Congratulations, Chelsea!

Soo, this is a special post because my very best friend, Chelsea Tappen, just became a Mom yesterday! She and her husband had their baby boy, Matthew 5/21/2012 at 3:18pm weighing in at 7lbs 5oz. I am so very happy for them and this exciting new adventure. Chelsea has wanted to be a mom ever since I can remember. Child Development was even what she was studying in school, so it was perfect. I'm gonna talk a little bit about my dear friend.

I figure it's okay to put this on here, since it was on fb.. hope that's alright

Chelsea Tappen is one of the most hard-working, smart, and funny ladies I know. She was always there for every one of her friends, whenever they needed her, even if it meant putting her wants, needs, or desires on hold. She puts hours of effort into her school assignments, helps people plan for their weddings, babysits her good friend's kids, and countless other acts of service. She.. is a dedicated woman. And I, no doubt, know she will be a good great dedicated mom.

She was always a person I looked up to in high school. She got good grades (uh hello - she was the salutatorian!) She never compromised her values and stood up for what she believed in. And she could play the piano beautifully. She puts 100% into her callings at church and I believe she will put that much, if not more, into her Motherhood. I believe, some of my most fondest memories of high school were with her, whether it was staying up til 5 in the morning watching Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (lol remember Carlton dancing to "It's Not Unusual"? Hahaha!), or on the football field taking care of our boys (or rather, giving them gatorade baths). She definitely cares about her friends. I remember for our friend's baby shower she put together a binder filled with copies of all the important papers she had gathered from her CD classes as a gift for the new mom to refer to. It looked like it took a long time to complete, but it was made with love and care. (Heck, I was jealous of it and I wasn't even having a baby!) She gave me rides to places when I needed them and even suffered through 9 hours of Lord of the Rings with me. To this day I'm not sure if she enjoyed that or just wanted me to read Harry Potter (that was part of the deal). We took Institute of Religion classes together and learned very important principles about life and marriage together. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.
(Remember how we laughed when Brother Richardson drew a dot on the board and then ran all the way around the room (twice!) showing us what eternity is? lol I miss that class!)

When she is asked to do something, she does it...even if she doesn't particularly want to. When she gives her word, she follows through with it. When she learns a new principle from the gospel, she has an open heart and is quick to make that principle a value she practices. Something we can all learn from. We have never fought about anything and continue to pick up our friendship exactly where it left off even if we haven't talked in weeks. I truly appreciate our friendship.

Chelsea, I'm so happy for you. This is a very exciting (and tiring) time, but it will be the best days you will ever remember. May all the blessings of Motherhood pour upon you and may you cherish each of these beloved moments for the rest of your life. I love you Chelsea! Congratulations!