Our story begins on an airplane en route Thailand.  A few months prior, we were both itching to escape the upcoming Winnipeg winter and were craving some adventure.  Luckily, through mutual friends we were introduced and without much thought or consideration, we promised to travel together by the sacred bondage of a pinky swear.  Months passed, and Amy went away for the summer while Ashley worked to save money for their trip.  The date of departure quickly arrived and a beautiful relationship was about to begin.  One would have to agree that our plan was risky and could have ended in a disaster, but luckily the exact opposite happened.  After a twenty-one hour flight we knew that we were kindred spirits, a perfect balance and a flattering TopShop fit to each other.  When Amy was negative, Ashley was positive; when Ashley was anxious, Amy was relaxed.  Without each other, the trip would not have been nearly as amazing as it was.  

After coming home, our friendship continued to grow.  We spend hours reminiscing, watching scuba diving dvds, having bake-a-thons and cook-offs and daydreaming about upcoming adventures (usually over non-fat cinnamon dolce lattes and tunes by either Jack Johnson, Kanye or Michael Franti & Spearhead.)

Our friendship is real, effortless and natural.  We are so blessed to have found a sister in each other that will never judge, always love and forever support and encourage one another. Here's to many more years to come, cheers. <3

Carmelle: I don't recall the specifics as to how Mav and I hooked up, but what I do remember is that at the beginning of the Grade 8 year I had an absolutely instant joined-at-the-hip, read-your-mind, finish your sentences, do everything-with, kind of best friend. Nothing and everything have changed over the years! Our lives have

developed very differently, but no matter what, no matter when, our connection is instant. Mav was for me, the sister I never had but always hoped for and wanted. But even better. Its hard to explain what makes it work...but you can't always explain awesome chemistry! We draw out different qualities in each other - she brings me out of my shell, and stretches my adventurous & fun side that she knows is there, just hidden...and maybe I bring her back to reality and pull out those characteristics that linger just underneath the surface. Whatever it is, life hasn't changed our

friendship and it is just amazing to have each other - it goes beyond what I could have imagined friends to be. Our memories haven't just 'been' made to look back on, but are continually being made.

Mavis: A friendship that can withstand the years...

We met in grade 8. I had friends here from before, when I used to live here but something was just not clicking right...until i met Carmelle. This girl in my class confident, beautiful and so sure of herself. Would she even want to be friends with me? Well you can guess what happened. instant click. I had my sister I had never had.  We have gone through everything together: first jobs, boyfriends, cars, a marriage, some babies and a move to the city. Both changing into extremely different women in the process. The time spent together did change but that bond was always there. When

people who have only known us in the last few years wonder how we are friends we can't explain it. How do you explain something you yourself are in awe of? A friendship so strong and deep it can carry you through the big life changes and different paths taken in life.

Darci & Ginger

My husband and I moved to a little quiet town in Alberta called Didsbury in 2007. I was 9 months pregnant with our first baby and went into labour 3 days after we moved into our new little house. I didn't know anyone in Alberta, and especially in Didsbury where we were going to start our new life with our new baby named Lily Rose who was born in Calgary on November 28th 2007 at 1:36am. I would be alone with no friends and no family while my husband commuted one hour each way to work in Calgary. 

Two weeks later we were in the quaint little grocery store in Didsbury with Lily in tow and a woman (Darci) came up to me smiling and asked how old our baby was. We told her and she was shocked to find out that Lily was born on the same day as her new baby Neve. We then figured out that Neve was born just two minutes after Lily at 1:38am and in the same maternity ward!!! So after we figured out we were pushing out babies at the same time, Darci gave me her number and a picture of Neve and we soon got together with our two babes. 

Our babies were astrological twins and Darci and I instantly became great friends having so much in common and having an instant connection to each other. Over the next few months we went out together all the time, Darci showing me around the area and Calgary and all the cool spots to go, farmers markets, great restaurants, u-pick farms and tea houses, and where to get the best beef-jerky in the municipality! We would have Yorkshire tea almost everyday together and we would have many a bbq with our 2 families. Our girls all became friends and Darci and her family came to Manitoba for our wedding last summer. We had such a great time with them at the wedding and then at Victoria beach the following week! 

Sadly, my husband and I made the move back to Winnipeg and had to leave our fabulous friendship with Darci and her family behind. But only physically! We still talk almost everyday on the phone and we are still making plans for some big adventures this summer. Yellowknife maybe?

Darci is one of those special people in my life that I instantly loved and will love for the rest of my lifetime. We know that our two beautiful little girls brought us together for a reason, and we will make sure that they grow up knowing each other and hopefully they will find that same connection over their lifetime.

We would love to have another reunion here in Manitoba with the four of us together again! Any excuse!

Sincerely,

Ginger Arnold (Mother) and Lily Phelan (16 month old daughter)
and
Darci Schapansky (Mother) and Neve Jeffery (16 month old daughter)  

When my best girlfriend sent me the link I started to think about what made her such a great friend. She is night to my day!!  She is wonderfully organized---I'm an organized mess .   She is a gorgeous tall blond--- I'm short and darker.  She is as comfortable behind the lense as she is in front of it and I don't see any reason ever to take a picture!!  But when it comes to things like knitting, shopping and conversation you just know that it was a friendship meant to be!!  We have been friends for almost  11 years now--if I said 12 like she thinks then I probably would have received an invite to her wedding!

