Ponderings of a Small Town Girl in the City: Kelli's getting married, a tale of friendship

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Kelli's getting married, a tale of friendship

Kelli and Amy

I've known her all her life! Kelli Marie Behr has been the trial child of our college group. Parents Vicki (my college roomie) and Fred started with trial child kitty cat Cato. They didn't do so well with her. We blame Moose - he terrorized the cat and helped make her kinda psycho when she was in her formative months.

Kelli was the firstborn child that any of us had - born 8 months before Amy. So she was our model. Vicki and Fred lived in Ames back then, and all of us - Moose (Steve) and Kay, Jane, Hauser and others got together fairly often at their first home. I was soaking up all things "baby". I had the cat thing down - since I'd had Bucko before Behrs got Cato. I knew cats. Babies were foreign stuff to me - I hadn't done much babysitting, and knew practically nothing about them.

Thank goodness for the trial child, Kelli and Behrs to train us, or Amy might not have survived. I must also give a shout out to Dr. Spock - his book was my bible. Kelli was the perfect girlie child - never wanting to get dirty, pretty much potty training herself. Amy - not. I'll never forget the time we went to a little playground near Behr's home in Northfield, MN where they have lived for 26 years now. Amy was around 2 years old - sitting in the sand under the swings digging her hands around happily. Kelly had gotten her hands dirty and wanted to go home and wash them, of course. All of the sudden Amy's hand scooped sand into her mouth! My kid liked dirty hands AND eating sand. Great!

Amy and Kelli grew us as close as cousins - I love that! Vicki is one of my closest friends. For four years at Iowa State University we shared everything together, as close as friends can be. After that - of course we didn't see each other as much, especially when we got married and had kids. But not matter how long it has been, when we talk, the years fade away and we can pick up where we left off.

Amy and Kelli never roomed together, but they've known each other since birth. They experienced day camp at Bemidji when they were 6 or 7. They spent the 4th of July in Ridgeland, Wisconsin together for many years. The girls were the oldest and bossed the other kids around when they went to a sitter's while the parents attend ISU football games in Ames each fall. When Amy attended ISU, Kelli would visit - as she attended St. Olaf College in her hometown. Amy says their relationship is similar to mine and Vicki's - they can pick up right where they left off.

Amy was thrilled to be asked to be a bridesmaid in Kelli's upcoming wedding. Kelli will marry Toby Hoskins next Saturday. Our whole family will be there, along with Moose and Kay and their daughters Jaime and Alyssa - more cousin-like friends. Jud and Behr's daughter Lauren are also close in age, but because of the difference in interests and the fact that we didn't get together as much - they didn't bond with each other like Kelli and Amy. It's been a very long time since we had the whole Behr, Wilt, Goldsmith clan together. Add in the Hausers, maybe Hustons and Jane. It should be a blast!

Congratulations to Kelli and Toby. You will be surrounded with friends who love you.

Yesterday I ventured to the Des Moines Farmer's Market by myself to pick up a special wedding gift for Kelly and Toby. Paul was busy and I was on a mission. The morning was gorgeous!