to whom much is given....

5. Make a once a month donation to an organization that could use it  - in progress

Well, as of three days ago I'm officially 29.5 years old, so I'm OFFICIALLY at the half way point of this project.  Tonight also just happens be Christmas Eve (happy half-birthday to Shannon!!) so I think it's a pretty timely post.

I'm not one to spout of Bible verses, but this one (Luke 12:48) has always been a favorite of mine: "To whom much is given, much is required."  I don't think you have to be a particularly religious person to appreciate the charity of that verse.  Without going into a big speech of how blessed and lucky I am, I'll just suffice it to say, Sadira and I have a great life and are surrounded by great people.  I know a lot of other single mamas who have to struggle a whole lot more, and I'm not one of them.  We've got a great supportive family, and wonderful friends.  Sure, I'd love a bigger house, or a newer car, or even a flippin' iPhone, but what we have is greater than those material things.  I realize that we have been given many blessings, and with that comes the responsibility to give back.

This is the season of giving, after all, isn't it??

When I put #5 on my list, it was purposeful and thoughtful.  And since I'm coming up on the halfway point of this 30 Before 30 project I figured it would be a good time to check-in on my progress. 

So to recap:

July - St. Vincent de Paul Society's Mobile Clothing Bank delivers clothing, blankets and personal care products to the homeless in Baltimore City.  Sadira and I were able to pull together three huge bags of clothes and give our closets some breathing room.  Here's hoping they like Gap and BabyGap. ;)

August - August was an easy month!  With my office collecting grocery donations and personal care items for the homeless in our area, it was a piece of cake for me to venture down into my stockpile stash of grocery and personal care items I've stocked up from my obsessive couponing and pull together two huge boxes to donate.  And cheers to you if you made it through that insane run-on sentence I just typed. ;)

September - Gaudenzia's Women and Children's facility.  I risked my life and my sanity and with the help of extremely generous donors, we were able to raise $2,235.00 to send me Over the Edge.  A once in a lifetime experience (which shall remain once in my lifetime) that not only raised money for an organization that could use it, but also helped me to conquer a fear and cross #1 off of my list. 

October - After a marathon September, with my friends and family super-ceding my fundraising expectations, I decided to give back to a few fundraisers they were working on.  First, a donation to the Alzheimer's Association in support of my friends Erika and TJ who were walking in honor of his mom.  Secondly, a donation to the Dundalk Youth Service Center where my friend Mary works in support of their annual campaign.  Lastly, a donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation in support of Blanca, whom I joined while she Raced for the Cure.

November - Inspired by my experience volunteering at the Maryland Food Bank with my co-workers, I decided to kick off a Virtual Food Drive with the help of Baltimore Ravens.  I decided to support the effort by holding a yardsale, with all funds raised being donated to the Food Bank.  Several friends, including my awesome daycare provider, Janet, donated items to sell.  The yard sale combined with independent donations yielded $486.00 for the MD Food Bank, just $14 shy of my $500 goal!  I was very pleased with the outcome of the fundraiser, especially considering that the Food Bank can feed one hungry Maryland for one FULL WEEK on just $10.50!!!

December - There were so many opportunities for us to donate to worthy causes in the month of December.  Back in November around Sadira's birthday she asked if we were going to be donating toys again this year. Last year for her birthday, in lieu of presents (since Sadira's birthday is just several weeks before Christmas) we asked our birthday party guests to instead bring toys for Sadira to donate to Toys for Tots.  We talked about it, and she understood what we were doing.  I was actually very impressed because she really got into the idea and was excited about giving toys to kids who didn't have any. I was a proud Mama when we dropped them off at the Toys for Tots location and there wasn't a single tear:

 

Making her donation.

Giving the lady at the Toys for Tots drop-off a high-five.

So fast forward to this year's birthday.  I decided that Sadira could keep her gifts this year, but imagine my shock when she asked if we were going to give any "toys to the poor kids" this year.  We decided to use a little bit of Sadie's birthday money to let her pick out a few toys and make a donation.  I was really touched that she remembered what we did last year and wanted to give back again this year.  You can plant the seed in your children, but it's another thing to see it grow when they make their own decisions to be charitable.

So off to Toys R Us we went and picked out some toys that Sadie thought the kids would like.  Even better, we got them on a great sale, so we could afford to get MORE!

