Ode to Jenny No Longer Reider but Hoskins

Happy Anniversay wishes go out to Jenny and Sam Hoskins! A year ago today we were celebrating the beginning of their lives together out by a lake with some scary swans in Amish country Pennsylvania. If yo'ud like to join me, we'll begin our stroll down memory lane during my freshman year of college, circa 1997.

My first memory of Jenny comes from a coffeehouse during one of the first weeks of my freshman year. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, as I imagine many freshman do. I was sitting on one of the sofas in the drawing room at Wesley, and Jenny came over and sat next to me. I began telling her how I hated one of my professors and it was really upsetting because it was the one class I was looking forward to the most: The History of Christianity. When Jenny found out the professor was Dr. Kling, she was shocked! (I would come to discover later that Jenny really loved Dr. Kling.) I had a very good reason for disliking him though! He struggled to get my name right. Alisa Beth. Yes, I realize that it's an unusual name, but come on, it's not terribly difficult. After he dertermined that it was not Elizabeth, he made a face, looked at me, and said, "Did you make that up or something?" (Anyway, I got over my dislike of Dr. Kling pretty quickly and soon found myself signing up for more religion classes so long as HE was the teacher!) That's how I first met Jenny.

Here are some things about Jenny:

• she was a great prayer partner!
• she has really thick hair and her ponytail would be as thick as your fist!
• she giggles more than me!
• she has GREAT taste in music (hello screaming Derek! and what about Smalltown Poets and Rainchildren)!
• not only did she LOVE my jokes, she told me very silly ones too
• she enjoyed speaking in coulets with me
• she was GREAT fun to stay up late studying with
• we loved sitting together by the Christmas tree
• we liked meeting each other in the hallway (our rooms were the greatest because they joined together in a hallway that led to our bathroom)
• she's the most selfless person in the world!
• we have ALMOST the same birthday, but just a year apart!
• she likes sheep too!
• her dog, I swear, is a miniature llama!

One of the saddest moments EVER was when Jenny graduated and moved out (which happened a year and a half before I graduated). I will always remember the night that Jenny left. No longer was she just a bathroom or hallway away from me, but hundreds of miles. One of the reasons why I'm so thankful to God for providing for me to go to UM was because of my friendship with Jenny! Oh, how I've missed her!

BUT...the most glorious thing happened! A little over a year ago, I was returning home from a very wonderful trip to Patrick and Aubrey's wedding and I had a message on my answering machine from...JENNY! She had just gotten engaged and was calling to ask me to be in her wedding. WELL, OF COURSE I SAID YES WHILE I JUMPED UP AND DOWN!

Here are some great things about the time I spent with Jenny last October:

• we had a bridesmaid tea party at the coolest cafe EVER complete with camels!
• we stayed up late and laughed and laughed at her llama-like dog, Rusty! (seriously you guys, he's the spitting image of a llama)
• we went makeup shopping at Walmart and saw Amish buggies (quite the novelty for me)
• we made fun, fun, fun mixed CDs for the wedding reception (quite possibly the best job I have EVER had)
• we stayed up late putting together the coolest gifts EVER, individualized charm bracelets (mine included a christmas tree, camel, and guitar)
• we hopped a fence into a sheep pasture the morning of her wedding! (oh, WHAT FUN!)
• we went jogging (but Jenny was the one who persevered...in my defence, it was very hilly and very cold...two things a Floridian who runs is not used to)

Anyway, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY my beloved friend and sister, Jenny! I miss you bunches!