Welcome Back, A Mizz!!!

My great friend, Ali - do NOT call her Alicia - is returning to Uhmerrica for the first time in over a year! While she is kicking ass and taking names over in Japan, I have been missing her greatly! Ali (I prefer A Mizzle) and I have known each other since the good ol' days - little league. However, we didn't start playing on the same team until high school... I was instantly infatuated.

She has yet to see me as an old married lady and I have yet to hear about her future Japanese husband. (I don't know if there is one, but with her, you can't really be sure.) So happy to have my tennis partner back, even if it is only for a couple of weeks!

Goodbye, July! (Well, almost.)

How in the world is it almost August?! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time goes by. I have so many things to share with the blog-world, and while I do not want to overwhelm you with a lengthy post, it seems like the best option. (Plus, I am feeling kind of sleepy).

So I will begin where I last left off - with my main man, Harry. And yes, for those of you wondering, my tear ducts still work. While it was too short (I would have been pleased with a four hour version), I thought it was such a wonderful interpretation of the final book. However, I did have one big problem: the way it ended. **For those who have yet to see the film, stop reading this and apparate to your nearest movie theater** When HP, Ron & Hermione were standing on the bridge in front of Hogwart's holding hands.. I died. I was having a moment!  Tears were streaming down my face and I was thinking "Well done, Warner Brothers. You nailed it!" And then this text appeared on the screen before me:

"19 Years Later."

NO! Why?! Can someone please tell me why? And I will not accept "it was written in the book" as a valid answer. Maybe I would have felt differently about it had they done a good job portraying the future lives of my favorite wizarding trio. Instead, they looked like awkward versions of themselves. So disappointing. Regardless, it was really enjoyable to watch and I am still coping with the fact that it is all over. Now that I have that out of my system, we can go on with our regularly scheduled programming.

As of late, summers have been associated with weddings and the celebrations that go with them. I am lucky, and proud, to have met my closest college friends through my involvement in Alpha Chi Omega. I find no need to defend this confession, as joining was one of the best decisions I have ever made. And because of that choice I made six years ago, I have some of the greatest friends I could have ever hoped for. It is only fitting to share my most recent adventures with this gaggle of gals through photos. You will start to understand why I love them so.

Yup. He rules.

It's always difficult to decide whether to smile or mean mug the camera. 

Roslyn brings out the best in people. For example: Jordyn. 

We like the shake face. A lot. 

Braiding hair & dancing. Totally normal.

Prepared for the boat ride.

Before our 3-person impression of Leonardo & Kate in "Titanic."

Mr. & Mrs. Rose (AND THEIR GLASSYBABY!!!) 

Did I mention some of my friends were tall? And awesome?!

My dancing partner. Enough said.

Welcome to our crazy group, Eric. 

All signs point to the evening being a success! 

He's not an AXO, but I love him just as much.

While some events could have been considered a tad bittersweet, the bond I have with these ladies is unbreakable, regardless of where we are in our lives. I am only a phone call away from a good laugh, a ridiculous story (ahem, Shannon!), or a listening ear. 

See?! I knew you'd like them.

'Arry Pottah!

I really wish you could have heard me say the title of this post out loud. Trust me when I tell you... it was awesome. In all seriousness, tomorrow needs to be a national - scratch that, GLOBAL - holiday. My tickets were purchased a month ago and since then, I have been throwing magical lingo into everyday conversation. You think that's an Amtrak train? Wrong! It's the Hogwart's Express. I realize this is making me sound crazy more than anything, but better this than Twilight, right? (I read those, too...)

But I digress! Nothing is better than a good book, and it will be sad when the movie ends and there is nothing to look forward to. I will admit, I was wary about this wizard-boy stuff when I was in high school. Thank goodness for my friend, Sarah, for talking some sense into me. It wasn't until college when I read then, but good lord, I could not put them down. I was a nanny the summer I read them and I could not function without reading these books. I would take the girl to the lake - she would swim and I would get my tan on while learning about unforgivable curses & Mandrakes. 

I. Was. Hooked. 

The books were written in such a way that I was able to fully immerse myself in the Hogwart's universe. It's been such an adventure seeing the cast grow up and it is amazing to see what a worldwide phenomenon Harry Potter has become. I think it goes without saying that I'm pretty excited for the 7:05 showing tomorrow night.

... And I hear the 3D glasses look like Harry's!

Baby, You're a Firework!

I realize it has been over a week since my last post, and to my millions of followers (millions = five or six), I am so deeply sorry. It has been one of those weeks - wake up, go to work, come home, leave 15 minutes later for something else, come home, sleep, and start it all again the next morning. While I love being busy, I desperately wish time would slow so I could enjoy the little things. Like this iced coffee I am enjoying, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. Seriously, this woman rocks my world. (If I had to choose between her & Adele... I honestly don't know if I could, but that is a topic for another day.)

Because of such a hectic week, I was so ready for the weekend. What a wonderful mix of productivity and fun. I left my husband alone on Saturday with yard work while I went out to UW to rent a row boat with my closest friends from high school. Just us, the water, a picnic lunch... and hundreds of other people who decided to take advantage of a sunny day in Seattle. But what a much needed day with my girlfriends! I couldn't have asked for anything better. I saw a wonderful analogy for friendships the other day and it totally rang true while we were out laughing and trying not to run our boat into the concrete pillars under 520. Friends are like clothes... while you still shop as you get older, you will always have those staples in your closet that you can never get rid of; be it a hooded sweatshirt from college or that pair of comfortable jeans that you can't live without. And my high school friends are just that; it's always the same regardless of how long we have gone without seeing each other. I know that I have friends for life. And when it seems nothing is going my way, I just remember the faces of those three ladies and I know I'll be okay. (That rhymed... no big deal.)

Yes, I'm done describing the epiphany I had while trying to avoid speedboats along the Montlake Cut. Have you tried to row through two-way boat traffic?! It's stressful! Thankfully, we had great technique... we will be training for the Olympics soon. Look out, world!

And now it's the 4th of July - and what a beautiful day it is outside! While it is hard to get mentally prepared for a holiday that falls on a Monday, knowing that Tuesday brings work, I love the 4th of July. Some friends of ours throw the BEST parties at their house on Lake Washington, including an elaborate fireworks display cued to music. (And I really hope that Katy Perry "Firework" makes the list this year, hence the title of this post!) I honestly cannot remember the last time we celebrated at their house when it was sunny, so it will surely be a day to remember. (Or not remember: word on the street is that two kegs have been purchased. God bless, Uhmerrica!)

To all of you out there who read this silly thing, have a safe and happy Fourth! I will be back to write soon, as we have a couple of home improvement projects that I'd love to chronicle!