Friends Galore!

I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life.  And it seems that lately, they are just what I need.  Just last week, I was able to drive to the Chicago area to visit my long-time friend, Kari, for an impromtu overnight stay.  She was in town for a conference and suggested I come and see her.  It was completely random, but I asked my parents if they could take the kiddos overnight (Joe was out of town for work) and they said yes!  We had a great time catching up over dinner, drinks, and some penny slots at the Casino down the street!  We topped off the night with an 80s and 90s cover band in the bar.  What a blast!

A few days later, I boarded a plane to Seattle.  My much-awaited get-away to visit my highschool friend, Christine.  Christine has a 3 year old son, 1 year old twin sons, and she is expecting.  It was exciting to see her little baby bump!  I was able to see her everyday life, which made my everyday life seem a bit more normal! We all have chaos!  We were able to get away on Saturday to have lunch and shop at a very fancy mall.  I would've been satisfied with doing those two things, but our day out ended with a visit to the spa.  It was amazing.  I wrote about my treatment in my last post, but here is a picture of the "Vichy Shower."  The photo is NOT of me.

This full-body shower was followed by a shea butter massage, which included a clarifying facial treatment and scalp massage at the end.  I was so relaxed...my eyelids are getting a little droopy just thinking about it.  Time to schedule my next massage I think...

On Sunday, Christine's parents (who moved from Michigan) babysat the kiddos so Christine, myself, and her hubby could go into downtown Seattle for a nice dinner.  One of my old college roommates was able to join us.  She is an anesthesiologist completing her residency in the Seattle area.  It was so nice to be able to see two friends in one trip!  We had dinner at this great Italian restaurant called "The Pink Door."  It was down this little alley, and the only way you knew it was the place was by the pink door.  It was dimmly lit, which eclectic decorations.  The best part?  There was a trapeze artist.  You read that correctly.  Here's the proof!

Christine and I don't talk on the phone...we e-mail every now and again...but she's the kind of friend where it feels like you just pick right up where you left off. It was so nice being able to bounce parenting ideas off each other, since our parenting style seems pretty similar.  I am so grateful that we have remained friends after all of these years. 

And if that's not enough...my very best friend of over 25 years is coming to visit me this Friday!  Andrea lives with her husband in Columbus, Ohio.  Unfortunately, Mark can't make the trip this time.  They are expecting their first child this March.  I can't wait to give her a hug and touch her belly!