BFF

i know you guys are probably waiting for me to share all the loot i won in sewmamasew's giveaway day - but i didn't. win. anything.  i'm not sure that's ever happened!  but hopefully that means some of you were super lucky and have some great mail coming to you!

the cookie exchange was awesome - lots (and lots) of yummy cookies! 18 x 9 dozen = a boatload.

joy is a great hostess - she got us all insulated coffee cups and had a hot chocolate bar (with marshmallow vodka to spike it with!)  she rented out a room at the visitor's center so there was plenty of parking and enough room for everyone.  there were 18 participants this year - the most ever!

i met joy about 11 years ago, and we love to tell our story, so i'm going to share it with you!  troy and i had gotten engaged and i was planning our wedding.  we lived almost 4 hours from the church, so everything was long distance - we still had dial up internet, and no facebook or pinterest to help us back then!  heck, i didn't even have a cell phone yet.  when the lady i wanted to make my cake wasn't available, i decided to take a class at hobby lobby and make our cake myself.  a gal i worked with signed up too, and brought her sister.

and there was one more girl in the class.  her name was joy.  and i was envious right off the bat, because her husband, rebel, (coolest name ever) had made her a cake board out of wood and i was all "man, i wish troy would do that for me..."  she and i sat next to each other, and while we were trying to make roses out of peach frosting, she leaned over and whispered "mine looks like a little penis!"  and a friendship was born.

strangely enough, it turned out that we already knew "of" each other - we had mutual friends, went to the same university and she had even met troy before!  then we both moved away, still within an hour of each other.  a few years later, we both moved again - still within 20 minutes though.  she is always planning fun events for all us girls - she started a monthly bunco club, and the cookie exchange.

joy is also the one who talked me into taking a knitting class with her - even though i'd tried to learn several times and was convinced i couldn't do it.  so we met in lawrence every week and knitted washcloths.  and then she talked me into taking the next class, where we tried to make socks - my one sock is still half done, still on the needles!  someday, right?  and i'm so glad she made me go - i love to knit now!

she is one of my only crafty friends, and even though we both have kids now and not much time to get together, i can always count on her for a good phone convo, and a great cookie exchange. she also has two of the prettiest little girls and is my own fashion stylist- she dressed me for my 20 year reunion last summer, sharing her cutest clothes and jewelry.

i love you JOY!!  thanks for being a great friend!