4 posts tagged “friends”

The late twenties are a strange and wonderful time in life.  About half of my friends are married (or practically married) and starting to have children.  I, on the other hand travel home for the holidays unaccompanied and split my time between the parents (family #1) and friends (family #2).  It's the time in life where you 'get' why you called 8 women aunt so-and-so growing up when your parents only had one sister a piece.  At a certain point, the friends that you hold near and dear to your heart for years and years- who you stand next to as they get married, and love their children like they are your own become family plain and simple.

This is my second family...best friends, Shannon and Tara, husband to best friend (Tara), Lavonta and my gorgeous goddaughter, Talynn. 

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Tia, who is pictured above between Shannon and me is 12 years old, if you can believe it. She is really coming into her own.  I enjoyed the quality time we shared over the holidays...even the blaring techno music at 8:30 AM in the teeny-bop mall stores where I braced the post Christmas crowds to take her shopping didn't phase me (well, in hindsight...at the time, another story). 

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Tara and Lavonta are such a solid couple, incredible people and amazing parents.  They aren't bad looking people either (giggle).  They are considered family not because I stood next to them as they said their vows on their wedding day, or b/c I am the god-mommy of their little girl, but because i would do absolutely anything for them (Shannon too, of course), now or 20 years from now. 

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Uhm, could she be any cuter?!

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Lavonta is such a great dad.  I just can't get enough of seeing him with his baby.  Too precious.

I will miss you all until I am back home in April for Tally's 1st birthday...until then, muah!

Two weekends ago, one of my best and oldest friends came to SF for a weekend o' fun.  Shannon is the friend for me where all bets are off when we're together.  There is constant laughter normally accompanied by bad behavior.  This time was no different.

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Sadly, Shannon resides in Santa Monica but I guess SF wouldn't recover and neither would we if we were here together all the time.  Cheers to good times with longstanding friends!

Last weekend was dedicated to celebrating a very special friend, her birthday, her wonderful man, and this carefree (almost) time in our lives.  Erin has been one of those friends that you consider yourself incredibly lucky to find and keep.  I met her the first day she moved into her dorm room at UOP back in 1999.  We have been great friends ever since and it's amazing to think how far we've come since the good ol' days in Stockton.  

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Sunday, we rose bright and early to make our way down to Los Altos for a birthday brunch with her family.  I love the burbs so it was a nice change of pace.  I love this photo: Jacob, Erin, me, and Kenny. Great times. 

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After two plus years and memories galore I bid farewell to my Six Apart family.  It was bittersweet to leave behind colleagues and friends whom spent a lot of time with over the past 25 months.  I have said goodbye a lot, especially over the past 5, but I am at ease knowing that the people I'm leaving behind will still remain close even though we will no longer share the office on 4th and Brannan.

I couldn't have asked for a better mid-week send-off. Thank you JDC, Chall, Kimmie, Beau Jangles, Joy, Whitaker, and Basey for lots of laughs and watermelon beer!  For those who couldn't make it, you were there in spirit and definitely missed.  Kimmie, thanks again for being a good sport as i 'accidentally' consumed the last of your beer. 

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Chall and ladies

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JDC, major shout out to you and your rock star ways!  You are truly one of the best friends a girl could have.