Ode to La Lola

This past weekend, my oldest friend Lola (a.k.a. Laura), her husband Jared, and their three kids came to visit at the Casa de Laughton. Lola and I met at Girl Scouts in fifth grade but the serious bonding between us happened when we both liked the same guy in eighth grade and he didn't really even know either one of us was alive. (Thanks for bringing Lola into my life, Slimer. Incidentally, I looked you up on Facebook recently and I'm really glad now that it didn't work out between us.)

Although my family moved so that I went to a different high school than Lola, we managed to stay good friends over the years. We could go for months without talking sometimes, but as soon as we got on the phone it was like no time had passed at all. It was nice to have a good friend outside of my high school circle, and later outside my college ward, to be able to chew the fat with about guys and such. But her real talent was that she made me howl with laughter and still does. (It's probably not funny to anyone else to smudge brownies on toilet seats at parties or to pee in the great outdoors.) I was stoked when we both got our mission calls and were supposed to report to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) on the same day. Imagine my joy when I left behind my family only to find Lola among my three roommates there. Of course, good times ensued.

Fast forward a couple of years to my last year at BYU ... I was in a Payless shoe store one night when the thought crossed my mind that I ought to set Lola up on a date with a guy who was living three apartments down from me. Four months later, they were married and moving off to Florida together. How often does that happen? No doubt this is some of why it is so gratifying to me to still see them happily married and producing beautiful kids. Thanks for coming to see me, Lola, and for being my oldest non-family friend--23 great years and counting! Love, JorgeLola & Me, ages 16 & 15, enjoying Spring Break '92 in St. George with my family.
We hit a dance that weekend where only five people showed up, but Lola managed to snag the DJ, and she wasn't even wearing this dress. You had it then and you still have it now, baby!