Never Enough Time

Surprisingly enough, this is actually not a post whining about not having enough hours in the day... I still think about that constantly but in an attempt to get over it, I'll leave it off the blog. This time, it's a simple plea for a few more hours with some of my very best friends.

This weekend marked the 7th annual summer trip for a group of my girlfriends from Wake! I'm so thankful that we've managed to keep this tradition going - even with all of the changes that life has brought throughout these recent years.

Even though in the past, this trip has always been our "beach weekend", we easily adapted that to the schedule of our favorite "BG" and dare I say a new tradition of "home visits" has begun?

Friday evening, everyone assembled in Kernersville, NC, just outside of our alma mater's town of Winston-Salem. Our weekend would end up consisting of a variety of activites between K-Vegas and Greensboro! It was so much fun to be back in Carolina!

Saturday morning, bright and early, we headed to the Old Fourth Street Filling Station to prepare to host a shower for Jayne and BG! Brunch was of course delicious and the shower was a lot of fun; I think BG and his/her parents are now adequately equipped!

At risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own horn... earlier in the week, my mom had convinced me to get into the arts and craft groove; somehow through a series of conference calls, she instructed me into making this cute "Baby Sock Corsage" that our guest of honor donned at her shower. Let's just say that I usually have way more fun in the kitchen than I do with arty projects but this might have gotten me back into the spirit! It was really simple and actually tons of fun to put together!

After the shower, the girls and I made our way to Greensboro for an afternoon of pampering at a spa! It was so much fun - the spa was nice enough to let us take over their back room so we could all be together. Everyone got at least one treatment and some of us even included their very first massage! *yup, that's me - it was a VERY relaxing experience, not sure that I'm hooked or anything but definitely worth it on a rare occasion!

Since this was a weekend of celebrating what's to come mixed with some old favorites, we couldn't skip a visit to our old stomping ground, the Village Tavern! YUM! We munched on delicious Hot Crab Dip and Spinach Tortilla Dip and then each enjoyed our entrees. How I miss this restaurant... it seems that it's sprouted offspring in just about every city except anywhere close to me! Unfair!

As a special treat, and since it seems we always have a few birthdays to celebrate when we get together, Jayne got us some delicious pink lemonade and chocolate-chocolate cake squares from none other than Dewey's! We loved the cute summery decorations (flip-flops!); plus, they were the perfect size for a little sweet treat after our yummy dinner.

Sunday morning, we sadly gathered all together for the last time. Katie fixed us a complete brunch of cinnamon rolls, hash browns, tasty English Muffin egg casserole, and fruit! Unfortunately, soon after brunch, a few of us took Allison and Anna to the airport and bid them farewell though we were so happy that they were even able to join us for a short time.

The rest of us took advantage of the tax-free shopping weekend in NC and then headed to the Greensboro Grasshoppers single-A minor league baseball game! Unbelievably, this was my first minor league game and definitely NOT my last - it was a blast!

Yes, we did actually pay attention to the game, but my favorite part, no contest, was Miss Babe Ruth. If Annabelle ever had a job, I'd want her to do this - Miss Babe Ruth is the team's bat girl and it's absolutely adorable!

And of course, no visit in Winston is complete without the requisite trip to Cook-Out and a stop at the Deacon Shop. Even though I was so sad to be leaving, you can't get much better than a send-off of lunch at the Carving Board (carved turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and a thick slick of sharp cheddar on wheat). *I think this weekend turned into a old-favorites restaurant tour!

There really is never enough time when it comes to old friends... thank goodness for major life events! The last time I'd seen them all was our wedding weekend, then this past weekend, and again in October to shower another baby! I'll admit I'm getting sappier as the years fly by, but I couldn't be more thankful for the time I have with these girls... can't wait to see you all again soon!