Lovely Evening With Friends

Last night, Erin had some friends over for drinks. I have been friends with Erin since Kindergarten. In 2nd grade, she said she wanted to be a 2nd grade teacher when she grew up. About 15 years later, and a year early, she graduated from Texas A&M with her Bachelor's in Education. She is now teaching 2nd grade, and is CO-WORKERS with my MOM! So often, what we want to be as 7 year olds doesn't exactly manifest in adulthood....Erin is a prime example of reaching out and taking what you want for your future! I'm proud of her, and I adore her. She makes me laugh until my stomach aches. You can also tell her anything. She is great with secrets (and knows many of mine!). She lacks judgment on others. I envy how well she can be the friend cracking jokes and making you laugh like no other--and also the friend who can cry with you during a tragic moment, and knows exactly what to say. We've been through a lot together, and I would do anything for her.

Erin! In Her New Place!

Erin's new apartment is ZEN. Everything is decorated perfectly. It is SO HER, and SO BEAUTIFUL! I love that we are all grown-up now. I also think it's very special that we each have our own place. A lot of people jump from having roommates to having a spouse. I think this is a unique opportunity for each of us to have a 1-bedroom apartment, with our own unique touches. Anyway, as we admired her new place, we threw back some drinks. I was very boring and decided not to branch out--but rather, stick to my usual $3.11/bottle Tisdale Pinot Noir (thank you, Sprouts!).

After drinks, we headed off to Carrabba's in Grapevine. My old neighbor and friend from back in the DAY, Lauren, was our waitress. The food was delish. I had a salad with artichoke hearts, red peppers, and goat cheese (pretty darn tasty, not gonna lie...). I took a couple of photos throughout the evening on the 35mm camera George and I have been infatuated with lately. It will be a while until I develop these, but look forward to seeing how they turned out.

I'm grateful to have such amazing friends in my life. They lift me up and make me better. Lifelong connections really keep you grounded. They remind you where you come from, and support you in where you're going. I loved bringing George around. Even though we've been together for an eternity, I still feel like I have "my" friends and he has "his" friends. Yes, yes, I love his friends, and he loves mine, but something about attending different high schools has made us each have our own groups. He meshes quite well, though. And my friends have been very receptive.

All in all, a fabulous Friday. Thanks to all of the people that brought such great energy and love to the evening! I took it home with me and slept quite well!