The Best of Friends

Going away to college can be a scary and exciting time...taking college courses, doing your own laundry, finding a parking space, finding all of your classes, buying books, joining organizations, meeting new people, and living with roommates!!! Some people end up with roommates that they can't stand and some people end up with roommates who become their best friends. I was lucky enough to end up with roommates who became some of my best friends. In the dorm, I roomed with Amy...a very organized, energetic education major with a questionable taste in music and a heart of gold. Next door to our room was Kristi, a studious, intelligent business major with great fashion sense and a tell-it-like-it is attitude. Down the hall was Monique, a spunky, funny communication major who asked me a million questions and genuinely cared about my answers to those questions. Those, of course, were my first impressions of each of them, but there is so much more to each of them. They are each unique in their own way and they are each very special to me. On the outside, it doesn't seem like the four of us have a lot in common, but we have something very important in common...love. We love each other for exactly who we are and we have been there for each other through many ups and downs...new loves, break-ups, deaths in our families, marriages, babies, graduations, new jobs, job losses and fights with each other (because that's what roommates and friends do, right?) We have shed some tears together, but mostly we have shared laughs together...so many laughs! I think every time we get together we talk about the time that Monique almost didn't take Kristi to the hospital because she didn't want to miss church. Or, what about the time I accidentally threw my drink across the table because the guy that I liked was walking toward me in the dining hall. Another great memory is ordering Papa Johns after Lilith Fair and having them deliver it to our car. Of course I could never forget fighting with Monique about filling the ice trays in our apartment. Going backstage at the Eve Six and Third Eye Blind concert is a great memory as well. I also remember nights of eating Papa Johns or Avantis and watching Dawson's Creek in the dorms, going out to many parties and Thirsty Thursdays, visiting each other's hometowns, and practicing N'Sync dance moves. I have soooo many wonderful memories from college and beyond and I know there will be many more to come. Last weekend we all got together at Amy's house to hang out and meet the newest member of Amy's family, baby Madelynn. Logan and Devon, Amy's almost-three-year-old son, had a great time playing together and the adults had a great time reminiscing and laughing. Thanks for having us, Amy...it was a memorable gathering of the best of friends. I love you girls!!!

Pics of the kids...