The Doctor's Report....: Trouble and Double Trouble

We met when we were 13 going on 14....at a church swim party. She had just moved to Arkansas from Texas. She went to school in the LR district; I went to school in Pulaski County. She lived in a very nice subdivision; I lived in the country. At the time the only thing we had in common was the fact that we went to the same church. We hit it off from the very beginning and became fast best friends. We were always together and always up to something. One Sunday we walked into our building together and a dear sweet man was standing at the end of the hall as we came down. He shook his head and smiled at us then said, "Here comes trouble and double trouble." I will let you guess as to who is trouble and who is double trouble!!!
We spent the next four years doing everything together; planning our dates together; what we would wear to the next dance; getting our driver's license; planning our 1st semester at BYU; and just planning our lives out. We shared everything -- laughter and tears; celebrations and heartbreaks; if you saw one you saw the other -- we were always together.

Michele and Connie
ready for a 50's church dance

If you drew a line in the sand, we always crossed it, but not so far that we couldn't get back (we both have daughters who would never try to cross the line -- we laugh about this). We were adventurous; we were inquisitive; and most of all we thought we could conquer the world just because we were us.

Gone with the Wind spoof
during intermission at a church dance

She was there for me when my dad was severely hurt in a motocycle accident; she was my friend when I couldn't spend money at the mall but she could; she was my sewing buddy as we planned our outfits for special times (dances, youth conferences, etc);   She was there for me as I cried my tears when my high school sweetheart dumped me during that 1st semester at BYU. I was there for her when relationships ended for her as well.    She was there with me as we celebrated my engagement and I with her as we celebrated her engagement. She was there with me when I felt the first kick of the sweet baby I was carrying and we celebrated with hugs and tears.

She was on her to the temple the day I got married, but didn't make it due to a minor accident. I was planning my trip to the temple when she got married, but didn't make it since that sweet baby I was carrying was trying to come too early.

She came to California and then to Arkansas to visit me. I went to Utah and later Texas to visit her.

She called me a couple of days after my sweet baby was born --- and we talked, cried, and celebrated even though there was a time difference and it was very late for me.     She later let me cry on her shoulder when my marriage fell apart. She cheered me on and then we celebrated the birth of her first child.

We raised our children with letters back and forth; then email back and forth; and a few visits between Arkansas and Texas.   We both ended up with older children and a much younger child. In fact our little boys are only 6 months apart and we share the joys of being an older mom and the trials that come with it. We watched our boys play together in a Texas backyard while we chatted about the universe and all that we wanted to accomplish and all that we did accomplish.

Our kids have asked us about our teen years but we don't tell. We could never tell that our church leader walked into the church kitchen one Wednesday evening to find us dancing.....on top of the kitchen counters....no, we won't tell that. Or, we won't share with them the time we locked a church leader out of her own car (while we were in it) and then the church leader actually climbed on top of said car....umm, maybe we will keep that one to ourselves; most likely we will never tell that after Sunday school and before Sacrament meeting, we would take my little Honda car and drive to Burns park for the afternoon. Not much to tell on this one, oh, except that I had a driver's license and she didn't; but I taught her to drive the 4 speed Honda while we spent the afternoon in Burns park....I think we need to keep that to ourselves.

No matter how many years go by before we see each other again, we pick right up and we are us again. Our friendship began 37 years ago and it is as strong today as it was back then.   We are trouble and double trouble.....we are us.

We were 2 southern belles.......