Dead Horses and Powdered Donuts

"We're gonna move?!"

I was thirteen and awkward, and scared to death of moving away from home sweet home on 900 W. Mountain View St. I had never really considered the fact that when your parents talk about moving, it actually means they want to move. I was devastated. Although our new house would have nicer facilities and more space, I still couldn't accept the fact that I would be leaving the place I had come to recognize as my social domain. I thought for sure I would be friendless. After all, who lived in Lehi? Hicks? Please, I was so above that!

Thankfully, my attitude would soon be altered by the efforts of a girl just down the street.

It was almost exactly seven years ago when Rachel Button visited me at my new house. I had just moved in, and was unpacking my room when she came knocking at my bedroom door, asking if I'd like to play.

"Sure!" I replied.

My response surprised me. Although Rachel and I had known each other in elementary school, we had never been "friends." According to her memory, I was stuck-up. And from what I could remember, she mostly followed along with the 'popular' crowd, which basically consisted of three girls and a large, exclusive possy of dedicated followers who would chatter like chicks following a mother hen. (For all you Franklin Firebirds, you know exactly which analogy I'm talking about.)
Anyway, by the time Rachel and I were finished with our elementary years, we moved on to junior high never predicting we would meet up again. But of course, life always leads us to places we usually don't expect.

I remember feeling awkward and excited the whole time we were hanging out. It was nice to know that this old acquaintance of mine and I could actually carry on a worthwhile conversation, but strange because I still didn't know much about her. I don't remember everything we discussed, except for one story she told me about a horse that had been sliced open and found dead in her windowsill several years previous. I thought for sure she was lying, or at least exaggerating, but traumatic as it sounds, I would later discover that the story was indeed true.

Since that night, Rachel and I have been on countless adventures. Our friendship mostly stemmed from our interest in horseback riding. Being from Lehi, Rachel was innately balanced and calm around animals, while I on the other hand, struggled tremendously to overcome fears of falling off and getting hurt. I guess that's how you could distinguish our two personalities. Rachel the daredevil and Katie the conservative. We would often have my dad take us on trail rides in the Arizona desert. On one particular occasion, I recall seeing Rachel at her messiest! Two words: powdered donuts. In a nut shell, Rachel bought some powdered donuts at the gas stop and by the time we reached our destination, it looked as though Rach had bathed herself in white sugar. The mess was all over the seats, all over her pants and all over her face! You can imagine the surprised look on mine and my dad's faces. "Wow, Rach...you like those powdered donuts, don't ya?" We've always gotten a good laugh from that story. And there are many stories like it: times when two girls were simply trying to figure life out while also attempting to conquer it for the most part.

So why post this random blog laced with nostalgia? Well, I guess you could say I'm being forced to give up another kindred spirit to the binding seals of eternal marriage. On August 27 Miss Rachel will no longer represent a Button, rather a Reidhead. (I'm still warming up to the name ;-) ) Anyway, this post is dedicated to you, Rach! Thanks for all the great memories! Who would have thought that dead horses and powdered donuts could make a friendship last so long? I certainly didn't...but I guess that's the best part, learning to expect the unexpected! I'll never forget all those afternoons full of baking cookies (well, me watching Rachel bake cookies), Sunday dinners, pool nights, sand volleyball, midnight walks, helping me find my keys, Ranch trips, trail rides, boyfriends/crushes....everything. What can I say? It's been a great 7 years! Thanks for saving me from unpacking that one night oh so long ago....