One more guilty pleasure...

My besties. As in, Gretel, Marisa, Arianne, Lizzie, Melody, Ginnie, Jared, and, of course, mom.

I miss my girlfriends...

It's funny. It's not like I hung out with them a whole lot after I left the singles ward or got married. I kind of went into hermit mode (sorry, ladies).
But today, for some reason, I am really missing my girlfriends. A lot.
They are each kind & sweet & full of awesomeness.
So these pictures are my homage to them - I still remember you, girls.
You have had more profound impact on my life than you probably know.
I love you.
And I miss you.

Girls' Night Out

Thanks, M, Jess, Greta & Dana for going out to dinner with me last night. I love you girls. You'd better keep in touch!!!

Jessi & Me

(Yes I know I have scary eyes here. I was going for a crazy face & changed it to a smile at the last minute. Eyes didn't catch up in time...)

G, Marisa & Dana

Waiting for pizza. Yum!

Today was my last day of work...

And I was pretty happy about it, overall. 

I think I am ready to move on to this new stage of my life.

However, I will miss these ladies immensely. They have been my saving grace at work. I love you ladies! You'd better keep in touch!

L-R: Cathy, Lawasa, me, Becky, Erin, Paola, Kate, Carol

Work Dinner

(Top, l-r: Terri, Linda, Paola; 

Bottom, l-r: Sydney, Cathy (aka my saving grace), Jak, Andrea, moi)

Had an awesome dinner the other night with Jaclynn, one of the bosses I support at work, & a few other ladies. Jak flew in from Denver for some business & it was so good to see her. She is awesome, & I would gladly be her personal assistant anytime!

Lizzie's baby shower

Gretel, Arianne & I threw a baby shower for my old roommate Liz, possibly the sweetest, kindest & most good-natured friend in the world. She's expecting a little boy in mid-January. We had a small turnout, but it was a fun shower of close friends & we had a good time!

Cutie cake Arianne brought

Liz, Arianne, & Marisa

The favors (think I overdid it much? Yeah. Me too.)

We had lots of fun eating, though! :)

My obligatory self-portrait. (Ginnie says this face is the same I have in my pictures as a three-year-old. I'll have to find some & scan them to compare.)

Cute Gretel. I love her.

Angie & Jessica. I love all of these girls! :0)

One of my very favorite work buddies

My work had a baby shower for Erin, one of my very favorite people on earth. If you wrap up the sweetest, most giving, neatest, organized, kindest & down-to-earth people, you'd have Erin. And even then you can't hate her, because she's just too darn likeable. I kind of want to fold her up & put her in my pocket & take her home. One of those types. :0) She's one of my very favorites. I snagged a few pics & am excited to see if she has her Christmas baby boy (to be named "Andrew" - or, as I tease her, a girl, which horrifies her, because "everything is already painted blue!" I know, I know. I'm horrible.)

Opening presents

Guessing the candy in the diaper game (may I let it once more be known that I loathe this game, but at least it was not melted...oh yes, I have played this game where we had to smell it melted, thus rendering me temporarily nauseated & impervious to the normally sweet, sweet smell of all chocolate...how this saddened me)

Cutie pie Erin

Shower-goers

Presents

Cute cake

"Must you get me with food?" (Yes, Erin. This is my joy in life. To catch people with food.)

And again.

Lizzie

My old roommate & sweet friend Liz, had a housewarming party, which happened to be on her birthday. Jared & I went for a little bit & said hi, chatted with people & had some fabulous hummus & cinnamon rolls (obviously not together, for that would be very, very wrong). Thanks, Ari, for putting such a great party together - and great mondo buns, as always!

The highlight of the night, other than snooping around the new-to-the-Barri-and-their-friends house was when Liz, possibly the calmest person (other than Jared) I know, took to breaking open her gorilla pinata for her birthday candy. I didn't know Liz could get that aggressive with a broom. Tyler, beware. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones...???

Liz staring at the nearly decimated gorilla.

And the party-goers scramble for the candy with glee...

I myself was delighted by a piano given to Tyler & Liz for free...til I played it. It was cool to play one key and have two-three sounds come out of it...for about a minute. Then it gave me a headache. (I was kinda diggin' on the turqoise color, though.)

More baby shower pics

Kids eating

Miriam helping her mom open presents

Emily's "chorale mascot" blanket

Meredith's "chorale mascot" blanket

Elaine's wiped out!

Chorale Baby Shower

We had a surprise chorale baby shower for Meredith, our pianist, and Emily, one of our altos. It was so fun!

The cake

Presents

The guests of honor

Attendees

Carlos & Jason talking

Whit and Nate's reception

I felt like death, but I was pretty determined to go to Whit and Nate's reception last night, even if it was for only a little bit. It was fun to see people - kind of an odd Gayton ward/singles ward/Whitney's friends from school reunion. But it was nice to see people, since I've been cooped up in the house for the past month. And it was nice to scare people away with the power of my coughing in their faces, as well. >:) And I love Whitney and Nathan - some of the best people I know. So laid back and down to earth. I wish them the best. :)

The newly happy married couple - very hungry when I got there!

Gretel and I like each other. She ain't afraid of no sickies.

Jess is such a picture hog. ;)

G and Nate

Nate and Reese

Arianne's senior recital

I am so proud of Arianne. I went to her senior recital this past Saturday and she had a good crowd. (My pictures didn't turn out as well, unfortunately, because the girl is such a good actress and kept moving...) She did a really good job. 18 songs! Whew. I hope she slept hard that night.

Program

Jared, me (who had discovered the camera), Layla and Anne

Ari needs to hold on for support!

Greeting her many fans

Cute, shy Gracie and Aunt Arianne