Sunset at Emerald Bay Campground, Green Lake Provincial Park

We had a wonderful long-weekend away, camping with friends at Green Lake Provincial Park this past weekend. Green Lake is about as close as you get to half way between Port Moody and Prince George, so we’ve met both friends and family there to go camping together.

The universe tried to foil our plans, but it just resulted in our friends Marie & Tyler and their kids arriving at the lake on Saturday instead of Friday and our journey home taking a couple of hours longer than anticipated. No harm done! We still had a great time.

I’ve known Marie since we were in grade 4 together at St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School.

I am not going to do the math to figure out just how many years ago that was. It was a lot and will just make me feel old.

We have definitely had our ups and downs, but I can say with certainty that she is my dearest friend. She was also friends with Rachael, which makes what we have, our bond and our memories, all the more special.

And it’s great that we have kids similar in age and our husbands get along so well. I never would have been able to picture us, all those years ago, as we were this past weekend camping with friends. Full of life, love and each other in our mid-thirties, with five kids between us, two amazing husbands and one crazy dog. Ours, of course.

Camping with Friends - Two Ladies on Picnic Table

Friends Forever

There was a chapter in the first draft of my book that I turned into my editor that detailed my closest friendships, other than Rachael’s. My friendship with Marie was included. We have both gone through a lot, a lot of similar things, and drifted apart for a little while when I first got together with Brad. Sadly, we were not on speaking terms when we saw each other at Rachael’s memorial of life, but I remember that I gave her a big hug when I saw her. Which was hard because she was quite pregnant at the time!

We’ll always have that moment, that hug. Sharing in our grief and the loss that we share of such a dear friend.

And I’ll always have that first draft of Letters to the Mountain, or RAB as it was called at the time. (My working title was simply Rachael’s initials until I came up with the title much closer to publishing.) I looked back on it recently, recounted the friendships that I have, that I have had in the past that have come to an end. I know that everyone that crosses my path is there to serve a purpose. Not all friendships are meant to last forever, or be exactly what you want them to be. What you think you want them to be.

We are all fluid in our existence. Day to day, year to year. Always be changing, and accepting who you are along the path. I am so grateful to have such a beautiful friend in Marie that just gets that of me. Of us.

Jayco Tent Trailer Set Up - Camping with Friends

Our Home Away from Home

Shadows of Family of Four Posing

Shadows of Family of Four Posing

Guitar Jam Session Around Campfire - Camping with Friends

Guitar Jam Session Around Campfire

I look forward to the next memories that we are able to create together and hope to make our camping trips a semi-regular thing. Because, let’s face it. We’re all busy people leading busy lives! As I write, Brad is downstairs catching up on work, with me, upstairs, doing the same.

Cherish your friendships. You just never know.

Love you Marie,

Anya

Black Cow In Field

As we left the park, we came across some cows near the road.

Cow in Road Milking Calf

And these ones were taking a milk break on the road!

Driving Past Cow

Up Close and Personal as we slowly drove past.

I recently offered a poll to see what your opinion was about naming a book series. You can find the poll here and the results ... right here! It was actually a tie, between names that are similar, but not the same (think Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant by Veronica Roth) or have a specific word or name to tie them together (like James Patterson’s Alex Cross series). I guess we'll have to see where Romi's title takes us!

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