 

Sadie and some of the toys we picked. :)

I figured we'd donate to Toys for Tots again.  But then one morning, as I was driving into work, I heard one of the local radio DJ's talking about his daughter, Lilly, and how she came to him with the request that she wanted to give toys to sick kids in the hospital.  You could hear in his voice that he was really trying to convince the listeners that this was Lilly's idea and not his.  He was just putting her idea into motion, with al proceeds going to the University of Maryland Children's Hospital.  I could relate to this because oftentimes Sadira comes to me with ideas or says things that are pretty unbelievable.  Sometimes I don't even tell people, because I think there's no way they'd believe me.  Heck, I wouldn't believe it sometimes, if I didn't hear it for myself!  She's definitely wise beyond her three years.  And I got the same feeling about Lilly.  

It seemed a perfect fit.  A Toy Drive inspired by a three year old little girl, with donations from my own little three year old girl.  So that night I talked to Sadie about it over dinner at my grandmother's house.  We talked about how scary it must be to be stuck in the hospital, and sad it must feel to not be able to celebrate Christmas at home.  We both decided this was the charity for us.

So last Saturday--during the last weekend before Christmas--we braved the crowds at Arundel Mills Mall, after 30 minutes we FINALLY found a parking spot, hauled our bag of toys INTO the Mall, while everyone else was hauling their purchases OUT, and found the Z104.3 folks.  Here's the photo gallery of their event. (We're on Photo 25).

 

Sadie got a little shy cause everyone wanted to say hi to her and thank her for the gifts, but later when we got in the car she declared, "Mommy, those kids are WEALLY WEALLY gonna like our toys!!"

Job well done, Sades. :)

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nasrene's favorite things

So this post has nothing to do with my 30 Before 30, but it is a list...so kinda close?  Sorta?  No? Well, it's my blog, so I can switch it up if I want to. ;)

I've noticed some other bloggers out in bloggy-land doing this recently so I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon and post about my favorite Christmas gifts of 2010.  Some of these are things I already have, and some are things I would love to have.  But if you're looking for suggestions for gifts for someone in the 25-32 demographic, specifically female, more specifically a mom, then I think I have some good suggestions for you.  So here we go, in no particular order.

 

#10 Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Sudsing Scrub

Okay, so I know some of you are going to think this is a cop out, but let me assure you IT IS NOT.  I know body washes and lotions may be thought of as generic gifts, but I swear to you, I could be given a case load of this stuff and die happy.  My co-worker, Alyson, gave me the whole stress relief line gift set for my birthday and this is BY FAR my most favorite product.  LOVE IT.

#9 Anquan Boldin jersey

Okay, so many not EVERY typical 29 year old Mama would enjoy this gift, but this one's definitely on my list.  Thank you Arizona Cardinals for giving him up, cause let me tell ya, we LOVE this guy in Baltimore!  I'm due for a new jersey, and it's just icing on the cake that his number (81) is also my birthday year. :)

 

#8 Silver/grey Coach purse

I know, I know, so predictable right?  I kinda hate that this item is so expected, but I'll be honest, I am probably the LAST person to put a Coach purse on a Christmas wish list.  Not because I don't like Coach, but because I just can't support spending so much money on a PURSE.  (Somewhere my friend Amanda weeps for me...) I'm sorry, purses just aren't my thing.  Back before babies, my "thing" was shoes.  Heels, to be specific, but never purses.  So why put a nearly $300 purse on my list?  Well, cause I like it.  And I have the matching wallet, courtesy of Brian, last Mother's Day.  I'll be honest, I have exactly TWO Coach bags..one is a diaper bag and the other one my Dad gave me for my birthday....4 and a half years ago.  So I suppose it's time for a new one...and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this silver Mia Signature Lurex Carryall.  But the realist in me would never spend that much money.  I'm just too cheap thrifty.

 

#7 Starbucks VIA Tumbler

My boss actually gave me this as my gift (a little early) this year.  Not only is Starbucks VIA coffee DELICIOUS as far as instant coffee goes, but this tumbler is so handy, and you can actually fit 6 VIA packets into the clear plastic slots, and that's just cute.  One of my New Year's resolutions is going to be stop spending so much dang money at Starbucks every week--and I plan on doing this by limiting my weekly grande-half-caf-non-fat-with-whipped-mocha's to a monthly treat and enjoying beverages made by ME in my cute new tumbler instead.

 

#6 UGGS!

I don't care about the haters, I LOVE UGGS!!  They keep my tootsies warm all fall and winter and are soooo comfy. And despite what others say, I think they look cute.  Now I'll be honest, these are yet another item that I will not spend money on to get the "real" thing.  So despite the fact that my daughter, Sadira, is now on her SECOND pair of REAL UGGS (courtesy of Gannie, of course) I have been rocking the TUGGS (Target UGGS) for three years now.  And before that it was WUGGS (Walmart UGGS).  So although I'd really love a pair of the real things, I'd settle for the knock offs again.  Anyway you slice em, I love 'em.

 

#5 NKOTBSB tickets!!!!!

