8 Years Later

Last night some of my friends from high school got together to catch up & had a blast! We were missing a few of our lovelies and will be doing it again soon!

In the spirit of the fun from last night & the fact that it's been 8 years since we graduated, I thought I'd share 8 things I was reminded of last night. 

1. Distance doesn't matter.

One of the girls lives literally on the other side of the world but it's like picking up right where we left off when we all get together. 

2. Good food really does make the soul happy.

Taco bar? Tres leches? Yes, please! I don't even care how many points I consumed, the food was delicious! 

3. Laughter makes my heart happy.

 Lots of laughs were had last night and when I left my heart was so full! 

4. Friendship lasts.

We all don't hang out every day but these girls are true friends and for that I'm very thankful. 

5. Different roads can still intersect.

 Life has taken us all into very different directions & careers but there's still so much common ground between us. 

6. Helpful Careers

We are lucky to have a teacher in the group who can translate all the teenage words we don't understand anymore now that we are old ; ). 

7. I'm so proud.

All of us are doing great in life and are finding our way.  Looking back on how far we've all come in 8 years makes me so proud of all of us!

8.  Thankful.

I'm so thankful for the friendship of each of these girls. 

Can't wait til we all get together again :)

 

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Did you see pigs flying this weekend?

I am a LOUISVILLE fan.  That's where I went to school and I am diehard Cards til the day I die.  That being said, I had the opportunity for 4 tickets to the UK game this weekend.  Four good 50-yard line tickets.  My best friend and her family are huge UK fans and I was planning to spend the weekend with them anyway so when this opportunity popped up I decided to offer this option to them.  We all decided it would be a fun way to spend the weekend!  

Saturday morning we trekked to Lexington to tailgate & attend the game.  Suzanne's mom packed so much good food and we were able to just hang out and relax until the game started.  The first half of the game was pretty exciting but Florida seemed to run away with it in the second half.  I am not a UK "fan" but I like to see teams in our Commonwealth do well, that is unless they are playing UL and then I want to destroy them.  Part of the bargain in going to the game was that I had to promise to dress appropriately in blue.  I have ONE dress in my closet that could fit this occasion (thank goodness) and wore it to show some support.  Oh and the necklace I wore is coral NOT Florida orange. I really wish UK had pulled off the victory.  It would be great to see history being made (they haven't beat Florida since 1986) and it doesn't hurt Louisville's strength of schedule ; )  Below are some pictures from our fun day!

Waffles, Wine & Memories

Growing up, my friend Sarah would have waffle parties.  We would all go to her house and take our favorite waffle topping and just eat waffles and hang out!  It was so much fun and one of my favorite memories.

Now that several of us are back home, Sarah decided to have a reunion night and make it a waffle party (with the addition of wine now that we're of age :) )!   We had so much fun.  I honestly didn't know what to expect getting us all back together.  It had been 6 years since a lot of us had seen each other and so much had changed.   Or so I thought!  It took about 5 minutes for it to feel like we'd never been separated.  It was a night full of reminiscing, story telling, laughter and dance parties and it was amazing. 

First time ever having chicken & waffles!

Recreating one of our favorite old poses!

Recreating our group couch picture (same couch from our younger days!)





Even though we have all forged separate paths, it was nice to see that the bonds between us were still there and the friendship had remained.  We are now planning on having another reunion night soon and I can't wait!

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart...." - Unknown



The Wall

In 2006, I was chosen as a Governor's Scholar and participated in the Governor's Scholars Program at Morehead University that summer.  I knew going in that it would be fun to go and meet new people but I had no idea how much that summer would change my life.  I've blogged before about meeting my best friend Suzanne there.  Well, while at GSP, all of our friends would congregate each night in one spot by our dorms.

It was a short wall that we would sit on or sit by while we had dance parties, talked about anything you can think of, played games or just sat and listened to music.  I learned more about myself that summer on that wall than I can put into words and made some lifelong friends in the process.

Suzanne went to PA school at Morehead and I was able to go visit a few times.  On my last visit before she moved to do her rotations, we decided to do one last drive through campus.  Being my usual sentimental, sappy self it struck me that this could be the last time my best friend and I were in the very spot where we met and spent such a fun summer!  I decided this meant we needed a picture together to mark the moment.

