seen her in 2 1/2 years, because it seemed as though no time had passed at all. This morning we had breakfast at Stonewall Kitchen, and then each headed for home. We'll be getting our kids together on Thursday, and I'm so happy that I'll be seeing her again before heading back to Idaho on Friday.