I first met my good friend, Kirsty, in August of 2000 when I started my first teaching job at Egling Middle School in Colusa, California. The first words she said to me were, "Hi, I'm Kirsty...like thirsty with a K." From that first moment I knew that I had met a woman who would share her heart and mind no matter what. Kirsty and I weren't extremely close my first year of teaching but by my second year I had joined her carpool and we became sounding boards for each other on the 50-mile drive home each day. There's a lot to be said for having someone to share in the drudgery, frustration, and overall chaos that comes from teaching seventh graders each day. Our daily rants were the perfect way to put work behind us so we could enjoy our evenings at home. When I entered the Chico to Colusa car pool, Kirsty's daughter Jemma was just coming up on her second birthday. She was always so patient being buckled into her car seat for the travels to and from Colusa. I spent three years watching Jemma grow and become a very funny little girl who could keep us all laughing.
It's been quite a while since I last saw Kirsty.....March 2008 to be exact. Sam was a mere three months old and Ben was not even two yet! So it was quite a treat to see not only Kirsty but her husband Jeff and Jemma yesterday.
Kirsty and Jeff are the same as ever and I love how despite months of not seeing each other, we can easily pick up right where we left off. My friendship with Kirsty is so easy and uncomplicated. The one who has changed the most is Jemma who is now almost ten! And she's nearly as tall as I am....I know that's not saying much considering my short stature but still - she's tall!
So, yesterday afternoon, the boys and I took the Ochs family to the beach with us where the kids dug holes in the sand, waded in the water, and had fun in general. Kirsty and I mainly stood by the kids and visited. After a long weekend of cycling events, Jeff found a rock out in the water and lounged while the little fish swam around him. After a couple of hours in the sun and sand we picked up Brian and we all had pizza together.
I know that Jemma made an impact on Ben because the first thing he said while eating his breakfast this morning was, "Are we going to see Jemma today?" When I told him no he replied in a very whiny voice, "But I just wanted to see Jemma again today."
Tomorrow evening, my other Colusa counterpart, Maite, will be arriving in town to join Kirsty and I for a concert in South Lake. But, that's another blog post altogether.
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