The Crewcation!

It's taken me a week, but I am finally chronicling the first biannual "Crewcation!"

My best friends growing up and I decided we needed a weekend away - just us, and no kids!

Okay, maybe 2 kids, but that was the limit!

Okay, 2 1/2 kids. But really that's all!

These girls got me through the tough years from, well, 2nd grade to now!

We played on the playground together, floated down the irrigation canal together, ran through sprinklers, mowed the lawn, slept on the trampoline, played in the rain, caught tadpoles, skinny-dipped, acted in plays, lifeguarded, learned to drive, kissed boys, swam on the swim team, and moved in together when we were old enough to leave home. Wendi and I met when we were seven years old and I moved into her neighborhood. We were inseparable after that. When we were in 5th grade, we met a new girl on the playground who had just moved to town (Natalie). We all made it through middle school together, and then we met Tara on the first day of junior high. She and I happened to have 6 out of 7 classes together. Merri didn't join us until our sophomore year of high school, and by then most of the fun had already been had.

HA! Just kidding. Anyone who knew me before age 21 knows that is not true.

Wendi, Merri, and I moved in together when I was 18 and had undoubtedly the best summer of my life.

Natalie would have probably joined us but some boy swept her off her feet and she married him.

After a rocky first year of college, I convinced Tara to transfer to BYU so we could live together, which we did for two years until we both married (the last ones of the "Crew"). And after that, we all scattered across the country. Wendi and I reunited for a few years in DC, where we enjoyed many play dates and adventures to the National Zoo, but other than that, none of us have really seen much of each other. We do talk daily, though, on a group facebook message. And that is a brief history of The Crew.

I read an article recently about ways to reduce stress and reconnect with your inner self or some other such nonsense. One of the suggestions was to reconnect with friends from long ago, because they have memories of you that no one else has. I am now a very strong believer in that logic. I have spent the last decade with my only identity being my "Mommy" one. I don't mean to sound cliche, but I had totally forgotten who I really was. These girls remembered, though - in fact, they ONLY know the old me and not so much the "mommy" me, so it was easy to slip back in our old roles. It was funny, actually, how we all did exactly that.

Our fantastic little travel buddies!

DC squirrels are not shy.

I found this doll of Harry S. Truman in the gift shop at the National Archives, and I had to send a picture to Kate. (He is her favorite president.) That's random, but he is from Independence, MO, and there is a museum there dedicated to his life and presidency, and his home as well, that Kate has visited. She just loves "Harry." So Natalie bought the doll for her! Now bedtime is especially awesome, with me calling down the stairs to Travis, "Hey, have you seen Harry S. Truman? Kate can't sleep..."

The DC temple!

Anyway, I could talk on and on about what a fabulous time we had and how therapeutic it was and how much our husbands and kids appreciate us now (...right?...) but that could be boring. We went to DC and it was awesome. Three of us had lived or currently lived in the area, so it was easy to get around. We also caught up with Adam, a friend of ours from junior high who lives in DC now. We saw the portrait museum together, and then he directed us to a cool little restaurant in Chinatown, where the noodles and dumplings were made fresh on site, and our orders were written down in Chinese!

We also visited my grandpa in Arlington!

Me and my nickel!
Okay fine, it was Natalie's nickel.

And of course watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

As soon as the ceremony ended, the heavens opened and the rain poured down. We (and the group of WWII veterans from Oregon, unfortunately) were drenched in seconds. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. The highlight of the trip for me, for sure!

[wet.]

It was pretty much the best trip ever, and one I can't wait to repeat! We're aiming for every two years. I'm thinking like maybe every... month? Probably?...

I love these amazing, fun, crazy, fantastic girls!!!