Tuesday, April 29, 2014

True friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together. – Woodrow T. Wilson

In honor of all my incredible friends....this post.  I am so lucky, truly.

(Note: Placement of photos and quotes is random and unrelated :-)  Just all mixed together).



Sarah as a Flapper girl and myself as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland ;-)
Sarah is one of my dearest friends.  She has one of the best hearts of anyone I have ever met.  She is deeply loving and loyal, an amazing listener, one of the best cheerleaders I have ever had the honor of having, we always have a blast together and she is silly and smart.  I always feel totally at ease in her presence, her company is a comfort.  She is also a strong and wonderful mother to her little son, Caleb.
Sarah drove 2 hours, one way, just to spend roughly 20 minutes with me at the airport before I headed off to Europe last September, 2013.  Sarah is an incredibly giving friend.  She and I met in college while working together as Hostesses at Applebees and we clicked instantly, and have been close friends ever since.  She is fantastic.


Awesome birthday celebration on my 28th birthday last July, 2013!  Left to right: Kent, Leanne, myself, Alex and Dan.

Cooking evening with Jenn, and delectable desserts at the end.
Jenn is a wonderful friend.  She and I met in 2010 while working at an Insurance Company together, though we did not really become good friends at that time.  Merely acquaintances, actually the entire time we worked there together.  However roughly a year after I left the Insurance Company to work at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, I contacted Jenn to ask her a small favor.  She and I met up briefly during our lunch break that day, as Tufts and the Insurance company are close to one another.  After our giggle-inducing meetup, I invited her to grab dinner sometime.  We enjoyed sandwiches in a cozy little cafe within Harvard Square a few days later.  And I was SHOCKED at how well we clicked!!!  
I discovered she is incredibly intelligent, over the next year and a half we had many, many interesting, philosophical conversations.  Jenn is super open minded and thoughtful, and thus, fun to talk to.  She is sensitive, compassionate and sweet.  We laugh together a lot.  She is creative, loyal and loving.  Jenn actually designed my entire blog!!!  The outstanding graphics and background you see behind and above this post?  All Jenn.  And when I departed for Europe, she and her boyfriend, Steve took in my cats (aka my babies, Bug and Olivia).  Wow.  That took my breath away.  She is a truly great friend.  I am very lucky to know her.


Sarah and I sneaking drinks on the Boston Public Transit ;-)


My brother, Spencer and I in Michigan at our family's lake house on Lake Superior!!
Spencer and I are close :-) I like to think we often understand one another better then either of us likes to admit.  Spencer and I grew up together, playing pretend games with one another for hours on end, playing outside, wrestling or playing video games.  He knows how to make me laugh easily and hard, I love this!  He and I have a deep connection and stay in close touch, despite that he moved away to Michigan when he was 18 (I was 22) while I remained in New Hampshire/Boston.  We have remained closely connected.





Jenn and I, out in Boston!!!


One of my dearest friends, and certainly my longest friendship, Lindsay Emery.
About 4-5 posts prior, I wrote about my friend, Lindsay Emery.  She and I have known one another literally since we were born as our parents were close friends.  Her mother babysat my brother and I (along with other children) growing up.  Lindsay and I attended the same middle school and high school.  We had many of the same mutual friends.  She and I did SO much together.  Sleepovers almost every weekend, we saw one another almost every day for years and years growing up.  We have literally hundreds of memories together, silly, touching, ridiculous, fun, creative.  So many memories to fit almost every adjective one can imagine!  Almost everywhere she and I went together, people would ask us "Are you two twins?"  "Well are you sisters then?" "Cousins?"  And upon finding out we were not related at all, were shocked.  We were asked this literally hundreds of times, to our joy and amusement.  
Lindsay moved away to Virginia when we were both 16.  This crushed my heart.  However aside from a brief falling out, she and I have remained close friends throughout our entire lives.  She is like a sister to me and knows literally everything about me.  She truly embodies the quote "Real friends know all about you and love you anyways."


