FF: Jenni, my friend from home

Jenni at my 7th birthday party.

I was fortunate enough to grow up with several girls my age, one of whom was Jenni.

My 7th birthday party. Jenni is on the far right.

Jenni is funny, smart, kind and loyal. I love those things about her.

My earliest memory of Primary is of her answering questions about characters in the Book of Mormon. I was so impressed with how much she knew (and a little ashamed at how much I didn't know, but this about Jenni's wonderfulness and not my lack of).

With her creative forces, she could come up with the funniest things. One of my fondest memories is from high school when we attended a performance of Handel's Messiah together. In front of us sat a couple that had problems keeping their hands to themselves. We giggled through the performance, mimicking their affection. Naturally the next morning in seminary we took the time to sketch these two lovers, Jenni adding the funniest details. I have it somewhere in storage. Maybe I'll scan it sometime...

Also from seminary, she and I drew many pictures in a notebook we kept. I still have that notebook (again, in storage). We drew pictures of the girl who flossed in seminary, the guy who slept EVERY morning, and the love birds that sat in front of us.

Jenni (far left), Lindsay, Aslinn, Amy and me. At a "Snow Trip" (We Bay Area California people don't see snow ever, so once a year the young women and men go to the mountains especially to play in the snow. We're crazy like that.) we were the Bathroom Beauties, lipsynching to Motown hits dressed in our bathroom best.

Also, Jenni rarely said unkind things about other people, unlike me. She was such a good girl, doing what's right no matter what. She wasn't one who would cave in to peer pressure or make bad decisions just to look cool. When I sincerely wanted to do better, I would think about Jenni and what she would do.

I remember one St. Patrick's Day she came to church dressed in the cutest green button-down shirt, that she made! It was so well done and I was so impressed and proud and kind of jealous because none of my sewing projects ever looked so crisp as her green shirt. At that moment, I has a sewing epiphany: that if I really put as much effort as she put into her shirt, I could, maybe, make beautiful products just like Jenni.

Thankfully, this girl was in my ward and I was able to spend the bulk of my childhood learning from her. Thank you Jenni for being my friend then, and now. You're just awesome.

Jenni nowadays. I am a complete freak and stole this off her website.