As We Sat Beneath the Willow Tree...

Waaaaaay back in kindergarten I met a girl named Vienna.

At least I'd assume we met in kindergarten, but I don't actually remember it clearly. My first clear recollection of her doesn't come until second grade. We were both in the same class and we sat at the same table. The teachers just announced that boys and girls would be paired off and would learn a couple's dance. I was completely mortified. They wanted me to dance with a boy? Gross.

But, I did have one friend that was a boy, that I really wanted to be my partner. They let us choose our partners, but I was too shy to even attempt asking him. Thus, I was both insanely embarrassed and very grateful when Vienna piped up and said, "Hey Kenny, you and Karissa should be partners!"
Ok, so I don't remember the exact words, but you get the picture.

Oh, if only I would have known then of the adventures we'd have in years to come. I could have never known that we would attend ever single year of school together (kindergarten all the way up to graduating from USU). I had no idea of the great friendship that would come. In fact, I don't even remember a whole lot about her from our elementary school days, just bits and peices here and there. I remember she was super tall. I remember that in the later elementary school years I was jealous of her butterfly shirts and accessories. That's really about it.

Fast forward to middle school. That is when our friendship really started to grow. I don't even recall how it happened. I think I started eating lunch with Cameo, who ate lunch with Vienna. Or maybe I started eating lunch with our mutual friend Ariel, who also sat with Vienna. I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure it's because we started eating lunch together. And maybe gym class? That and a whole lot of MSN messenger. I  wish I could remember more (she probably remembers because she has the best memory of all time). All I know is that it happened and we stuck together through the middle school years, high school, and college.

I have a hunch though, that part of what really bonded us was our strangely parallel lives. Please observe:

• We were born just a few days shy of a month apart. I don't know if that really counts, but I feel like it does. We were both winter babies. That's gotta mean something, right? We wer both on the olderish end of the people in our grade and we learned how to drive together, we were allowed to date at the same time, etc.
• We liked the same boy in Middle School. that usually tears girlfirends apart, right? But, it didn't for us. I think it was because he wasn't really interested in either of us, (though I think he took quite a fancy to Vienna at the end of high school...haha) so we talked and gushed about him pretty much all of the time and we never reached that crossroad of one of stealing him from the other.
• In high school we liked two different boys, but our relationships to those boys were uncannily similar. It's kind of hard to explain what I mean, but just trust me on this one. They were both those kind of relationships where you like the boy so much, but they are also your greatest challenge in life, ya know?
• Freshman year of college we both got our first boyfriend. Both of these boys left on a mission. We both sort of did the waiting for them thing, but then we both decided not to wait while said boys were still on their missions.
• The summer after our Sophomore year of college I met Jayson, who just so happened to be friends with Vienna's husband Rob. We set them up, and thus our second date became their first date. 5 1/2 short months later we got married a day apart from eachother, Jayson and I on the 18th of December, Rob and Vienna on the 19th.
• We also graduated from USU on the same day. I guess this is not that shocking or strange, since we are the same age and we both finished in the standard four years, but it seems like a lot of people don't finish in the standard four years anymore, so I thought it was pretty awesome.

Vienna and I have also had some amazing times together.

• Youth Conference when we were in middle school. Vienna was the only one her age in her ward, so they let her bring a friend. It was a rockin good time.
• That time when my bracelet broke in French class and scattered VERY LOUDLY all over the floor, past the door and into the hallway and not a soul noticed but us.
• When we played baseball with our French books, in French class
• Pretty much just French class all around
• When she introduced me to Death Cab, for which I will always be grateful.
• Our first Death Cab concert
• Driving home together from working at the Desert Star. She's always inspired the crazy in me on those drives.
• Ogden lunches
• Cross Country running/singing of Disney songs/Best summer of my life spent with her and our friend Marni
• Many many many Jamba and Cold Stone nights
• Watching A Cinderella Story on Prom night
• Driving to California together

...to name a few. A very few.

Vienna is the classiest person I know. She's hilarious. She's brilliant. She's gorgeous. She's kind. She's super crafty. She's passionate. She's an AMAZING story teller (seriously, like the next Jim Dale good). The way she explains things and the way she talks about things that she loves is contagious and it makes you want to love those things too. She's fantastic friend. I just love her.

But, do you want to know my very very very favorite thing about her/memories with her?
Talking to her. Seriously, she's like the easiest person to talk to. I absolutely adore talking to and being with this girl. I do not stay up all night. I just don't. I've never ever pulled an all nighter doing homework. The times I've stayed up all night are far and few between and do you know what was the cause of every single one of them? Talking to Vienna. Though we hated life in the morning (and the whole next day, really), those late night talks were the absolute very best.

She truly is one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world.

I know, there are significantly less pictures than you'd think for how long we've been friends, right? Well, let me tell you a secret. Despite the fact that we are both pretty attractive people, (I think so anyway) we are notorious for taking really ugly pictures together.

It's so surreal to think of the crazy times we've had and then to realize that in about a month she'll be having a baby. Surreal, but wonderful. I'm so insanely excited for her. She is really going to an AMAZING mom, like seriously amazing. Little Magnolia will be so well loved, educated, and nurtured. You should see how excited she is, it's fantastic.

Baby Nolie, you're one lucky girl.

Nennie,
LOL