Jenna and I lounging on my Mom's dock, summer 2013.
Jenna and I have been friends for about 12 years.  My second longest friendship.  She and I bonded in the not-so-wholesome way of cutting numerous classes throughout high school and choosing instead to either walk downtown in Concord, NH or go shopping.  Obviously great choices ;-)
She and I could not be more different in terms of personality.  Like night and day.  Yet we have remained friends, and close ones, for years.  Jenna is incredibly intelligent and someone I love to talk with.  She and I both also love to read, so we often discuss books with one another.  She is often a voice of grounding reason when I might have my head a tad too high in the clouds, filled with too much excitement, impulsiveness or imagination.  
All throughout high school, I spent much time at her family's house where we would have sleepovers.  We would buy magazines, lounge in her living room, watch movies and read our magazines.  I always found this super relaxing and felt very comfortable there.
Her dad used to call me "Brooksie" ;-) super cute, I loved this.
Jenna and I tend to go long stretches without seeing one another, or really even staying in close touch.  But whenever we reunite, its like we never parted.  We fall back into easy and comfortable conversation and have a great time together.




Lindsay and I, dressed and ready to go for a Girl Scouts event ;-) Gotta love my hair, right??





Sarah and I in Orlando, Florida!  We went to Harry Potter world together!!!


Best. Night. Ever.  This was last August, 2013 in Boston.  These are most of my closest friends here.  I had just invited people for some appetizers and drinks as my last evening in Boston, to enjoy some Mexican food and great conversation.  They SHOCKED me and we ended up going out dancing until 1am, they treated me, we had a BLAST, it was just wonderful.  This was an outstanding night for me.


Derek and I at my Mom's lake house
Derek and I have been friends now for about 10 years.  We met my Junior year of high school while both working at Sears Co (the clothing store).  We became friends after going through a hilarious debacle having spent an evening at the beach (myself, Derek and his friend Steve) when I then locked my keys inside my car.
Since this evening, Derek and I have remained friends, obviously ;-)
He and I do not see one another often, but when we do, we talk easily and have great fun catching up.  He knows my family fairly well.  Derek is incredibly warm and kind hearted, personable, easy to be around, incredibly intelligent and involved in a number of causes and holds many beliefs that inspire me.  He is a great person and one I am very happy to know.


Jenn and I playing (SO old school!!!) 13 Dead End Drive- my favorite game EVER!!!

Larin and myself out in Boston!




 

With Jeremy in Laguna Beach, California!
Jeremy and I met in 2008 when my ex, Adam and I placed an ad online looking for a roommate, as we realized (too late) that we could not afford the rent to our apartment just on our own.  Jeremy walked in and we knew instantly that he was the one we wanted to be our roommate.  His warmth and smile won us over.  We lived with Jeremy for two years!  For one year, just the three of us.  And then for a second year, the three of us with the addition of another close friend, Stephan.  This was SUCH fun!!
Jeremy moved back to California in 2010 which was pretty heartbreaking for us, because at this point he had become a very close friend of ours.  
However we have remained in touch.  This photo was taken when I visited California with my family this past August 2013.  We made a detour to visit Jeremy and his girlfriend, Jen in Laguna Beach which was a blast!!
Jeremy is an interesting, unique and wonderful individual.  He is open minded, SO fun to be with, a caring and loyal friend, incredibly smart and innovative (he always comes up with the COOLEST ideas for businesses, or fun activities to do with friends, or inventions, whatever it might be).
I am so happy to be able to call him a friend!


