I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!

Honestly, my life has been CRAZY since I last posted!!
I have some of the best friends.  Kylee and Aubree Ward, Katie Larsen, and Abby Rosengern are my buddies!  We met online at LEA (a homeschool online academy), and then instantly hooked when we learned that we all loved to write!  (I'll post some of their stories soon--maybe with their consent.  ;) )

Well, Kylee and Aubree's mom Tammy--she's supremely awesome!--does a Mother Daughter Retreat every year in Utah.  Since I live clear across the country in NC, I didn't except to go.

I was dead wrong.

On Tuesday April 28th--my last post, mind you!--they skyped me and said they bought tickets for me to come out and see them for the week.  IT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND AMAZING!!!!!!!!!  LOVE YOU GUYS!!!  I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A NOVEL!!!!!!

Anyway, in less than twelve hours after finding out I was on an airplane, and at 4 o'clock in the morning my time my aunt Torrey picked me up at the Salt Lake airport.  I slept a bit, and then we went out to lunch, and then drove for about an hour up to...somewhere.  I think Ogden.

There, Katie Jo picked me up!!  I had never seen any of these girls face to face, but we must have got on fine since I had only known her an hour when I nearly choked to death (she made my laugh while I was drinking water because I was taller than her, thus I nearly died after being away from home less than 24 hours).

I slept at her house that night....guys, she lives in the WILD!!!  Not really, but she practically lives in the mountains with horses, chickens, cats, and falcons that her dad tames!  No joke!
This is the view from her atop her chicken coop.  That night we danced on the roof screaming to One Direction and talking about boys and kisses at sunset!

The next day at noon I finally met Abby for the first time!  It is the strangest thing meeting people you have never seen before but knowing them so well....  ;)

At 2 we drove to...somewhere.  It was gorgeous!  Look here and seriously check it out!  http://hopehavenevents.blogspot.com/2013/03/featured-event-moms-renewal-retreat.html

This was at the resort we stayed at!  There I met Kylee and mistook Aubree for her little sister Braxee...knew the face, just said the name wrong, blah!  :)  I made lots of new friends with the same standards as me as well!

It lasted from Thursday to Saturday night.  Saturday night was sad since I said goodbye to Abby and Katie.  I don't know when I'll see them again, but I made some of my best memories!

I spent the night at Sister Ward's house (I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and we call everyone either Brother or Sister with their last name), with Kylee and Aubree!  I went to church the next day with them, took a lovely nap, and when I woke up I had dinner and then Brother Ward and Kylee drove me to the Salt Lake City Airport.  In the car, we talked about boys, and temples, and boys, mainly about Preston though.  ;)

On the airplane I sat with someone one from church, which was crazy!  I also sat with her on the plane ride there!  The flight left at midnight I believe.  Hugging my little One Direction pillow which Katie bought for me and begged me to bring, I was zonked after thirty minutes into the flight, and when I woke up my neck hurt, it was 3 in the morning, and my pillow case was covered in my drool.  Hmm.  I sat next to a boy named Peter about my age, and we made small talk, but we were both exhausted.  Quite the gentlemen, and I feel sorry for him since he's going to Boston for his grandfather's funeral.  I asked about the Boston Marathon and he says his uncles are police officers and were going through people's homes trying to find the murderers.

I fell back asleep, and suddenly we were landing.  I LOVE AIRPLANES!!!  It was AWESOME to see all the trees as well!  Sister Fairbern took me home, but not before I took a deep breath of the clean air.  Of course it was raining and was all gray, with the huge, brilliant green trees against the morning sky.  Spring had come at last.

I got home at about seven in the morning Eastern time on Monday, and I 'stayed up' another hour talking to my siblings and watching movie trailers before I finally took a quick little nap.

And THAT, was my awesome adventure.  I think it's safe to say I have some of the BEST friends in the world.  Love you guys!  <3

-Madeline