Grateful for Friends

As we near the end of Andrew's schooling, I have been thinking about leaving my second home, Utah.  I first came to live here in the fall of 2000.  Throughout these years I have had siblings down here during 3 of those years, and I have had cousins around here and there too.  It was really hard to be away from my home and family, especially in the beginning of my college life, and when I didn't have family here.  However, during those tricky, "growing" times, I found wonderful friends.  I have great relationships and stay in contact with freshman friends, el. ed. cohorts, roommates, neighbors, colleagues from work, and people from church from various wards.  I am blessed with great friends. Often times I feel that my friends know me better than my own family, and I feel that is true since it is during the college years and after that I really "found" myself and developed into the person I am now.  I am different than I was in high school, as most people are, but we often don't live with our families during our 'mature' stages.  :]  I hope this doesn't sound negative toward my family; I love my family. Just saying that I love my friends too!!