Happy Birthday Julie!!

Today is Julie's birthday. Wait a minute. Maybe I better call her to make sure since her husband has me convinced that it's the 15th and not the 12th. On seveal occasions, I have called her on the 15th wishing her a happy birthday only to be told I was a few days late. It really is today. It says so on her facebook.
Julie and I were roommates at Snow College during a crazy first quarter living situation where we had nine roommates in our apartment in three rooms. Not pleasant. There was a fierce meeting within the first two weeks of living together, and it went downhill from there, so we met under some tense circumstances, but grew to love each other and became inseparable. My favorite memories of that first year are when I woke up from a nap and she was sitting on the bathroom floor crying with a washcloth and red nail polish all over the bathroom floor and toilet. She had broken a bottle of nail polish and was trying to clean it up. I don't think we tried nail polish remover, but the polish remained there after we left. Another is us taking our jogging class together. It may sound crazy that we took a class in jogging, but it was taught by Coach Tidwell who was well worth jogging behind. Why run in front of him, you couldn't admire his, um, physique.
The second year there, we were even more inseparable. We shared lots of great and not so great times, but lots of fun. She taught me to make her mom's waffles, which I made more often than I can remember. We had fun times with our Pine Tree boys and crazy night drives on the back of a pick up shooting rabbits and birds into dust. Julie was there for me when I was not accepted for nursing school (later recinded after WSU discovered their terrible mistake) which was the hardest thing I had suffered at that point in time. One of my favorite memories of Julie that year is when we all went to Dixie College for a basketball game and after the game went "hot tubbing" (I use that term lightly since it was maybe lukewarm at best) with our friends, Dave and Doug. Julie told us that to make the water feel warmer, we should get in the swimming pool and then get back in the hot tub. I didn't do it, but Dave and Doug jumped in the ran back in the pool, but not Julie. She swam a lap in that freezing water, practically yelping the whole time, then got back in.
After college, of course we still kept in touch, not the same as living together, but still bonded forever. I was so happy for her when her and Adam were getting married, but I knew, this would change things forever. I didn't know how much I was effected by it until I was driving back to Weber with my dad and he accidentally smashed my fingers in the window, and I cried the whole 45 minute drive back, not because of the fingers, but my best friend now had her own eternal mate. I knew that things would not be the same and I would miss the closeness that we had.
Now Julie has her two beautiful little boys, who were blessed to come to their home. She's a fabulous wife and mother and I admire her immensely. Having her as one of my best friends make me a better person. Julie has shaped me into who I am today. Without her, I wouldn't be the same. She is understanding, caring, a great cook, fun and adventurous. I love her with my whole heart and I am so blessed to have her. Love ya, Julie!!