this ones for the girls

to all of my girls:

the very first of you were family, mom, sister, grandmas, aunties, cousins, and stepmom. you taught me then what it felt like to smile. we played games, read books, and ran around naked in the backyard. today you remind me of the beauty of strong women. i love to laugh together as we continue the legacy our of family. and i love knowing that when times are rough, you are all there for me.

thank you.

elementary school was a time of best friends, play dates, the very first slumber party, and growing to like boys together. my girl friends played lava monster on the playground, we jogged together at the jog-a-thon, and we blinged out plastic-ware at sparkles. we made goodie bags at birthday parties so we could bring home some of the fun from our adventures. we made music videos, dressed up like rockstars and beauty queens, and skipped across the playground while squealing with laughter.

thank you.

middle school was awkward. braces, zits, first periods, "dates", and sleepovers that lasted all weekend long. we girls stuck together and got through it together. we passed notes in class, had our first real melodramas, got our nails done, ran the mile together, and shared bath and body works body spray. such a tight knit group. those were the years and the girls who really formed "ashley part one".

thank you.

high school was the best, worst, lightest, and darkest of our days together. we had falling outs. we ignored each other and made new friends. but we always came full circle. we all had our first love together. we ate lunch in the amphitheater and ate warm otis spunkmayer cookies from the commons. we became self-conscious together and we rallied up support for each other when there was a bad breakup or bad test. we sang together in the choir. we drove each other in our first cars, hung out at the mall, went to movies, ate el balazo, and talked about everything together. you helped me even if you didn't know it.

thank you.

girlfriends in college helped me learn about who i really am. we again talked about boys, swapped kissing stories, borrowed each other's clothes, forgot who's sweatshirt belonged to who, lived together, ate together, cried together, and laughed even more. there were late nights of partying and dancing. some early mornings volunteering and running. beach trips. sorority meetings and events. dances. we helped each other decide on majors and life plans. when our family couldn't be there, we were. college girlfriends are important because they get to know who you were, form who you are, and love you for who you become.

thank you.

i'm sure that as time goes on, the girls in my life (99% of whom have already been chosen--good luck if you're applying) will only get more beautiful. your humor will only get more hilarious, your outfits more fantastic, your lives more incredible with each passing year. and one by one as we get married and have girls and boys of our own, we will live it all over again. together.

and soon enough when i walk down the aisle, i know the girls in my life will be there to help me do this:



and i cannot wait :)