Missing This Girl

One of my favorie things about summer last year was spending time with this girl:

 

 

Audrey is one of the most fun, caring, and laid back people I know! She made my last few months in Anchorage a blast! She was always up for an adventure and willing to drive with me all over the place looking for one! We hiked/ ran Winner Creek one morning before work. I was so excited to show her the Butt Tree and talked up the 'big surprise' our whole hike. Unfortunately we walked right past it twice without noticing. Sorry Audrey! Go back and take photos with the Butt for me!

This photo was taken by my friend Kat...I stole it from her to give you a better picture of the tree in all it's glory. She also made a great calendar of the tree decorated accordingly for each month! She is so creative.

 

Here's a photo of my friend Nikki and I with the Butt Tree last Winter. It's a little iced over. And notice how much snow there is!

 

Audrey also threw not 1, but 2 parties for me (what a good friend!) this summer, along with cooking up some very delicious dishes! I think the oreo truffles were my favorite...or the pretzel bites. It's too close to call. We had lots of adventures together, but my favorites will just be talking with her at night (that is when I wasn't making too many noises with my mattress by slighlty wiggling a toe or finger) and laughing together while we watched Parks and Rec at the end of long days.

 

I love you Audrey! I miss you so very much but I know you're blessing your new roomies with you awesomeness just like you blessed me this summer. :) 

 

 

 

 

 

A Weekend of Friends

This weekend has been a break from working and school to enjoy my favorite part of life...spending time with friends! This weekend four of my closest friends from college came to visit (we missed you Jess!!). We met up where it all began...Marion, Indiana.

I met Melissa and Alisha my first week of college...all scared freshmen! Actually, I remember being introduced to everyone on what seemed like an enormous team at the time, and immediately decided I wouldn't worry about differentiating between these girls' similar names. Little did I know that these girls from Michigan would grow to be my closest friends. Linda and I met our freshamn year as well, but a little later in the semester. I invited her to join my family and I for Thanksgiving as she lived too far to go home for the short weekend. I guess it's impossible to spend a Holiday with my crazy family and not permenantly become part of it. (I actually can still vividly recall Linda sleeping away on the living room furniture as the men in my family cheered loudly watching a football game and the boys wrestled in the middle of the floor. If only she had known what she was getting her self into...).

Through the years Linda, Melissa, Alisha and I shared many adventures together. Linda became our biggest supporter as we ran (again..crazy) each weekend and ended up joining us for several races by the end of our college career. Our reunion weekend was full of laughter and catching up and celebrating milestones and new beginnings. It was so good to see these girls and be reminded of how truly blessed I am to have such close, Godly women in my life. Leaving our close community of friends after graduating proved how difficult it is to find friends that you can truly connect with. I'm excited to cheer these girls on as we continue to move through life together. <3

Sunday afternoon was a day of relaxing and catching up on work neglected from the weekend. After wrapping up most of my homework by 8pm, Linda and Tyler stopped by. Together we enjoyed apple crisp and a pretty competitive game of Blokus! These unexpected visits are my favorite! I love when friends feel comfortable enough to stop by unannounced for a short time of visiting and enjoying each others company. Amy and I were so blessed to host friends most nights our last year of college..and I've missed that steady flow of familiar faces and laughter. The weekend wrapped up with a Monday dinner visit from Scottie and Zoey!

 It was so good to spend time with friends this weekend and be reminded of what's truly important in life. Admist projects and papers I can sometimes lose myself to the stress of admittedly little things. Thank you friends for making these last few days full of smiles and happy times :)