Happy Birthday Adrienne!

My parents and Adrienne's parents were good friends, both in the same ward, and both expecting their first babies at the same time. Adrienne was born on May 11th and I was born two days later, on the 13th. For the first five years of our lives we were best friends. Our moms, along with several other moms, rotated teaching our preschool class each week. We both went to the same dance class. I remember that our teacher Miss Tania would end the class by having us lay on our backs, with our hands flat on the floor next to our ears, and have us use our arms and legs to lift up our torso so that our back was arched and our stomach in the air. Anyone able to hold this position, and hold it correctly while waiting for her parents got a bright circle sticker on her tap shoes. Adrienne's shoes always had the most stickers. Always! I was so jealous of all those stickers and could never catch up. On my 5th birthday my family moved away from Vernal for a year. When we moved back we were no longer living close to Adrienne's family and I didn't see her much again until middle school, where we quickly struck up our friendship again. From that time forth we always called each other our "almost twin" since we were almost born on the same day. As a child Adrienne was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, but she never let it get her down. She was always happy and had a gift for making those around her happy. She and her mom were close, and Adrienne definitely got her sense of humor from her mom. We went to an awards dinner once in Jr. high and my mom and I sat with Adrienne and her mom Candy. I still have the letter that Candy sat and carefully wrote to me on the paper table cloth, complete with border. Adrienne's arthritis was a set back for her, but it didn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do. In high school she joined the drill team as their manager. I remember finding a picture of us, along with my brother and a couple of other friends, sitting on the stairs at my house. We were probably about 4 years old, and Adrienne was wearing a dress while sitting in an unladylike position. I brought the picture to school to show her, not realizing that the flash of underwear would be such an embarrassment to her. Her face went bright red and she tried to steal the picture. It still has the corner torn off from us fighting over it. But that was Adrienne...always very done up, and pretty with her hair and make up perfect. Nothing amiss, like her underwear showing! When we were in middle school my mom suggested that I give all of my friends Mormon Ad posters for Christmas. At $.50 each, this was perfect for my budget. I had previously asked Adrienne what she wanted for Christmas and the only she would tell me, over and over again, was "your eternal friendship". One of the Mormon Ads in the package showed two girls looking down a dirt road. It said..."Eternity is a long time so take along a friend." When I saw it, I just knew that it was the perfect gift for her. This "gift" has so much more meaning to me now because on August 9th, 2004 Adrienne died from heart problems, probably stemming from the arthritis that she had as a child. I will always remember Adrienne and the wonderful friend and example she was to me. I love you Adrienne and Happy Birthday up in Heaven!