Sadly we don't live just blocks apart anymore--some how the miles don't seem to matter.   She's the first one I call or tell and when it comes to finding just the right outfit there is no one I trust more!  In a perfect world friends would never move away but with her I know that many years from now she is the first one I will call to help me cooridinate my house coat and bedspread at the old folks home!!  I also have the added bonus of having her as my hair stylist--how many girls can say that!!

I can't think of anyone else I would love spending the day with doing something like this!!  I know that she will totally be in her element  and love that she pushes me to expand mine!  If nothing else it's a day to enjoy hair, make up, clothes, and fun with my best friend!  What's not to like and maybe, just maybe, we will come away with a picture of the two of us!! Like I said earlier--I don't really do pictures and so we have no digital pics together--the last one of us was before one of us had a digital camera!! Sad I know!

-Jenni Kroeker

Brandon

Hi!  To tell you the truth....I don't even have ONE digital image of my best friend and I!!!  We have been friends for about twelve years now, and haven't managed to get a photo together....crazy I know!!!  Anyways, let me tell you about my friend.  She is the best.  Even though we live apart now, she always saves my spot on her couch when I come to visit.  I love that I can call her anytime of the night or day, and she always has time to chat or just give me her opinion on what clothing items work together!  It is true....we are opposite on lots of things, but also complement eachother greatly!  I don't think we have ever had a girl's weekend away...probably because we would break the bank with our shopping...but always getting the best deal.  I don't think I will ever live down not inviting her to my wedding, but we seriously just met!!  Had I know we would become the closest of friends, she would have been standing right up next to me.  But we can't go back in time...just forward.  If we won this, it would mean capturing 11ish years together.  I just know we would have a blast!  And she deserves to feel as beautiful as she looks!

-Deana Wilson

Winkler

Jenna & Kristen

Hi I'm Jenna and my best friend is Kristin. 

Kristin and I are the ultimate best friends because we love each other no matter what and even though we're different we just can't get enough of each other. I go to university in Winnipeg, while Kristin works in Morden. We always make time for each other on weekends and keep in touch as much as possible even though we still tend to miss each other during the week. The one thing that makes us different from regular best friends is that we don't know how we came to be best friends. We pinned to a day that we played at fun baseball tournement in Plum Coulee, and went to the bathroom together and from there its history. We have been best friends since then, which was 3 years ago. Our friendship is not perfect, but thats what makes it so interesting because sometimes we fight like we're dating and don't see eye to eye. In the end we always work it out and we still love each other. We both to go camping and do random fun things, like hide in her brothers truck box to scare him, teepee peoples cars and ly in the middle of the road and watch the traffic lights change, like in the notebook. Even though we love to do things we can spend a whole day together and do absolutely nothing, and be totally content with that. Kristin is my very best friend and I think that this would be an excellent way to start off an exciting summer of living closer together and seeing each other as often as we like.

Kayla & Heidi

Hi!

My name is Kayla Fehr and this is a picture of me and my best friend Heidi Wiebe. As you can probably tell we are crazy, goofy girls who like to do some of the strangest things together. I met Heidi my first year at Winkler Bible Camp, 16 years ago, and we have been pretty much inseparable ever since! It takes a very special friend to stick with you for so many years. Together we have survived the perils of jr. high, the fears of starting highschool, family deaths, broken hearts and the uncertainity of life after highschool. She's been there to pick me up when life has knocked me over, a shoulder to cry on, and a willing listener when I've needed someone to talk to. She's also given me tons and tons and tons of laughs, so many crazy adventures and wild ideas. From pictures in an alligator pool in a tennis court, to taking photos of a dressed up cooked chicken, to finger painting in the cafeteria during grade 12 spares she has filled my life with many great stories and warm memories and extremely hilarious adventures! What makes us such special friends is that we can be absolutely bonkers together and have tons of laughs and she'll still be there with a hug and a box of kleenex when life gets tough. She is the most amazing best friend a girl could ever dream of and I wouldn't have made it this far without her. She's loyal and trustworthy and always dependable and I hope and pray I have been as good a friend to her as she has been to me. Since we often like to have our own random little photoshoots I thought this would be the perfect thing for me and her, and perhaps a small way of saying thank you for all the years of friendship that I just couldn't live without! 

Laura & Mary

Once upon a time there were two eleven year old girls, who were ten days apart in age. The first girl, Laura, could not wrap her mind around the other's family structure. The other girl, Mary, had five brothers and sisters. Laura had never known a family so large. While Mary, thought Laura was a little nerd.

One cold Winnipeg night the girls were sat side by side in a Babysitting prep class. Together they practiced bandaging each other up from fictitious wounds and learned to change diapers, laughing the entire time. The laughter still continues to this day. Mary now knows Laura is a nerd, but appreciates it. Laura loves Mary's large family and enjoys spending time with them.

The two have been best friends for more than eleven years. Although through this entire time the girls were not side by side, they were always close. They have been there for each other through every achievement, heart break, and fashion mishaps alike.

You can often find them shopping, dreaming up capers, or, most often, laughing till it hurts.

Because they think the other is hilarious (and have the same size feet), they are best friends.

Kelli & Karla