JBA is gettin' HITCHED!! this post is a little late...

we talked about weddings alot during a 6 day hike in the wilderness of colorado on a young life trip - appropriately referred to as "wilderness." it was the summer before senior year of high school, and what else are you going to talk about while hiking for ten or twelve hours a day with heavy backpacks on? weddings, obviously. the dresses, the flowers, the songs, the bridesmaids, what you would dance with your dad to... OH and sometimes we talked about the groom, too.

now, jennifer is the bride! she has the groom! she's picking out the dress and talking to her parentals about details. how strange to think that one of my very best friends from high school days is GETTING MARRIED! jennifer lynne & jeff beitler are ENGAGED!!

that hiking trip feels like so long ago. i met jennifer baring at a freshman young life event when i was fourteen years old. we were both in the same skit that involved us... eating baby food. did i mention i had braces? awesome.

there are so many memories, too many to talk about here. double dates with high school boyfriends - did you ever see the movie tuck everlasting? i don't recommend it. hahaha.

i almost got us run over by an ambulance while driving to one of many, many jv football games to watch previously mentioned boys.

We called her JBA because it was similar to then-popular JLO. She is sweet, genuine, and one of those people that you find in life that you can't help smile when around them. she is funny, hilarious actually. my mom is obsessed with her ridiculously long eyelashes and has asked, on more than one occasion, what kind of mascara she wears. she always, always looks out for other people and my high school years were so blessed because i called her friend. we weren't as good as keeping in touch throughout college as we should of been, but life gets busy. i'm sure my kids will be bored to death when they listen to me talk about high school... "well, one time, jennifer and i...

smashed pumpkins in rival high school's front yards,

drag-raced with boys we didn't know on memorial drive,

sang mary chapin carpenter's "passionate kisses" at the top of our lungs,

we choreographed many dances together, some as a class assignment and some not,

we terrorized substitute teachers (good morning class, this is donna powell),

and sat together as the events of september 11th unfolded in coach kemble's class.

one of my favorite "iffer" memories is when she and jeff pretended to be "robbers" breaking into our house while my mom and i panicked and argued about the best escape route while hiding in our kitchen. (my mom thought it would be brilliant to hide in our pantry because it had a lock on the inside.) anyways, they thought they were hilarious and we were ready to have them

taken into custody by the SWAT team.

now these two jokesters are getting married. what is the world coming to??

yaaaaay for having friends like jennifer in high school. and yaaaaaay for marriage. JENNIFER BARING AND JEFF BEITLER -it must be noted that every time i see him i laugh so hard real tears come out of my eyes- are getting married!! wooo hoooooo happy day!!