July 22, 2010

Good friends are like stars...

... you may not always see them, but you always know they're there!

Around this time, about 8 years ago, I met a group of people that would forever have a huge impact on my life. Not only did I meet my future husband, but also the people that would be my BEST friends to this day.

I worked at CVS (mainly in the photo department) starting in high school and for the next couple of years afterwards. I LOVED it. I had so much fun developing pictures and always getting the first look at new products that came out. I've always sworn that if I was ever hard up for a part time job again or just for the heck of it... I'd go right back. But mostly I really enjoyed the people I worked with. One of them being a close friend that actually lives here in El Paso with me, but that's besides the point.


I worked with an older women named Linda who I got pretty close with at the time. I would go over to her house occasionally. She had three sons and two of them were around my age. One night she invited me over for a little party.. one of her sons was having a few of his friends over and she thought I'd have a good time with them.


So that's the night that I met my husband. I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I was beyond three sheets to the wind (hey.. I was in college.. what do you expect) when he and Brandon showed up. Uggghhh... I can't believe I'm putting this out there, but the first time he saw me, I was dribbling water out of my mouth thinking I was HILARIOUS because I was acting like I was drooling. I tell on myself only to show you that he really does love me. If you can look at a girl in that state and say, "now that is the girl I want to marry", than you know it's true love! Maybe not love at first sight.. we didn't officially start dating or even showing any REAL interest in each other until October, but a deep friendship definitely sparked.


Anywho.. throughout the next couple of weeks I started hanging out with this group of people more and more. Trey, Brandon, Matt (those three had been bff's since 9th grade), Chris, Julianne, Tiffany, Wendy, LK, Jeff, Matt G. We started doing everything together. And by everything I usually just mean hanging out together, drinking too much, movie nights, concerts, pool parties, beach trips.. just having a good time. Trey and I started dating that October. Chris and Julianne started dating a little while after that I think. Some people kind of weeded themselves out and some people were added in.

After a while, Brandon started dating Emily and Matt started dating Ashleigh. They were both immediately just a part of our little group and the good times just kept on rolling. Ohhh man how I wish I had some old pictures saved on my computer that I could upload.. then again.. maybe that's not such a bad thing!


We grew up together over the next few years. Trey and Chris moved in together along with two other guys. We were all like a little family, spending every single weekend together, all weekend. I can't even express how much fun we had together.

Fast forward a few years later and we're all finishing up with school and get big people jobs. Chris and Julianne are engaged and moving into their own place. Brandon, Emily, and I moved in with Trey. Chris and Julianne get married, a little bit of time goes by... Trey proposes to me... Brandon and Emily get engaged (while I'm sitting in the next room over!) and before you know it we're all growing up.


I'm sitting here looking at us all now and how close we all still are. Some of the people I mentioned above, I'm no longer in touch with. I grew out of some of them, but I'm very thankful for having them introduce me to my best friends.

It blows my mind to look back on pictures and to see us in college, where life was nothing but a party. Since then, we've grown up together and have gotten to the next stages in life.
Chris and Julianne are married and have a 9 month old precious son.
Brandon and Emily are married and have a 4 month old beautiful daughter.
Trey and I are married and are about to have a little gift of our own.
Matt and Ashleigh are married and just celebrated their 2 year anniversary!
What are the chances!?


We've all moved on separately with our lives but still have that connection and bond that has kept us together all of these years. I remember endless talks with Julianne about how we'd have our families and our kids would be best friends. It makes me a little sad to think about that now, when Trey and I are so far away and not knowing what the future will hold for us. But I now that even if it's not exactly the way we planned for it to be, I know that I'll still be "together" even though distance may keep us apart. We'll still be Bffs at 85 years old, celebrating life's victories and being there for each other through life's disappointments. I couldn't ask for more!

I'm a lucky, lucky girl!

*I know I usually don't use friends names on here, but I'm hoping that they'll be too sentimental and too busy reminiscing to care ;) *

3 comments:

One Day at a Time said...

love you Jess :)

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

It sounds like you've got some great friends in your life!!!

Real love stories have no endings said...

CVS those were the good days :) I am so happy and thankful to be able to share more of them with you and our amazing hubby's here in El Paso!!