Happy Birthday LOU!!!!

Today one of my best friends is turning 29!!! She is SO much closer to turning 30 then I am now, wow! (Ha ha)

Tiffany and I met at a spring church camp when I was in 8th grade and she was in 9th grade. We instantly clicked and have been friends ever since. We went through the awkwardness of high school together and were roomates after high school for a short time before she met her (now) husband. We had the brilliant idea of each opening up a Target credit card so that we could furnish our little apartment. I think my limit was $200 and hers was $300, something like that. We picked out fun dishes and everything you could need to outfit a kitchen and our bathrooms. Target did not have couches, however, so we used Tiffany's ghetto futon thingy as our "couch" in the middle of our HUGE living room. We had a desk and entertainment center with a TV and that futon in probably a 600 sq. ft. living room. Hee hee. At this apartment, we made countless batches of cookie dough that we had NO intention of baking, just eating by the spoonful; watched "Never Been Kissed" at least 1000 times and kept each other accountable for the lust we shared for the hot teacher (ha!!); went on drives to no where, listening to Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Jennifer Knapp, and singing at the top of our lungs, two part harmony of COURSE; and shared countless meals on our classy dining room furniture together (some old plastic deck furniture that my dad gave us). Life was good. :)

We had a little falling out eventually, as most good friends do at some point and unfortunately weren't in touch for a couple years. But after each of us grew up a little, we re-connected and have been BFF's (as my mother likes to refer to us as) ever since. She was my maid of honor at my wedding and I couldn't have asked for a better supporter on one of the most important days of my life.

Tiffany called me in October (?) of 2007 to tell me that she was pregnant and I couldn't have been happier for her. Little did I know, I would be calling her about three months later to share the same news with her about ME! She had her first baby boy in June of last year and Mr. Riley is Emersyn's future husband. We have all the details worked out, just hope we can get the kids to go along with it. Parents know best anyways, right?? ;p

It is so much fun going through this parenthood journey together and being able to really open up to each other on a real level. I never need to fake it with her, can be brutally honest about what is going on in my life and never fear judgement. I desperately wished that she lived closer so that we could see our babies play together more often but I know God has a plan for her in Idaho and for that I am happy.

Somewhere along our friendship, I decided that Tiffany's real middle name should be "Lou" instead of Ann. After awhile, I just started calling her Lou. Nicknames are a big deal for me, I make nicknames out of nicknames, don't get me started.

Happy Birthday Louis (see, a nickname for the nickname). I love you!!!!