Today is Beth‘s birthday!! Happy birthday, Beth!

Beth is a fabulous person, and as time goes on I am even more grateful for her friendship! It’s been so much fun seeing her evolve from a shy 7th grader to now a confident and loving mother! I admire her a lot, and would love to be more like her! I hope our daughters grow up to be best friends just like we are. :-)

I first met Beth in 1995 when we went to the same middle school while my family was on furlough in Atlanta. We ended up rooming together when our class went to Space Camp in Huntsville a month or so after I had started at the new school. We didn’t become really close friends until later that year, when we spent the night together around Thanksgiving. This picture was taken at Space Camp with a mutual friend, Katie.

One of our teachers that year taught the whole class how to play chess, so we were pretty much obsessed. Beth, by far the smartest person in our class, was also the chess queen. She beat me so many times it wasn’t funny! This picture makes me smile because it’s one of the many, many games we played together.

Even after I moved back to Peru, we still stayed in close contact. I saw Beth every time I visited the States, and in 2000 she came down and visited me! It was so much fun. We did glamour shots one day, which is where this picture was taken. I like the flowers painted on our cheeks. :-)

I was very honored when Beth asked me to be her maid of honor at her wedding in 2003! I stood by her proudly as she and her husband took their vows.

I returned the honor in 2006 when Beth stood by me as my matron of honor in our wedding. It was so special for me to have her there as a part of my day!

And of course, the first picture of us with our daughters in their matching shirts. (A similar picture, six months later!) I am loving this part of our friendship – where we can not only share together as wives, but also mothers.

Here are to many more years of friendship, Beth!