hanging out with my muddy buddies

Soooo lets talk about fall break. Even though most of us aren't in school anymore, (and fall break is nonexistent at the Y) it has morphed into somewhat of a tradition amongst the "muddy buddies." This year was a special treat because:
1. Sundance is GORGEOUS this time of year.
2. I think I ate the best homemade pizza EVER.
and 3. Even though we brought scary movies galore, we spent the entire weekend talking around the fireplace 'til the early hours of the morning. I don't think there is anything else I like more than the combination of all of the above.

(is this real life?!)

(watching them hike up stewart falls nearly gave me a heart attack)

(as Heaston would say, "Good day Brother Joseph")

I used to think that my group of friends would be friends forever - that somehow/someway life would take us all in the same direction, and we'd always be in touch and all of our relationships would remain the same. But boy was I wrong! Missions, marriages, moving different places, maturity, the passing of time and so on has changed us all. And I know well by now that friends come and go, things change, and life carries on - and that it's all a good thing. A very good thing. But with that being said, this is also why I consider it somewhat serendipitous (maybe even a tiny bit miraculous) that the few of us left have all stayed friends for nearly a decade (!!!) and counting.

I fell asleep one night this past weekend next to the fireplace while everyone stayed up late talking about all sorts of things, like the best restaurants we've ever been to and the blessings that come from fasting and prayer - and right before I fell asleep I made a mental note to say a quick thank-you-prayer because I realized that there is almost no greater blessing than to be surrounded by people who, as President Uchtdorf put it, "lift where they stand."

So life will keep on changing, and who knows where we'll be five years from now - but in a world where good friends are hard to come by, I count my lucky stars that I've had them for this long.