Friends

I am lucky enough to be in two great circles. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Military.

They are both very uniting groups.  

Whenever you talk to someone from our church you will find that you usually know someone who served their mission in the same place as someone you know, or grew up in a ward you visited once, went to BYU when you did, lived in the same apartments or dorms you did, and the list could go on and on.  

The same is true with the military.  Your husband went to basic at the same place as their husband, you have been stationed here or there or WANT to be stationed here or there and they already have been, so instant connections are made.

It is quite fun when you combine both someone from church and the military.  

That is the case with my friend Ariel.  She and I were in the same ward in Sierra Vista, AZ while our husbands were stationed at FT. Huachuca in 2007.  Through blogs and email we have kept in contact.  We interacted each week at our ward's playgroup at parks on base.  I have never been involved in such a great playgroup as the one at FT. Huachuca.  So many people came!  It was so great to learn from so many wonderful LDS and/or military spouses.

Well yesterday she called to come over for a visit because she is here in UT for a family reunion!  

We let the kids play, we chatted, had snacks, 

 she bought everyone an IN-N-OUT picnic lunch, 

 we went to the Monte L. Bean Museum at BYU.  

 I told her it was the BEAN museum and she asked if it had "beanie babies?"  She also told me some pretty exciting news yesterday.  They just might be headed to NPS after her husband's current deployment.  I am so thrilled!  NPS (Naval Postgraduate School) is in Monterey!

I feel blessed to be a part of both the military and the LDS church.