When I think of journeys, traveling and friendship are two things that come to mind. The journey can be long or short, but it’s the adventure that is meaningful. With friendships, they are a journey through time and also bring adventure and memories.
The kids and I have been reading The Little House on the Prairie books and watching the series.
Our oldest son Drew is interested in history, which prompted us to read and compare the TV show and book series. We went to a friend’s wedding recently and visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum which was in the area. While there, we visited the Rock House and the farmhouse they lived in. 
The boys were excited to see the real homes and artifacts. Everything is left the way it was after all of these years. The museum was quite remarkable with a timeline of events and artifacts such as Pa’s fiddle. The boys and I talk about the similarities and the differences between the series and books. It was interesting to hear about Laura’s journeys from our guide.
One of my friends in life’s journey is Kay. My friend Kay is a genuine person. She is one of the wonderful friends I truly admire. Kay is full of grace, is a devoted wife, a dedicated mother and lives life to the fullest. Kay and I’s friendship began in 2001 when I first started teaching. I was new to the town and knew three people. I was out of college and had a small rental home and was getting acclimated to my first teaching job and town. Prior to school starting, our group of teachers met together to introduce ourselves and plan our year. I still remember all of us sitting in a classroom and Kay
coming in with her three girls Crystal, Trisha and Kayla. Kay was bringing tomatoes into our meeting as they were out working in their garden prior, while wearing her stylish visor. At the first meeting, I knew Kay was a remarkable person. 
She was real and exhibited qualities I admired and strived to emulate. I was fortunate to teach with Kay for many years until her retirement. Even though years have passed, she has remained a constant friend. Her youngest daughter Kayla married this past weekend and we traveled to the wedding. It was great to reminisce and to visit. Sometimes I see similarities with Kay raising her girls those years ago, as I am now toting the boys around and am always working in the garden with my visor.
While at the Laura Wilder Home and Museum, I took some photos of the flowers and butterflies in the garden area. Photography, flowers and butterflies are some of my favorite things. I try to incorporate photos taken into our home. The colors of the flowers and being in nature was beautiful. They are a sign of life and beauty. “It is the sweet simple things in life which are the real ones after all.” Written by Laura Ingalls Wilde The simple things….nature, family and friends along the journey.
‘A strong woman knows she has enough strength for the journey, but a woman of strength knows it is in the journey she will become strong. ” Unknown
Thank you to Kay and all of my great friends for being strong and being on our journey of friendship.