When you're the best of friends...

Happy Birthday Best Friend. I'm a better person because of you.

And thanks for being my guardian angel now. I can't wait to see you again one day and laugh.

Cheers to you and the memories of 3 great moments in the story of our friendship:

Junction, TX August 2009
You  foolishly volunteered to kayak ahead of the group with "Cool Papa C " to help him set up for loading the kayaks.  You were an athlete so, naturally, you could keep up with a 68 year old man. Or so you thought.... He was so far ahead yelling at you to catch up.  You had the hardest workout of your life that day. We laughed for hours. 

Aspen, CO February 2009
Ok, so...other than the fact that we got a ticket on the drive down it was the funnest girls trip.  I loved this trip because I loved that we FINALLY lived near each other again and could do little trips like this. It was Valentine's Day and my dad had taken us all out to a nice dinner.  He ordered "Rocky Mountain Oysters" and none of us would eat them, except Laura. Bless Laura's heart. We had been talking about them the entire trip and she didn't realize they were bull testicles. We let  her eat most of the plate before telling her. We also got in our worst fight on this trip.  We didn't speak to each her for a good 36 hours. It was the longest 36 hours for both of us. But actually, we became better friends because of it. Sometimes friends fight and then you realize how much you miss that person and you forget what you were fighting about altogether.  

Christmas 2009.
Those faces say it all.  We loved to do the "shock and awe" expression.  Our families made fun of us. We would continue to do it anyway.  We had both randomly given each other aprons for Christmas. I guess when your best friends you do start to think alike. This was our last photo. I will cherish it always.

Oh yeah! And how could I forget! You'd roll your eyes when I'd sing this about us in one of my sappy, sentimental moments, but I know you secretly loved it.

Someone should have filed a restraining order.

Well, if you've been following my blog since it's creation perhaps you remember an old post I wrote about one of my many childhood heartthrobs - Leonardo Dicaprio. If not, you can catch up HERE.

During Christmas break, I decided I was going to go through my old room and discover all my treasures from childhood that have been stuffed away for years. Well, based on what I found, I wish I had left them buried.

Apparently my memory seems to have forgotten WHAT A WEIRDO I WAS AS A KID.  That's right.  Looking back on my obsession with Leo I thought, "Sure, it's totally normal for a young girl to have a crush." I didn't realize how TOTALLY obsessed I was until....I ran across this poem I wrote AND SENT TO HIM: (INSERT THE BOLDEST OF HUMILIATIONS RIGHT HERE).

Translation since you probably can't read my 14 yr. old hand writing:

I love to look and dream of you

You make my heart so glad

I feel like I could touch you

through the picture that I have

Although it's just a poster

Your piercing eyes look real

When I try to tear my eyes away

It is to no avail

It makes me start to think of what

a perfect pair we could be

WITH YOU A GOLDEN 23

& ME A YOUNG 14

I know I'm just another girl starstruck in your eyes

But I have hope down in my heart we'll meet before I die.

Someone should have filed a restraining order.

I was totally creepy.  A PERFECT PAIR? 23 & 14. I'm pretty sure that's illegal in ALL 50 states. And if it isn't, it should be.

So Leo...Near. Far. Wherever You Are. This one is for you!

At least I can laugh at myself now.  And, at least I can see HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN UP SINCE THEN.  Thank Heavens for that.  Hopefully in another 12 years I don't unearth some weird poem like this from my time as a 26 year old.

#LAUGHATYOURSELF