when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year

[myoosik: #117, "friend like you" by joshua radin.]

i've been thinking lately about how incredibly lucky i am to have so many best friends. (note: this post does not include a) best guy friends, or b) family members. although i promise you all count.)

but this one's for my girls. (cue cheesy Martina McBride track)

but really. THESE are my besties. and i owe more to them than i can say. (and more than will ever, ever, ever fit in a blog post.)

thanks for being the reason for all the adventures, and the reason i've survived, thrived, jived (just go with it) and continue to do so. you are my voices of reason, my faces of happiness, and the people i would run across the airport to tackle into the luggage carousel, given the chance.

so, in no particular order other than how blogger chooses to upload them ...

my abbers. even though you're in Holland & won't see this for 1.5 years (or ever, maybe) ... for being the best e-mail buddy and pen-pal ever ... for bonding with me in the PR office and countless times since ... for your courage to live in new places and try new things ... for loving as deeply and caring as much as i do (possibly more) about always helping and serving other people ... and for always thinking so deeply about everything.

my torchy. for so many adventures in the CC ... for falling in love with frisbee with me ... for staying up late to journal together ... for understanding that shoe/chair squeaks really ARE funny ... and for just being such a sane individual in such a small town.

my larsy parsy. for letting me nickname you ... for bonding over crazy bread/queer eye/mattress olympics/a zillion billion other things ... for running away to california with me ... for somehow being the other half i never knew i was missing until we ended up in the same room ... seriously, for really being the reason i even came out of provo in one piece.

my mahoorah. for seeing me through my awkward phase ... for continually impressing me with your strength ... for the way you love other people so much it makes you wiggle ... for the way you're just always there when i need you ... and for the way i ALWAYS feel better about life after we talk on the phone.

my dawnee ray. for being the reason i survived sophomore honors English (remember how we fell asleep on the 2nd day of class?) ... for always being ready with a smile ... for doing nothing in English class but drawing stars (and/or sheep) on things with me ... for the way you're so good it just makes you sparkle ... and for always, always encouraging me.

my ali-babwa. for tying your sweatshirt to mine in 3rd grade ... for towel modeling ... for about a zillion sleepovers ... and for, really, being my oldest friend.

my reebs. for gilmore girls ... for being the reason my first year back in AZ didn't eat me alive ... for your bravery ... for the magical hot tub and Scottsdale Hateway ... and for always ALWAYS understanding what i'm feeling/thinking/craving because you're thinking/feeling/craving the same thing.

my mindi. for being attached to my hip thru jr high and high school ... for laughing with me like maybe no one else before or since has accomplished ... for michelle branch roadtrips and vivian and peanut butter m&m's and "where the crap is randy?" ... for making and then eating certain cookies when certain boys let us down ... for becky "the icebox" o'shea and the oneders.

my meggles. for making our current life phase a party every day ... for the hundreds of miles we have (and will) run together ... for countless therapeutic conversations ... for being brave enough for the onesies ... for always understanding and never judging the need to eat another cookie or watch another hour of Alias.

my k rob. for being, seriously, my voice of reason amid everything ... for letting me call you pretty much every day ... sometimes twice ... for your optimism ... for the way our lives are always doing the same things at the same time ... therefore knowing you'll ALWAYS understand exactly what i'm feeling.

my kt lew. for somehow being a bestie even though we never lived in the same place, ever ... for the way you're always so, so kind to me ... for the way we could probably talk for hours about nothing important and everything important all at once ... for understanding my simple, flannel-shirt dreams ... for ALWAYS being up for an adventure or at least adventurous dreaming.

my katie lee. for being a part of pretty much every best memory i've had in the last few years ... for never being too cool for school ... for the way life always delights you ... for pretending to be a grown-up with me .... for understanding the obscure movie and TV references that no one else ever does ... and therefore, for helping me withstand my eskimos.

my k sparks. for the bunk bed ... for unintelligible late-night conversations ... for your faith and encouragement ... for letting me cry when i just can't help it ... for thinking all the right things are funny ... for being an amazing listener ... and for just showing up in my life one day at a demolition derby.

my beef. for still going by "beef" ... for being the reason i haven't kicked my cubicle walls down ... for knowing you'd be there in a second to join me if i did it anyway ... for understanding everything that's good about life, from Cedar City to P-town and all the angst in between ... for the way i could probably stand on a chair somewhere and just yell and yell, and you wouldn't ask questions, you'd just start yelling too and then hop in our getaway car to cali ... and of course, for Dr. Leo Marvin.

my chantallion. for being one of the most beautiful people i know, inside and out ... for how much i adore laughing with you ... for the way your advice/opinion means the world to me ... for constantly inspiring me with your courage.

my ashley. for that picture below, whatever the heck we were doing ... for always being the person i want to sit next to at all parties/gatherings/etc because i love giggling with you ... for always giving sound advice about life ... for your inspiring faith & dedication.

my caralinia. for making it really difficult to choose just one picture for this blog, because we have about 100 priceless treasures to choose from ... for knowing exactly what i'm feeling/thinking with nothing more than a grunt or body flail ... for often being the first person i call when my heart gets broken ... for never being afraid of life or sea monsters or making jokes about bodily functions.

like i said, i am one seriously lucky girl.