A raspberry treat

Kit, me and Ash at the raspberry farm today.

Today my lovely friends Ashlee and Kit took me out for lunch at the raspberry farm. We always said that when we were released from the Relief Society (RS) presidency, we would go out and celebrate. ;)

I was in RS for 7 yrs, the first 3 as counsellor in stake RS, then straight into first counsellor in our ward and then 3 yrs as President. I was released in January and thought I was going to have a lovely long break but only 1 hr after my release i was called into the Primary Presidency. Talk about not letting the wicked rest!!!

I have loved every woman I have worked with in RS. Felicity Polley and Justine Page in stake. Deeanne Bradbury and Kit Porter when I was first counsellor for a year in ward RS and then my counsellors in Deloraine ward, Kit and Melanie Corona and then when Mel left, Kit and Barbara Young and then when Barb left, Kit and Ashlee Porter. Along the way Ali Christie was and still remains the faithful secretary.

Ashlee's gorgeous daughter Abbey

To say I made some good friends out of these women is an understatement. I can't explain the bond we shared and still do as we grew and learned together, taught each other, laughed and cried as we shared the common goal of bringing each sister closer to the Saviour, each other and themselves.

Kit was my first counsellor throughout my whole time in this calling and we got to a point where something would happen and I would look at Kit and I knew what she was thinking and she would do the same and we would try not to crack each other up. Throughout this time, she became one of my closest friends, despite the 20yr difference in age. Last year was particularly hard for both us as she battled health problems including a broken rib and a few trips to hospital in an ambulance for serious heart problems and at the same time, I lost Charlotte and was also rushed to hospital via ambulance a week later, haemorraghing from complications following her birth. We joked that as such good friends we even timed our personal trials so we were in sinc with each other.

That's what Kit is like, a person who in her own natural way lifts you up, makes you feel better when you don't even know yourself that you feel cruddy and you walk away from your time with her, wanting to be a better person. And the great thing is, she has no idea how awesome she is!!!

Jonty tucking in to the kids platter

Each woman I have served with has impacted my life in ways they will never know, and that's probably why they are so special to me. I love them because they love me, despite my weaknesses, my weird habits (colour-coding my towel cupboard) and the fact that every activity had to have chocolate in there somewhere.

Thankyou for the past 7 yrs.