Happy Birthday Lauren!!

Oh, Miss Lauren McKinney, now Mrs. Lauren Gilligan..where do I even begin with your happy birthday wishes? Lauren and I go way back to the junior high days. I credit her for taking me under her wing when I was brutally dumped by my First Love. I was devastated, and Lauren and I hung out with the same people, but really weren't friends until after The Dumping. I thought it was the end of the world (as we all do when our first "real" relationship comes to an end), and Lauren was nice enough to start asking me to hang out with her.

One thing led to another, and soon I was spending weekends at her house, and even took a trip to Florida with her. In Florida, I found out my mom was pregnant with Morgan (a day I'll NEVER forget), and I took my first and only trip to the Florida Keys. After high school ended and I went off to school at Clarion, and her to Lock Haven, we grew apart, but still kept in touch. The girls from Brookville made it a tradition to go to the truck stop for coffee when we were all home, and Lauren and I have kept in touch regularly throughout the years.
Lauren has recently been a great friend to me, once again, after I got The Boot from Felix. She calls and texts me regularly to see how I'm doing, and I can't thank her enough for that. She's been one of the greatest long-distance friends I've ever had...So thank you, Lauren. I'm so glad you've found happiness with Matt in your little home in Kane, and I wish you a spectacularly happy birthday!!!