Rewind 10 years

Last week my wonderful friend Kathryn and her husband came for a visit. They were our very first friends when we moved to VA almost 11 years ago, and they moved away 8 years ago. It was so wonderful to have them here! I am so thankful for good friends.

The week before they arrived I had gone to Walmart and ran into 2 girls from my ward. They are young, student's wives, and each have a baby boy. As I talked to them for a minute and they commented on my FULL cart (compared to the very few items they had in the cart they were sharing!) I kept thinking that this was Kathryn and I ten years ago! We were young, each with a baby boy, we didn't have any money, we each only had one car that we took turns sharing with our husbands (we would take turns driving to our shopping destinations) and I can remember being at Walmart with Kathryn and we looked just like those 2 cute girls I saw that day!

Fast forward ten years, and Kathryn is visiting with her husband and baby daughter (named Hillary!!) and just like the old days we went shopping! Now we each have four kids and lots more experience under our belt, but things were still the same. And instead of buying our 99 cent tshirts at the Children's Place we were buying $3.99 shirts at Gymboree for our girls. We were really splurging! I love that about friends. You can be apart for years and years but when you are together again it feels like nothing has changed.

A New Beginning

I have decided to start blogging. I gave a half-hearted attempt almost 2 years ago, but it didn't take. My only reason for doing this is that I NEED TO KEEP A RECORD OF OUR FAMILY. In my attempts to create a safe haven (thus, the blog title HILLARY'S HAVEN) for my family, there are many events, experiences, and feelings that need to be recorded in my efforts to create this haven. I used to be a faithful journal writer that kept copious details of my life. Over the years (and with each additional child) my journal writing has gradually diminished and has now vanished. I am hoping that a blog will change that, as it is much easier for me to sit down to the computer than it is to sit down with my journal and pen in hand.

I have also started a new hobby of decorating with "re-finished" treasures that I find at yard sales, thrift shops, dollar stores, Craigslist, etc. etc. that I can transform and make beautiful. It has been so much for me to discover this new hobby!! I seriously love it, and it gives me something to think about other than my failed potty training attempts (more on that later) and my endless loads of laundry.