Girls' Weekend

My bff Carol and I just had our super fun girls' weekend. She got here Thursday and left Sunday afternoon. We had SO much fun. After being "new" for almost three years in AR, it was so great to get to hang out with such a good friend that I've known for so long. (Notice how careful I was not to say OLD friend.) Carol and I met in the fall of 1989 (almost TWENTY years ago) during Welcome Week at ACU. I was 18 and she was 17. We were just kids! We were great friends that year, then roommates for two years, I found her a husband and we were each others' maids/matrons of honor. And we've managed to stay friends even though we haven't lived in the same town since 1993. (Maybe that's WHY we've managed to stay friends. ha ha)

Here we are as college sophomores in 1990.












Until last Thursday, Carol and I have only seen each other for a couple of hours in three years. In September 2005, my family evacuated to her house during Hurricane Rita. Despite the natural disaster that prompted our visit, we had a great time. (Even though both families got quite ill that week.)

Then we moved to AR, then Carol got pregnant with their third child and had some complications, then she had Katie, then the mother of her husband Patrick was diagnosed with cancer, and she passed away last November. I went to Texas for the funeral and Carol and I decided we should get together some time when something bad is NOT happening.

So she flew in Thursday and we ate out a lot, talked a lot, laughed a lot (Carol laughed so hard at Capriccio Grill that she had tears running down her face. And that was before we even got our drinks) and ate out some more. Saturday we shopped before going to stay at the Peabody. The next day we slept late, skipped church (oh yes, we did) and went to lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger. Then back to the airport and back to real life.

We had so much fun that we didn't really care that it rained the whole time she was here. When I got home, Chad said, "You two should do that once a year." I said, "Once a year? She's coming back next weekend!"

Not really. But that would be cool.

Back to Texas

This past Sunday, my BFF's mother-in-law Patsy passed away in Texas. (Patsy was also the mother of this guy.) Patsy and her husband Benny were all set to enjoy retirement, grandkids and a brand new house when she was diagnosed with a very advanced form of cancer this past June. She fought a brief and courageous battle with the disease and kept up an unbelievably positive attitude the whole way through. I'll be traveling to Austin this weekend for her memorial service. I hate the circumstances that resulted in my making this trip, but I am looking forward to seeing lots of old friends -- including Carol, who I haven't seen since we evacuated to their house during Hurricane Rita in 2005.

This also means I am leaving Chad alone with the girls for the weekend. So everyone please be extra nice to him.

Katie Elizabeth!

Katie Elizabeth is here! Well, not here. In a hospital in Waco. Her proud parents are Patrick and Carol. (Carol is my BFF.) Katie was scheduled for arrival tomorrow, but she apparently took matters into her own hands. Now that's something I admire -- a girl who thinks for herself!

For a little more about Patrick and Carol, click on "Love of My Life #4" over there in the right-hand column.

BFF 101

My BFF Carol made up a quiz for her friends to see how well they know her and I FLUNKED IT. I made a 50. I've known Carol since 1989, for heaven's sake. I was even in the quiz! (I was the friend who set her up with her husband. At least I got that question right.)

I made a quiz of my own. Go ahead, take it! Even if you are a complete stranger to me, you'll probably score higher than I did on Carol's quiz.

To take my quiz, click here.