Girl's Weekend

There aren't many better things in life than a long weekend spent with one's best girlfriends. This year for our annual rendezvous, we met in Toledo, OH (between Chicago and Jamestown, NY... maybe someday we'll go to Vegas, baby) and once again were the grateful recipients of a free hotel suite, thanks to Annika's generous Marriott points. Two of the girls have babies on the way, so we were able to spend some quality time together child-free before the blessings (and craziness) begin.

Pool time, celebrity gossip, over-eating, old jokes and stories that never seem old... what a wonderful break from the day-to-day. Most of us shared a house together our senior year of college, and though those days are years in the past, when we come together, it's like it was yesterday. I find such comfort and hope in my best friends, all of us unique in our own way, all of us in different but equally wonderful phases and places in life. Despite the distances and differences between us, despite our good and bad days, despite the times we've surely disappointed each other, we continue to share a bond of love, memories, and dreams that have so far kept us coming back for more. I love these girls with no reservations. They make me laugh, they show me new ways of thinking, and they make me a better person.

Here are some "senior pictures" we decided to take while at a restaurant this weekend. Some of us tried hard to keep a straight face, others couldn't have stopped laughing if their life had depended on it.