Heather and I at my birthday I always loved her rainbow shirt

The Greatest Gift

There are a couple hings in my life that I feel have been freebies for me. I feel I have not done anything to deserve them, but have been given great gifts. Being able to live in so many different states and meet such wonderful people, Jeff marrying me... oh man was I lucky ... and having Heather, as a best friend!
Today is her birthday... Happy Birthday my friend!
I wonder if kids get to have best friends like this anymore, people move more and with cell phones, text messaging and email, I wonder if kids get to develop great friendships based on spending time together vs electronically communicating (that is another whole post) So whatever the case my be I still feel like the luckiest girl alive to have been blessed with her in my life. And I am sure my parents would say the same thing, they have always loved my friend Heather.
Heather moved to New Mexico in 4th grade she moved 7 houses down the street from me. She moved from VA and loved the Washington Redskins. I always wished my family had a favorite football team. That was their favorite football team, so it became mine too. (NM is not known for their professional sport teams)
It took me a few years to pull my head out of the sand and realize what a great friend she was to me and I am lucky that she was there waiting for me. I was not always that nice and let a lot of jealousy get in the way of embracing the best relationship a girl could ask for.
Heather and I used to make a lot of cakes together. She could make the butter cream icing better than anyone I know. One year we made a basketball cake for Matt Pennington's birthday because I had a crush on him.
Heather is brilliant. She graduated 2nd in our High School class and I barely graduated. She worked really hard. In 8th grade we both had the same class and had to do a career notebook that took a year to make. She got a A++++++ and I got a D-------. Our senior year we had a science class together. Heather and I sat at the same lab table. There were two to a table and you had to sit really close together. The teacher one day told me that she know I was the most honest person. She said Heather is right next to you getting 100% on each test and you are failing.
We worked on many student council projects, proms, and made many bubble letter posters at her house.
She is very strong in her faith which only helped me become stronger in mine. I remember one time I was having a really hard time on my mission and I called her on the phone. I thought she would be so excited to hear from me, the first thing she said was, "you are not supposed to be calling me" She helped me live my standards all growing up.
She has a beautiful curl to her dark hair, she has wonderful manicured nails that have been like since I met her in 4th grade, she can sing, dance, speak French, sew, has the most beautiful dimples you have ever seen, she is an optometrist, she is a great gift shopper, she remembers my birthdays, sends cards on my wedding anniversary, and I can honestly say she has never told a lie. She taught me the miracle of forgiveness because she practiced it with me many, many times. And now she is a Wonderful mother and expecting her third child next year.
I lived down the street from her for 8 years and have not lived around her for the past 17, but distance can't do anything to our friendship. I love her and am grateful that I was given this gift to have her love me.
Our senior year the movie Beaches came out. The guy that I was dating at the time took the two of us to see it together and all three of us sat in the front seat of his red SAAB. Heather and I just cried and cried. If I would ever say we had a song, this would have to be it. I was the crazy Bette Midler with 100 jobs and kept dying her hair and Heather was the beautiful girl who was practical and became a lawyer. We are a great match!

I love you Heather and Happy Birthday. Me, Eva and Heather Christmas after our first semester in college. 1989

I am going crazy this morning because I can't find my box with my high school scrapbook, I so many great photos but these were the only two I can find.