Forever Friends

One of my best-friends-from-college/old-roommate/bridesmaid/partner-in-crime came up this past weekend with her daughter for a visit.  We hadn't actually seen each other since my wedding in April 2009.  Our friendship has always seemed to be one that picks up right where it left off though.  Life and time slip away, we don't always talk as often as we would like and before you know it months and then years have passed. I still consider her one of my closest friends and I always will. Do you have friends that you don't always see, and sometimes hardly ever talk to...but you find they are closer to you than people you see all the time? I subtly worked on her to move closer so we could get together more than a few times every decade.

I hadn't seen Little Miss Sunshine since she was 3, or was it 2? She was about the Toddler's age.  It seems like yesterday I bounced her on my knee and watched her clear off her mom's coffee table.  Now she is telling me stories and drawing me a picture of her apartment building on my fridge, with a color coordinated magnet to help me find my way to come visit her.

Her daughter is just as beautiful as my friend.  With all the attitude and unrestrained honesty to boot! Haha, I learned fairly quickly that I was "weird" and pretty much everything about my life/house was too.  I also learned that I was "cool" and the "nicest".    The Toddler was instantly taken in by her charm, and little girl bossiness.  The Big D was pretty smitten with her mom, must have a thing for older women like his dad ;)

Though the adventures we shared were entirely different than the adventures we seemed to get into in college, everything else was the same.  The stories and laughs came easy, possibly helped along by a glass of wine or two after the kids were asleep.  Everynight my face hurt from smiling, and my abs that I had thought were nonexistent these days hurt from laughing.

We talked about mutual friends and where they were now and what they were up to.  Laughed at the dumb things we did, and the even dumber guys we dated. Hahaha. 20/20 Hindsight right? Businesses that have came and gone in my old college town, and old teacher sightings.  Mr T is still our favorite!

So many inside stories we share

• Our first visits to each others home town
• The Epic Valentines Day Prank
• Painted Portraits on Pumpkins
• Cruising for Hours without even talking
• Street Dances
• Parties
• Remembering how when we first met she threatened to kill me - We are just weird enough to be each others friend
• Bad Blinddates/Setups based on Cowboy Boots
• The "I'd Never Do it" Story
• Roadtrips
• Neither of us sticking it out in the Nursing Program
• The Waterboy & Monty Python - I wonder if those movies are still ruined for Mike S, Laura M, and Ashley W?
• The Olden Days when she lived in an apartment above our favorite bar...

We are both quite a bit more mellow and tame these days.  I can hardly believe how different we actually are than when we first met.  We have definitively grown up, thankfully not apart.  Our adventures now include watching the kiddos run through the sprinkler, taking in a petting zoo (and not staying for the concert and street dance), hours spent at the park, and going for ice cream. Sharing tips on how to travel with kiddos and make it through mass without a melt down.  I was so happy that our children got along and glad we got to hang out again.  Our children will ensure another generation of friendships. The bond of sharing fruit snacks and playing Pirates is for life after all.

 Isn't she such a beautiful little girl?

The Toddler ruining the "map" Little Miss Sunshine left for me to come visit her.