It's cliche

"Some people are lucky enough to find someone that loves them no matter what...I was lucky and found three."

The quote is straight from Sex and the City. Many have heard it. Many have used it. What I wonder is, how many people are lucky enough to relate to it so closely as the four of us.

In order (top to bottom), you're looking at: Steph, Courtney, and Tracy. The four of us cheered together at Mount Union. Back then, we were lucky enough to see each other everyday. On a bad day, I just had to wait until 4 o'clock practice to vent. On a good day, I just had to wait until 4 o'clock practice to celebrate. We met at practice to catch up everyday. Weekends were a breeze, we all lived within 5 minutes of each other. The only catch was if one of us was going home for the weekend. We didn't HAVE to be together all of the time, and I certainly have other friends who mean the world to me, just like these four, but for some reason the bond that we have as a group is rare.

Over the years our friendship has changed. After graduation the four of us went on a cruise together (4 girls who can remain friends after living in a cruise ship cabin for a week...are unique). After the cruise we went our separate ways. We suddenly lost one thing...proximity. We couldn't call each other up during a tragedy and be together in 5 minutes if necessary. At one time we were in: Cleveland, Alliance, Cleveland, and Canton. And then Pittsburgh, Alliance, Cleveland, and New Jersey. And NOW Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Canton. So now, instead of meeting everyday for an hour and a half at cheer practice and seeing each other on game days, we do our best to meet once every few months. (In between meetings, it's constant e-mailing that keeps us in tune with each other's lives.)

We all went to comfort Steph when she moved to Cleveland (far away from her family) into her one bedroom apartment.
We visited Court frequently in Alliance for Mount Union reunions and then for her house warming when she and Todd moved to Pittsburgh.
The girls came to New Jersey to mend my homesick heart, and then to Canton to break in the new house (the weekend of the hail storm and basement flood that ended in us staying at Mom and Dad's house playing Win,Lose, or Draw because Aimee had no water).

This past weekend, we made the first trip ever to stay with Tracy and her family! We all met in Painesville on Saturday afternoon. On any given trip, before we do anything productive, it's imperative that we take time to catch up on everyones lives. As soon as we got the most important details out, Steph took a nap (a much needed one). While she was sleeping, Court and I had a chance to get to know Tracy's family a little better. Trace's oldest sister Marie has three children under five (just my style), and they live with Tracy and her parents. Courtney and I are both "kid people". I busted out my markers and we spent a good hour drawing and coloring.


Eventually we all got showered and done up with intentions of a fun night out on the town. We ventured out to Willoughby Brewing Co. on, seemingly, the coldest night of the year!

















We had a GREAT meal (and Court even strayed away from her staple, chicken fingers). We also had intentions of meeting up with Tracy's boyfriend Brian (aka 'Bri'). All it took to foil those plans was one of us hinting that we wouldn't mind heading back to Tracy's for sweatpants! So we picked up Bri and headed back to Tracy's. We weren't up for another hour before we all started falling asleep on the couch. :)

The next morning we visited more with Tracy's family. Tracy cooked us breakfast. Kayla (Tracy's little sister) was home and was proving herself to be EXCELLENT entertainment. Kayla is planning her own version of High School Musical 4, Senior Year. She was casting characters. Steph - Gabriella. Court - Gabriella's mom. Kayla- Sharpay. Aimee - Taylor, the girl with the brown face and the big nose (by Kayla's definition). We had a good laugh about that one.

We studied the calendar for our next get together and then we headed back to our own lives. Every time we're together it's easy, it's fun, it's comfortable, and it's complete. None of us leave anything out. We spill. We listen. We give advice. We give support. We talk about anything from family to boys to work and school. And I'm lucky...because, no matter what...we will always have our own little world where the four of us seem to make each other complete.

Love you girls.