tradition & a birthday

today my best friend is coming to visit for a week and I can't even try and tell you how excited I am.

you see, we met in kindergarten, fighting over the same boy, and it's been bliss since.

when you look up best friend in the dictionary, her face is there.

there isn't a moment in my life that I can look back on and not see her in the picture.

we have this 9 year long tradition. nine years is a really long time. and actually if you want to get more specific you could say before that.

we grew up in the little town of Aurora, Ohio where every Fourth of July all the families would gather at Sunny Lake park to sit on the big hill and watch the fireworks.

in the 7th grade, we moved. no longer allowing us to go to Sunny Lake.
the following summer, Josie came to visit, and since then we've only missed one Fourth of July together.

it's a tradition not worth breaking. and yes the older we get, the more difficult it is to plan trips around school and families, and jobs...but we do it because we just can't think of doing it with out each other.

tradition makes me happy.
the same thing at the same time each year.
it's so simple.

do you have any long standing traditions with friends?

I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

so here's to tradition!

also.

today is Reagans first birthday (you know, that adorable baby I post pictures of all the time).

I was making coffee this morning and cried because I couldn't believe it's been a year.

I'm getting old.

{blurry, but awesome}

I am so blessed to be able to watch her grow up and I can't wait for all the rest of her birthdays I'll get to celebrate with her!

happy birthday Reaggy poo! Aunt Meggy loves you so so so much!

who's your woody?

  

Why is it that the older we get, the more difficult it is to keep friendships?

And when are we all going to sit down and watch Toy Story again and freshen up on those lessons?

I'm by no means a 'grown up' but if there's one thing I have learned growing up, it's that when it comes to friendship, it's quality over quantity.

Sure in middle school to be the cool kid you needed to have 20 friends you always saw at school...but now as a grown up, you just need those very few that will drop everything their doing to be by your side.

Those other people, are called 'accuaintences'.

And it's great to have those...but it's even greater to have a couple best friends.

But what makes a 'best friend'?

I'm no doctor or professional, but this is my official list of:

5 ways to be a great friend:

1) always call back with in 1 day (unless it's finals week)

2) don't ever forget a birthday

3) never go a week with out seeing each other (unless you live in different cites)

4) always be honest and trustworthy

5) don't ever become 'too busy' for a friend

We might play phone tag for a week, but we'll talk at some point, and I might not get that card there on time, but you'll get the birthday call. If you live near me, you'll see me often because I love your hugs. I can't say that there's anything more important than honesty, even if it hurts at times. I need the truth: and so do you. And the last one...well that might be my biggest right now. Life is busy yes, but if we can't make time for the people that love us, what do we have left?

Do you have certain things you up hold with friends?

Don't ever think you shouldn't have standards with friends, because they have them for you.

People come and go in and out of our lives, some stay and become the very few that we'll call 'friends for life', others might be 'best friends for now'.

It's unfortunately, but something I've had to come to grips with lately.

Not every person we go to lunch with will turn into a best friend.

Friends are far and few. But God will place certain people in our lives that will be there for us through the thickest and the thinnest. The ones who laugh with us till we cry, the ones who are our shoulder to lean on, the ones we can't imagine not having by our side.

I've learned lately that great friendships shouldn't take a lot of work, they shouldn't exhaust you.

It shouldn't be a battle to know them. There shouldn't ever be a questioning of their honesty. A great friendship, one that will last our lifetime, will come easy.

I've got really great friends. Some I've had for my whole life, and some that I'm just now making.

I've got to always remember that creating a life lasting friendship is what's most important.

To my best friends: I don't know where I'd be without you. You're the best.

this one's for you

9 day's from now I'll become his wife. I'll have his last name, move to his house, and drive his car. I'll cook him dinner, tell him goodnight, and wake up next to him.
Although there are so many things in my life that are about to completely change, there's one thing I know for sure won't: my girls.

You women are all beautiful on the inside out, and mean the world to me. Without you, I'd be pretty lost and lonely, mostly since I'm about to live with a boy!

So this is for you! I couldn't think of a better song than My girl by the Temptations. 'You're sunshine on a cloudy day'. You all have helped me through the biggest parts of my life. You've dropped everything you're doing to call me back when I needed it, or done something totally ridiculous to get me to smile. You've missed out on school functions, dates, and work to come see me. You've been the voice of reason in my life too many times that I'm willing to admit. You never let me forget the true potential God has for my life. You encourage me to take leaps of faith, and to never look back at a mistake. You've helped me realize that some boys just weren't worth all the trouble. And most importantly you make me realize that I have the greatest group of girl friends (and a mom and sisters) a girl could ever ask for.

I can not wait to share the biggest day of my life with you. I love you all so much.