Let Me Tell You About My Best Friend...

This is Janice and she is my best friend. We are as different as night and day and we are the same as two peas in a pod.

She is short and I am tall. She grew up on a farm in Kansas; I grew up all over Colorado. She is the oldest girl in her family; I am the baby of my family. She has lived numerous places around the country; I have always lived within 75 miles of where I was born. She has brown hair; I have blond. She is outgoing and can strike up a conversation with anyone; I am shy until I get to know people. She lets unimportant stuff roll of her back, I obsess about everything.

We both love to play in the dirt. We both sew (she is better than I am). We both bake (she makes perfectly round cookies). We both do crafts. We both became Lutherans through marriage. We both love to play games. We usually order the same things from a menu - with the same changes (please substitute fruit for tomatoes; grilled chicken, dressing on the side).

We say we were raised by the same mother. There are people who say we share a brain. Our names are usually said as it it was one "HelenandJanice". We never run out of things to talk about. We once drove 9 hours to Kansas talking the whole time and then stayed up until 1 am talking some more. We kept others at a retreat up because they could hear us laughing through the walls. We were called out at a Pampered Chef party because we were talking and laughing ("You need to pay attention to this- its important!").

She goes along with my crazy ideas, never complaining, never rolling her eyes, never saying "this is another fine mess you have gotten us into". She knows when I am down, she knows what to do and say to make things better. Or at least get my mind off it. She is a warm, caring, sweet, funny person who I am so lucky to call my friend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANICE!

Oh, by the way, did I mention she is older then me (by most calendars)? Six months and six days.