So much has changed in our lives since that summer seven years ago but I will forever cherish the memories we all made that summer.  I am certain that my life would be so much different today if I hadn't met all of those special people :)

On Friendship

My aunt has always said that friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or forever.  I never really paid attention to that quote much until lately.  In high school and college you make tons of friends and truly believe that you will all be just as close for the rest of your lives.  It's hard to imagine life without each other in it and you aren't even willing to consider it.  With adult life comes bills, meetings, errands, work obligations, etc.  As a result, it becomes increasingly more difficult to stay in contact with all your friends from the past much less to keep up with new ones you are meeting.  It was during this transition period in my life that I discovered what my aunt truly meant when she told me that.

There are friends that entered my life during my high school and college years who were not in my life for a super long period of time but who were still significant.  I had a lot of fun nights with these people and learned a lot from them.  Whether it was a new hobby, a new perspective on life or just a life lesson that needed to be learned, I feel that God put these people in my life for a reason but that they weren't meant to be forever.

College brought along seasonal friends as well.  These are friends who I stayed close with throughout my college years.  Friends I spent countless nights laughing and having a blast with.  We spent hours studying, pulling all-nighters to finish papers, and trying to stay on top of classes together.  There were sorority functions, retreats, and on-campus activities that wouldn't have been the same without these people.  They will always hold a special place in my heart even though they are not as big of a part in my life anymore.  During this season of my life, these are the friends that I needed to evolve into the person I am today.

What I am the most thankful for, are the forever friends that are here to stay.  I am blessed with several people who have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember or care to count (yes I'm finally at the age where I already do not want to date myself).  These are the friends that have been there through it all over the years and I wouldn't know what to do without them in my life. 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at the lake with my best forever friend.  Suzanne and I met as GSP roommates at Morehead.  The GSP coordinators didn't know what they were doing putting a cheerleader from OHS and her Henderson cheerleading rival in the same room!  We have been inseparable ever since.  This friendship has taught me some of the greatest life lessons I have learned thus far.  My best friend is a PA school rockstar and I cannot even begin to describe the great things she's going to do in this world!  I couldn't ask for a better best friend.  No matter the trials, boyfriends, towns, schools, and life challenges we have gone through we have always stuck together and I am so thankful that God sent this amazing best friend into my life!  Suzanne, thank you for your constant support, for calling me to the carpet when I needed it, for countless laughs and priceless memories. 

Today, and everyday, this girl is feeling blessed for all of the above.  For the friends who taught me a lesson I needed to learn, to those who were there for so many fun moments, and to those who are here to stay for life! 

Hanging out at the lake!

A Photo-Less Reminder

Anyone who knows me can tell you I always have my camera or my camera on my phone out snapping pictures.  I love to document trips, experiences, holidays, anything you can think of!  I always love looking back on pictures and really hate when I don't snap one of something and realize how significant it would have been later.  I read a quote a couple months back that said to quit putting life on hold to take a picture and instead just live the life you're chronicling, enjoy the moment and really let it sink in.  This has stuck with me ever since.  Sometimes I'm so worried about getting pictures of a surprised face or with everyone smiling perfectly that I don't even notice the little things going on around me.  I miss the little moments that looking back mean so much.  

I am by no means going to stop taking pictures.  I think it's important to have keepsakes to remember special days or trips by and I want to have all kinds of pictures for my kids to make fun of me for when I'm older and to show them fun times with people who mean so much to me that they will not be able to meet.  However, I have learned that sometimes it's okay to just live and be in the moment.

This past weekend one of my best friends Katlin came into town to visit me.  On Friday we went to The Miller House and had a delicious dinner, and then to Gambrinus for some wine.  Saturday we spent having lunch at Olive Garden.  This was our shopping day staple in college so we decided to relive those days.  Afterwards I decided to prove Owensboro did have good shopping and took Katlin to Blossom's to prove it.  Luckily she loved it!  We spent the rest of the day shopping & sightseeing around town.  Sunday we made the trek up to French Lick Winery to do a wine tasting, tour the hotels & topped it off with a yummy lunch at Hagan's Golf Course Clubhouse!  The weekend was full of conversation, hilarious moments full of laughter and lots of reminiscing of our "best days ever!"  It was so good catching up and I cannot wait to do it again.

Know how I know it was a great weekend?  I have absolutely zero pictures.  We were way too busy laughing, catching up and having fun to stop and take a photo.  This weekend I was just too busy living to take a picture and you know what? It was great.