The next part of our journey was a delightful rest with good friends. We stayed with the Parkinson family in central New York for several days. They were our close friends in college when Nathan and I attended BYU-Idaho, and we shared many adventures there.
We went different ways after graduation, but after several years we both somehow ended up living in Texas so we shared a few more years together creating memories. We loved celebrating holidays together and exploring new places together with our children, and I really loved this friendship. A few years ago they moved to New York and we stayed in touch over phone calls.
It was such a rare treat to be able to reunite after several years apart, and we looked forward to it so much! Here is the Parkinson family:
Here are the Parkinson and Kingsley kids all together:
We had such a delightful time admiring their new farm! The children played for days enjoying the cool New York summer weather as they played with kittens, caught bugs, played with sheep, and picked blossoms.
Ashley spoiled us with her fantastic cooking skills each day, which we enjoyed greatly. She has a flair for making each meal beautiful and memorable. She is a magician in the kitchen!
We stayed up late every night, passionately discussing our common interests (home school, parenting, gardening, self-reliance, natural healing, and reading). I felt like a sponge, soaking up all the good ideas she shared. Ashley is the rare type of person who just radiates positive energy, and you can't help but be excited in whatever she's doing. It's a wonderful contagious enthusiasm for life.
I really enjoyed going on a NatureWalk with her, harvesting local edibles and learning how to use them. She is passionate about herbal medicines and foraging plants from the wild for personal use. It was such a fascinating afternoon, and I loved learning about her experience with natural remedies.
Matthew and Aubrey really became fast friends as they shared so much in common. They had such grand adventures each day, catching frogs and interesting insects. They were like two little scientists eagerly exploring a wild jungle (which to Matthew, it kind of was....the climate is so different from what he's used to!) Here they are releasing a beensy black frog they had kept as a pet for a few days.
Our visit here flew by in no time at all, and it was over much too soon. It was so sad to say goodbye, and we cherish our memories from the Parkinson home. These are the rare types of friends that hold on to your heart forever.
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