mon cherie

In honor of this beautiful September 16th, I would like to dedicate this post to my beautiful friend, Andrea Cherie, over at OurTraditionalHome.blogspot.com.

I went to elementary school and middle school with Andrea at a small Christian school, and as we entered middle school, we and two other girls formed a tight bond as we sat through algebra and language arts together, waved goodbye to my mom's minivan as she dropped us off to see Titanic for the fifth time, and patented the covered-mouth-giggle as we confided our first crushes to each other.

What I remember most about Andrea from those years was her collection of Bath & Body Works products, her neat containers that organized her purse, and the impressive collection of colored pens she used to color-code her agenda. (Note: this set the precedent for my college years.) We called her Goldie because she was very gold. Her hair was like spun gold, her eyes hazel gold, her skin a golden bronze, and last but not least...the gold braces! We were ALL jealous of the gold braces!

We didn't talk much throughout high school, but the four of us kept in touch here and there through college summers and Christmas breaks since Hannah was in Minnesota, Christine was in California, I was in Oklahoma City, and Andrea went to college here. Christine and I made it to Andrea's wedding in 2006, when she married her handsome Jason.

After graduation and I started seriously dating JT, our long coffee dates began. We were the only two in town, and we'd try to meet once or twice a month when our schedules allowed, and when we did, we'd be there two or three hours. JT has even been known to send a text or two asking if I was okay and safe. (Love him.) Our conversations spanned from our families, our dreams, our jobs, and most importantly, our loves!

When I got engaged, Andrea would come to our dates armed with her wedding binder. Her organization is definitely something that I lack, because she had lists of things to register for, ceremony orders, and she has a mind to think of details that I never would have remembered! On my wedding day, she brought me a razor to shave my legs and some snacks for my wedding party. On our programs, she was listed as "Wedding Lifesaver Extraordinaire" and fit the bill to the T!

Now that we are "married friends," I absolutely love sharing this time of our lives with her! She is truly a domestic inspiration. She still has her helpful lists -- like a grocery list, Excel-style! She bakes her own bread! She's green! She picks apples and makes homemade apple sauce and fresh squeezed juice! She introduced me to FlyLady.net and therefore to Chlorox disinfecting wipes! And most recently, she blogs!

She is a great person, a great wife, and a great friend! Happy Birthday, Andrea Cherie!