Ummm...do I need to even explain this one?  I was a kid when New Kids on the Block exploded and a teenager when the Back Street Boys hit the scene.  The only thing that would make this better would be if it was N*SYNKOTBSB.  This concert is like a dream come true for 99.9% of women my age!!!!  AND they are coming to my area on June 3rd...less than 3 weeks before my 30th bday.  This gift could easily double as a Christmas gift and a birthday gift....I'm just sayin'....

#4 iPhone

Yeah, this one will never happen, as I'm stuck with Verizon indefinitely and due to complications with my plan I'm stuck with a dinosaur of a phone..but that's another story.  In a perfect world I'd have an iPhone, with all of its fun apps that I hear everyone talking about all the time.  I'm certain I would almost never get any work done at work if I DID have one of these fun gadgets, so it's probably best that I don't.  But if I COULD get a new phone, it would be the iPhone.  Or at least a phone that had some sort of internet access...

 

#3 Facial/Massage/Manicure/Pedicure

Honestly, any combination of the above would be fantastic.  This is the probably the number one thing I dream about the most--a day of pampering.  Or a half day.  Or an hour.  When you are a busy mom there's no greater gift than a tiny shred of relaxation.  Seriously, this could be my only gift for every birthday and Christmas for the rest of my life and I would be happy.  LOVE IT.

 

#2  Gift cards!

I know, I know, another cop out gift, but what can I say?  I love them!  Especially when they're from my favorite places like the Gap, Victoria's Secret, and yes even Target! I love gifts cards.  End of story.  No one should ever, EVER feel lame for purchasing these for someone else, cause I think they're the best gift ever.  Case and point?  Today Sadie and I spent half the day at the mall and brought home tons of new goodies bought with gifts cards I haven't used over this past year.  Glorious, I tell you, glorious.

 

#1 Vacation to Bora Bora 

What do you mean "it's not in the budget this year?"  :) What can I say, a girl can dream, right?  For a fun, relaxing vacation this would be my numero uno destination.  And ONE DAY (as God is my witness!) I will get there! :)

I should also add that the only REAL thing I asked for, I already got, thanks to my wonderful mother, who's not only awesome, but also cannot keep a secret or a surprise.  And that was an external hard drive.  So now I can use my laptop without fear that one day all of my precious videos and pictures of Sadira will vanish into an oblivion.  Honestly, any of the things on this list would be fun to get, but I already have everything I need right here under my roof. ♥

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schoooool's out!! for! evah!!!!

 

 This was Sadira, many many moons ago, helping me write a paper. :)

9. Complete my Masters program. - DONE!

Well, it's official.  My semester ended last week and grades were posted on Thursday.  I am OFFICIALLY finished my Masters program, praisetheLordinheaven!!  I'll be honest, there were a few times I wanted to throw the towel in and say forget it, because honestly between full time work, full time school and full time mommy, I was FULL TIME EXHAUSTED.  But luckily I have friends who kick my butt and call me out when I'm being ridiculous.  So here I am.  FINISHED.

I started my Masters program in January 2007.  It was SUPPOSED to be a two year thing.  I decided on a Masters in Health Care Administration cause it just made sense with my experience.  I had no desire to go back to school, but my dad kicked my ass, and my mom said DO IT NOW.  So I listened to my parents, for once.

Two months after I started my program, we found out Sadie was on the way.  And in my Fall, with another full month of school in my semester, Sadie was born.  It was definitely interesting adjusting to life with a newborn and finishing off a semester.

The next year I went part time instead of full time.  Which tacked on another year.  It was worth it, though.  I got to enjoy my baby without being completely bogged down with school requirements.

Last December I finished off my Masters in Health Care Administration and I was 99.999% positive I was FINISHED.  But the opportunity to do a dual Masters presented itself.  I wasn't going to do it, but after talking it over with friends and family (who once again kicked my ass), I decided it was worth it. For one extra year of school I could earn an MBA in addition to my MHA.  I knew it was worth it.  If I ever wanted to go back in the future for an MBA it would take a lot longer than one additional year, and I'd have to go through the whole application process again.

So, begrudgingly, I signed up.

And now it's a year later.  I'm not gonna lie, this extra degree KICKED.MY. BUTT.  My background is in science, NOT business...so lots of these concepts were totally new to me.

And then last week--MY LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL--I had the ULTIMATE week from hell.

No, I'm not being dramatic.

Any good procrastinator will tell you that the last week of school is do or die time.  The final group project, the final paper, any outstanding assignments...they all HAVE to be completed in that last week.  I started my last week in similar fashion---I had a research paper to finish, a group project to finish, and an assignment that was overdue from the week before that I needed to complete.

