The morning began with, well... sleep! I ended up sleeping in until 11:00am, a thing that simply doesn't happen with this girl! Aaron came into my room to ask me if I wanted to sleep all day, because it's 11:00! I jumped out of bed and went right into the dining room where Ali, Dave, and Pegg were finishing breakfast!
Around 2pm, Ali, Dave, Aaron and I met Aaron's dad and Kaye at a local BBQ place called Phil's BBQ Pit!
It's a really cute restaurant that used to be a game room where kids could have their birthday party's! Aaron said his cousin Andrew had a birthday party here years ago before it became a restaurant.
We all huddled around this table in the corner, under a shrine to the University of Alabama, the owner's alma mater! (My mom is a an avid Auburn fan, so I felt a little bit like a traitor sitting under the shrine... Sorry mom! *)
I got hounded for ordering a salad at a BBQ place, but I tell you what, that was the best (and only) salad I'd had in 2 years! It was delicious!
I got hounded for ordering a salad at a BBQ place, but I tell you what, that was the best (and only) salad I'd had in 2 years! It was delicious!
Next on the agenda was a reunion party at Bill's house (One of Aaron's best friends from growing up!) His mom is the local Martha Stewart of Black Mountain and cooked-baked up a storm!
On the left were hand made chocolate cups for the Kahlua toast we made later in the night! Then there were chocolate covered coconut balls, pepermint bark, sugar cookies, and a chocolate pound cake with chocolate chips! It took everything within me not to gravitate towards this counter!
Bill was put on the spot and made a last minute speech!
Bill's mom had an old school fiber optics tree in her front window! hahaha
These guys have been best friends since elementary school and this party was for them to all get together after a couple years! They did everything together, literally everything growing up! Their bond and alliance to each other is really quite remarkable!
The boys, their girlfriends, siblings, and parents all showed up for the reunion! The 5 families haven't all been together in one room since the boys graduation from High School!
Pegg (Aaron's mom), Aaron and me!
From left to right in the following picture:
Aaron and Me
Jordan, who recently moved to Connecticut from San Fran to take a job as the Brand Retail Marketing Manager for North American at LEGO.
Kim, who is Jordan's girlfriend of 4 years. She just moved with Jordan to Connecticut and is in advertising too!
Sam, who recently moved to New York City and sells software to hedgefunds. He's been living in London for the past 4 years and traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia with Aaron a couple months back!
Burke, who lives in New Orleans and restores historic homes!
Bill, who lives in DC and is an environmental attorney, and also a genius, literally! (Sorry if I embarassed you Bill)
Helen, who is Bill's girlfriend. She lives in DC too and just finished a double masters in social work and international health!
Aaron has some SERIOUSLY smart and talented friends!
This is obviously the first time the girlfriends have officially met! We all huddled around the loaf of homemade sourdough bread in the kitchen and chatted while all the mom's talked about how fun it was to see the boy's girlfriends talking and hitting it off! I love these girls already!
At around 10:30pm, the younger crowd moved the party over to the Watershed, one of the 2 bars in Black Mountain! Burke's parents actually built it years back!
The watershed is the kind of place I've only ever seen in movies! It oozes small town country charm!
Helen, Bill, and Aaron! Please excuse Aaron, he likes to make faces when I take too many pictures! :)
Jordan and Kim! If any of you know Nate Brocious (from AZ/OR), I'd swear these two were brothers from a different mother - the same personality, to a tee! I loved it!
This is Burke's brother and sister, Niles and Caitlin... Aaron grew up with them as well! The home that they grew up in is one of the most charming, and gorgeous homes in the whole town!
Nile's wife is expecting their first baby in April. and Caitlin just got married last summer in Black Mountain!
Nile's wife is expecting their first baby in April. and Caitlin just got married last summer in Black Mountain!
Like two peas in a pod!
Helen and Bill have been together for 8 years! They are such a great match and have so much fun together! They are probably my biggest blog fans too, so they felt like they already knew me when I walked in the door tonight! They know every story I ever wrote and can probably rememeber them too.
Kim and Jordan.
And there they are, the 5 of them, all together again! One with some questionable cowboy boots! :) ***
Today was a day I'd been anticipating for a long time! I will tell you now that Aaron's friends are top notch gentlemen and the funnest group of guys! I'm blessed to have met them and was overwelmed by their acceptance of me into the core group!
Oh, and a BIG HUGE Happy 34th birthday to my beautiful sister Amy, who we completely forgot to call today! Uugghhh... :( We're so sorry sister! We'll make it up to you somehow! We love you so much!
