Every little thing she does is magic....

I have this friend.
This first friend.
This trendy friend.
This hilarious friend.
This-always-there-for-a good -vent friend.

She's more than a friend; she's a gal, a sister, a cousin, a daughter, a doctor, a bridesmaid (oh and a beautiful bride), a wife, and a mother (and many other things).
This friend of mine is amazing.  Although we have never lived in the same state since we were 3 years old,  we have bucket loads of memories.  I can't list them all but I can tell you that
-we have laughed as if we were out of control as our feet were stuck in the mud while shoving pop rocks in our mouth
-she let me go to school with her for a full day in 8th grade
-we bought our pens after looking (and laughing) at them year after year
-we traveled to New Mexico together, enjoyed blue speckled cups, chased the icecream truck barefoot, and scavenged through a freezer
-we wrote long letters to each other monthly through the years that we both lived at home
-we stood up in each others weddings, helped with showers and enjoyed each other's bachelorette parties
-we share stories of being moms of little boys
-we've been left at bars
-we've gotten stuck in paddle boats in the middle of a lake
-we read the same books
and the list goes on and on.....
When Eli was nearing 1 year old, I got an e-mail from her that made me feel so good. She told me that it is normal for people who have gone through something traumatic or emotional to feel that same way 1 year later and that it was ok for me to have some of those same emotions.  In the last year I have found her to be one of the people in my life that can say the right thing at every important and intense moment.  When I see an email pop up from her I know I will be validated for any concerns I had written to her about and I will for sure understand everything she tells me about her life.  She is so special to me.  She won't be duplicated or ever replaced in my heart.

I love her red hair. I love it straight. I love it curly.
I love her stories and the funny things that happen to her.
I adore her giggle (I'm jealous) and her genuine smile.
I love her listening ear and her observant qualities-I love to talk "later" and find out she observed the same thing I did.
I love that she is laid back, fashionable/trendy, appropriate (for so many reasons), a dancer, a reader, a writer, a hard worker, a full time working mom, and an understanding friend. 

Thanks for the OH SO thoughtful gift....Love ya Colleen!

This is "the" giggle we all know and love!