This One's For Her...

This picture was taken two years ago on our birthday. Funny thing...my hair is dark now and hers is light!

My birthday's tomorrow! My birthday's tomorrow! My birthday's tomorrow! Yay me!!!

You know who else has a birthday tomorrow? My bestest bestie, Niki. What are the odds of that? You meet someone who you just KNOW was destined to be in your life forever and she ends up with your same birthday.

It was April, 2004. I was working as the receptionist in the x-ray department at the hospital in Tooele. I had been there for a couple weeks when one morning there was this cute little red VW Bug in the parking lot. When I went inside I saw this new face. She was (is) beautiful! Tall and thin. Taller than me, in fact! I learned her name was Niki and that she only worked in Tooele every other Tuesday because she had another job at Salt Lake Regional Hospital. She was an x-ray tech as well as a CT tech. I already knew I liked her. It was like we'd known each other our whole lives. I remember telling her, "I wish you worked here all the time. You're the coolest person I've met so far." You know what she said? "I know. I totally am." I knew then we were going to get along jusssssst fine.

The thing that impressed me about Niki the most was that she never, ever, not one time spoke negatively about her husband of four years (at the time). She always had nice things to say about him. Talked about how great he was. I get so sick of women constantly bad-mouthing their husbands. And it seems like that's what so many of them do! If they were such morons why did these women marry them? To me, the women who marry these "idiot husbands" look more idiotic. Anyway, Niki just had good things to say about hers. That was so refreshing.

We spent every other Tuesday "working our milkshake" while walking down the hall at the hospital. I showed her a picture of the guy I was dating (the 22 year older than me guy) and she said, "you're way too cute for him". She never minces words. She'll tell you exactly what she thinks. She was right about him. We spent our Tuesday evenings watching Sex and the City on TBS in the surgery waiting room (my kids were with their dad and she worked til 9:00).

It wasn't til a few months after we met that I discovered we had the same birthday. She's rude, though. She's 2 years younger than I am. When I was going to be turning 30 she didn't want me to do it alone so I waited til she turned 30 last year and we could be 30 together. No girl should have to face that without her best friend.

A year after we met she told me about a guy her husband went to high school with. He was cute. He owned an excavation company and he was digging the basement of the house they were building. Her husband thought this guy would be good for me. He'd been raised in same church as I was but wasn't really into it at the time. (Just like me) He'd been divorced the same amount of time as I had been. He had two step kids that he still was really close to. He just sounded really great! When I went out to see their "hole" he was supposed to be there but wasn't anymore. Chance (Niki's husband) called him and handed me the phone!!! I didn't want to talk to him but I did. I joked about him standing me up, told him this was a good lookin' hole, etc. I was still kinda hung up on another guy (not the old man) and wasn't really ready to date anyone. Then in July of that year I had finally had enough of the crap guys I'd been going out with. Niki and I had been out one night and I just said, "hey! Let's text Tavis!" (did you already figure out that it was Tavis?) So I did. And then I left. And I left my phone at Niki's. After I realized this I turned around and came back for it. Niki was so excited because Tavis had replied! We texted for a while and I went home. So excited. A month later I met him for our most perfect first date. And nine months after that, we got married.

I have Chance and Niki to thank for finding me the love of my life. How do you repay a person for that? Niki had her first baby in January of '06. The year I was supposed to turn 30. I had Harley the year she turned 30. Niki is the most amazing person ever. She's so much like Tavis. She's ambitious. She's successful. She's super smart. She's (brutally) honest. She's a hard worker. She's such an awesome example of a loving wife and mother. In my husband, I've found the male version of my best friend. In her best friend, she found the female version of her husband. He's mellow. Easy-going. Stay-at-home dad. (Although he actually works from home.)

Niki and I get along so well because our personalities are so different. She's high-maintenance (just ask her, she'll tell you). I'm laid back. She's ambitious. I'm lazy, lol.

So, even though it's my birthday tomorrow, it's also the day I get to celebrate the bestest friend a person could EVER ask for. There's no one I'd rather share my birthday with.

I love you, Niki. Thanks so much for feeding my texting fetish. (Those 100+ texts I burn through in a day? All Niki.) For listening to me vent about my life and for NEVER judging me. For introducing me to my "Prince Charming". For loving my baby so much! For getting me hooked on chai tea from Starbucks. For vowing to spend every birthday together for as long as we both shall live. For just being my best friend. Happy birthday to us!