When Ashley came to visit!

One of my good friends, Ashley came to town this week. She's getting ready to have a baby boy of her own in September and it was a joy getting to see her and her adorable baby belly! Every time she comes out to visit, things are always so chaotic and busy, that we rarely get the time to coordinate a definitive plan. But this time, we finally did! So, Brian, baby boy, and I met her and the Graf family at the Sandy Amphitheater to watch the Utah Symphony. We sat on the large, open lawn on our blankets while we listened to the beautiful music accompanied by a very funny music conductor, talked, ate snacks, and snuggled with Brody bear, of course! :-)

Oh, and did I mention I get to see her again at her baby shower this Saturday!? I'm so excited for her and her husband, Matt to start their family. This is something they have wanted for a long time and what an incredibly loved little boy he is already.

*As a side note to this post... almost every time Ashley and I do get to visit when she's in town, we are so busy catching up that we forget to take pictures, even though we both bring our cameras with us! So, this time, I made sure we took one BEFORE all the scattering of our brains and endless hours of chatting!

I'm so grateful for Ashley in my life. She's one of those friends I want to call whenever I need to talk or share exciting news. She's been there for me through all my struggles and bad decisions and she watched me mature from her high school cheer mate to a loving wife and mother. And, I got to do the same for her. She helped me and supported me through my own, personal conversion process. In fact, she and her family have been one the most spiritual influences throughout my life. She is a wonderful person, someone I absolutely look up to. She has achieved so much in life already and is a huge example to me and all those around her.

Thanks for being one of my best friends, Ashley. I am so happy for you and your little family!