We now continue with the regularly scheduled program

To read the whole story about Bridger and his bone marrow transplant fundraiser click here or

here.

And now I need to continue my posts about my trip. Because this is what made my trip so fantastic!

I have the best friends in the whole world. I know you think yours are the best, but really, mine are better. And if you are reading this, you are probably one of my friends so you will agree that we are the best... EVER!!

First there are these guys:

(front) Jen, Vonda, Barb, Linda, Steph, (back) Sherie, me, Sharon, Liz

We are at Idle Ilse, home of the best food, and an awesome waiter named Spencer. We gave him Stephanie's daughter's number because we all loved this guy so much he needs to be part of someone family that we know. I had been running about 15 minutes late coming through a blizzard in Sardine Canyon, so when I walked in everyone was there at "our" table. And I burst into tears as Sharon rushed up to wrap me in a tight Welcome Home hug. I knew I was happy to see my peeps but wow! I don't usually cry. But this was home. They are home for me.

Then came this.

Sherie, Sharon, Me, Liz, Vicki, and Ruth

WICKED!! I know you have all heard how awesome it was. But seriously, take it from a very discerning critic. It was fabulous. Simple props, simple costumes. simply an amazing well put together plot that for the first time ever has me saying "It was better than the book." Seriously, when does anyone ever say that?

I got a great surprise when Naomi brought Chris with her to pick me up at the airport. Naomi's kids are a handful, as anyone in Perry can attest to, but the countless hours they spent at my house were such a joy to our family. Her daughter Stephie made a shirt for Olivia as a going away present all by herself on the sewing machine, and sent a 12x12 scrapbook page home with me of a cute picture of Olivia this trip. After 6 months of unemployment, her husband got a job in Cincinnati. Sadly, they will be gone by the time I get back to UT. We will miss you guys so much!!! Between Naomi and Chris I do not think there is a vegetable they can't can, a garden they can't grow, and challenges they can't face. With a disabled son, I have seen Chris go to super human lengths to find the best doctors, food, and care for her child. Truly Chris is an example to me.

And I got to see my peeps at USU. In honor of LMFD , Della, Kristy, and Kim are dubbed LMFB (Little Miss Fish Bowl) in honor of the glass cube our office is located in. These gals are so fun and little does the management know that it is all the LMFB's who run that place and if we ever got an inkling to make life heck for the administration (and consequently get fired) we could.

And then I have these two girls in my corner:

Ranae is my friend from the good ole days in New York. She moved to my ward when we were like 12 or 13. We were in different High schools but did a ton together. Oh the stories we could share. But since our parents read this (and are on Facebook) there is no safe place for confession! You will have to just use your imagination and don't hold back! Whenever I hear the song "No Rain," by Blind Melon I think of running around in Ranae's little silver wagon and me crushing my fingers in the sun roof to see if it would really hurt. Together we have lived in NY, then I spent a summer in TX after she had left all her friends to entertain me, and then UT twice. I haven't quite got her convinced to come to Alaska, but the way our lives have always crossed I wouldn't be surprised.

Tonya is another friend from way back. College days at least. When she was single and I was married with Carter as a pre-schooler, she would ask JaDee if I could play. We lived in the newly remodeled HO house that was now suitable for families, not single guys who liked to jump off their roof. Tonya took me to parties in Provo in the garages of apartment buildings where the music could rock and the cops couldn't hear to enforce the 11 PM noise ordinance. Now with 7 kids between us we get our kicks out of Fogurt and Nordstrom Rack.

And definitly not least is Kristy. She came with the Moncurs as EmRee's best friend. We have lunched in Beaver Creek CO and know the drive to Lovell is not for the faint hearted. Kristy remembers the days when every boy had a shotgun in his pickup at the high school in case something ran across the road on the drive home that needed shootin'. At least that is why JaDee says they were there (he also says there was no way anyone would try to shoot up their school because EVERYONE would run to their trucks and take care of it all before the cops could even back their cruisers out). Anyway, Kristy is helping me spread the word to all the Lovell-ites about Bridger, because she loves him too!

So while I am not officially counting down the days to move back, I am thinking about all of you who keep me going, even from so far away. When I was really down in the dumps after we first got here it was all of you who sent me messages and phone calls full of words of encouragement reminding me of who I am and what I am capable of . YOU GUYS ROCK!!!