Alex and I on a picnic!  Such a fun day.
Alex is one of my closest friends.  She and I met at the same Insurance company where Jenn and I met.  Alex and I bonded almost instantly.  We began eating lunch together every day and got through the horrific days at this bummer of a company by sending one another long lists of "would-you-rather" emails.  This was great fun and resulted in MUCH laughter.  She and I are "Would-you-rather" partners in crime.
Alex and I have been friends for going on 5 years now.  She, myself, my ex Adam and her now-husband, Dan all spent a LOT of time together over the past few years and have had just an awesome time together.  Going out for dinners, movies, mini golf, shooting guns, picnics, etc.  We invented our own version of a sports fantasy draft, except ours was a Movie Draft!!!  How cool is that?  For two New Years Day's in a row, we met up in a cafe and sat for a number of hours doing this.  GREAT fun.
We've gone to parties at her home, had dinner with her family, watched TV series together, met eachothers friend's and family's, etc.
Alex and I have worked together twice now!  Both at ironically horrific jobs :-'/
She and I have gotten closer as the years have gone on.
Alex is someone I feel I can talk to.  She is fiercely loyal to those she loves, she is strong willed, outspoken, has a hilarious sense of humor and is a blast to be with.  She is incredibly generous, loving and giving.  She will do anything for the people she loves.  I have always loved talking with her and spending time with her.  She is a fantastic friend.



Lindsay and I in High School!!!  So young! <3

Two attempts to snap a cell phone photo of this print on my wall...this is the best I could get.  Lindsay and I again!!!  About 7 or 8 years ago!



Sarah and I at my Bachelorette Party!

NYC with Alex and Leanne!!
Leanne is a great friend of mine.  She and I met through Alex actually, as we were both asked the honor of being Bridesmaids in Alex's wedding.  Leanne and I clicked and became good friends.  She and I have had a number of lunches/dinners together, seen a comedy show together in Boston, etc.
Leanne is a wonderful person.  She is super sweet and silly.  She is also deeply loyal and fun to be with.  She is incredibly creative.  She loves to make things (examples: a stunning white wide brimmed hat topped with gorgeous pink flowers in varying shades for the Kentucky Derby) and is truly talented at this.  I was shocked about a month ago to get my mail and find an incredibly sweet card from Leanne for me waiting there.  She is a thoughtful friend, and one I feel very blessed to have.


Larin and I apple picking!
I met Larin a few years ago as her fiance, Andy and my ex, Adam played soccer together.  She and I sat next to one another as spectators on the sidelines watching the guys play soccer a number of times.  I found that I really enjoyed her company and loved chatting with her.  So I invited her to...where else?  Aerial Yoga!!  (For those of you who do not know what this is, Google it!!  WAY cool).
Larin and I did this together a number of times, along with numerous dinners and meals out.
She is someone I felt I could talk to, and someone I really enjoyed conversing with.  She is confident in who she is, very open minded, thoughtful and insightful, funny and a great friend.  I found I was often moved to different ways of thinking after chatting with her.  She is interesting and fun.  I really love her company.  


Alex, Leanne and I in NYC!!


Lexie Loo!!!  My sweet little sister.  I love this photo.

Lexie and I at the beach!!

I was 11 years old when Lexie was born and I have loved her deeply ever since.  I babysat her often when she was little.  We played pretend games for hours!!!  (Such as "Don't touch the ground!"  She loved this).  I will never forget the day, as it took my breath away, when in college I went to my mailbox and found a letter from my Mom.  Inside she had mailed me an essay Lexie had written.  It was titled "The person I admire the most."  It was about me.
Lexie and I are still incredibly close.  We tell each other many personal things.  We can talk to one another.  She and I look out for one another.  We have a blast together whenever we hang out.  We can fully be ourselves with one another, whether being totally silly or even grumpy.  She and I have a deep connection and love for one another.
I am so happy that my sister and I have this relationship.  She is the BEST.  She is an open minded, thoughtful, fun to be with, silly, kind and wonderful woman.



Jenna and I on New Years one year :-D




Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Inspirational, Moving, and I suppose even a few fun Life Quotes!

Some of my favorite quotes, hand picked by myself.  Hopefully one (or more) of these will inspire... <3












This was just cute <3 so I had to add it.