Oh, Aunt Janina! This was the year we will always remember aunt Janina. We have always loved her, and her and I have always been "close", but this year we took our relationship to another level. This happened for 3 reasons: Teenage girls, shopping, and hair/make up. The day after we got there she said she was going to the DI to buy books. Megan heard "books" and came running. And thus began a deep an abiding relationship with the DI and aunt Janina. Maddie and Megan went with her on that first trip. They came home telling me how much they loved Aunt Janina and and how she is their favorite aunt. What was interesting is that they both loved her for very different reasons. She fed Megan's love of books and her intellect and excitement over ideas and mundane things. For Maddie she can talk clothes, make-up, hair, and excitement to do anything fun. She can talk music, movies, and boys and is always up for a wild adventure. She is a perfect aunt and we all wish we lived closer. M We all took 3 or 4 more trips the DI over the next 4 days and spent a few hundred dollars. Us, "non-Utahn" girls were oo-ing and awe-ing over all the modest clothes and amazing shoes for 10 dollars.
During the evening Janina gave us all make-up and hair tips. And on top of all of that, the best part is, our friendship has deepened and continued since coming home. We have been messaging each other almost daily, until we both have to take a fast from our friendship becasue we put off our household chores becasue we would rather talk to each other. So we force ourselves to take a break for a few days, so we can get caught up on our lives, only to ignore them again while we "catch up". Our topics have been deep and wonderful: feminism, the role of men and women, modesty, garments, abortion, hot curlers, trauma, child rearing, marriage, gift giving (or lack there of), love languages, Herbert family history and culture, covenants, spiritual prompting, "the tuck", jackets and shoes, dresses, hair and humidity, South Korea, Jesus Christ, temple, and the constant companionship of the holy ghost. So basically we are solving the worlds problems.
She even took the little kids to the library while Jason and I had a meeting.
She drove all the girls up to the "Y" one night and bought them all milk shakes. Maddie loved it and took these pictures and wanted me to put them all on the blog. Isn't it SO SAD we didnt get pictures all together? So sad. We will have to get together again!
