I have this friend. I've known her longer than anyone else in my adult life. We started out as roommates my freshman year at BYU, and we quickly became besties for life!

When we were in Utah the girls and I stayed with her and her family. She is the dark haired beauty on the end, sitting by her dark haired beautiful daughter!

Well Sarah, I wish you had been with me today. Not for the first time. But when I ran into the Cadillac Escalade in the gym parking lot, ruining the guys hitch cover, you could have talked to him while I cried in a corner.

As it was, I cried the ugly, sobbing cry while I tried to write down my information.

It's funny how having another grown up with you can make it better when you aren't feeling especially grown up, you know?

I tend to have really strong women for friends. Meaning, stronger than me. I'm morally strong, I make good strong decisions. But when it comes to mini emergencies where I feel like an idiot, not so much.

The best would be to have Jeff with me 24/7, to protect me from feeling sad. But he has to work, darn him. So my sister, or a friend would have been nice today.

I hope you all have someone you can rely on, that is there when you don't feel strong, but instead want to curl up in a ball and suck your thumb, you know?

10 students and counting

The grandkids with grandma after the recital.

When we first moved into this house, I did not have a piano. I wanted a piano so that my kids could take the piano lessons I so desperately wanted them to take.

But not having a piano gave me an excuse, because I knew I didn't have the money to pay for lessons for 4 kids.

Then the first little bit of awesomeness happened. My aunt Cathy(my mom's sister) told me that she wasn't using her piano so I could have it.

And this wasn't some broken, run down thing in need of a makeover and a good tuning. This was/is a NICE piano.

Then she made the brilliant suggestion that I get my mom to teach the kids piano. She was a music teacher and a piano teacher years ago, so why not?

Well, I asked, and she said yes. A happy yes. Not a "sure I will since I feel guilty saying no" yes.

So piano lessons began. Free piano lessons where she and my dad drive an hour to my house every week. Do I have it good or what? Or better yet, do my kids have it good or what?

And I'm not the only one who's lucky. She teaches my brother and sister's children as well.

And it was so fun to watch them all perform their recital pieces. My two oldest children now play the piano better than I do. Like, waaay better.

But I know that if I wanted lessons too, I would just have to ask and I'm pretty sure she would say yes.