Oops.

So when Monday rolled around and my car wouldn't start, I worried that this was NOT the right way to start my last week of classes EVER.  AAA came to the rescue, though, so all was fixed...right?

Not so fast.

On Tuesday I got a call from my daycare provider that Sadie was throwing up.  Great.  So as soon as I could get out of work I rushed home to get her...and she kept puking....for HOURS.  I had a project for work that I HAD to finish that night, so as soon as Brian could come home and take over Sadie duty, I had to go BACK to work...until almost 9pm.  Gross.

The next day, Wednesday, I was driving into work in a downpour when, while stopped at a red light, a car ended rear-ended another car next to me, and one of the cars ended up sliding into my car, denting my side panel.  GREAT.

That evening I finally thought I'd be able to get some of my work finished; however that was put on pause when I came home and came down with the same stomach virus Sadie had the day before.

Have I mentioned that I have a fear of puking? UGH.  Horrible.  Thus started the most disgusting 12 hours of my life.

The next day, Thursday, I was exhausted.  But I HAD SO MUCH SCHOOLWORK TO DO.  I also had a ton of projects for work that had to be completed. I worked from home as best I could.  That night I was in bed by 7pm.

Which brought me to Friday.  I had plans with some girlfriends to get together for a crafty night.  But, sadly, I had to cancel to get my work done.  So I hit the books and after hours and hours of work...going into Saturday and even Sunday...I FINISHED.

It was a pretty glorious feeling, especially after the week I'd had..but I wouldn't let myself celebrate until I had official grades in hand.   And this Thursday, it became OFFICIAL.

I'm FINISHED.

And it feels AMAZING.

Sincerely,

Nasrene M. M., MHA, MBA.

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no sleep til brooklyn!

2. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. - DONE!

So many, many moons ago, my friend Shannon was visiting me in Baltimore.  She's the one who inspired me to start my own 30 Before 30 project. She was telling me about hers, and one of the items on her list was to walk the Brooklyn Bridge.  Of course I immediately said, I wanna do that with you!!  Sadira, my sisters Neda and Tessa and I had walked a tiny bit of the bridge when we visited NYC last January, but never did I walk the whole thing.  

And so it was decided.  I was going to copy Shannon's idea of a 30 Before 30 and we were going to walk the Brooklyn Bridge together.  With her in East Connecticut, and me in Baltimore, it was a great (and fun!) midway point for us.

We planned on the day after Thanksgiving. No, we didn't think about the traffic, or the Black Friday crowds. (Neither of which were really that bad, at all). We just thought it was a day we both had off of work.  Works for us.

So last Friday Shannon and her fiance Joe, and me and my sister Neda met in Manhattan, and made our way to the bridge, STAT.  They were calling for rain all day, but when we arrived, the skies were grey, but clear.  We lucked out and stayed dry all day.

Here are some pics from our trek:

 

Shannon and I before.

 

Shannon and Joe

 

Neda and me

From the center of the bridge

Looking back at NYC

We made it!

Time to walk back!

 

It's such a cool view, I just had to include one more shot....

The walk to Brooklyn took much longer than the walk back...most likely because of the frequent photo op stops.  It didn't matter though, we were among friends and having fun.  Of course I had to entertain everyone with a little bit of this...and this...not to mention this.  Oh, and Shannon had the privilege of learning about this.  Neda and I were happy to serenade her all day. :)  I'm not sure if she was so happy being serenaded though...hmm. ;)

All in all it was a great day, and always awesome to catch up with a dear friend.  Not to mention there is something so magical about NYC during the holidays.  I mean really, can anything truly beat this?:

If that doesn't put you in the spirit, I don't know what will! :)

Oh! And one more thing...call it a little shred of serendipity.  I will turn 30 and conclude this project on June 21st, and Shannon will do the same 3 days later on the 24th.  How cool was it, when I saw our bus' number that day...the bus that took Neda and I roundtrip:

Perfect! :)

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pumpkin pie anyone?

3. Write a letter to a friend every week for one year. - IN PROGRESS

On March 9, 2007 I went to a doctor's appointment that changed my life.  I learned that I was--in fact--pregnant (I somehow thought that the 5 pregnancy tests I had taken two nights before were "wrong").  I came back to work around lunchtime, my head spinning.  It was a Friday, and after all of the excitement of the week I could no longer concentrate.  I am planner.  And I had not planned this, one of the biggest events of my life!  Suddenly I needed to learn everything I could about pregnancy and babies.

I did what any rational person in my position would do.  I consulted the Internet.

After typing in "www.pregnancy.com," I was re-routed to Babycenter.  I read everything I could get my hands on, what to eat, what not to eat, what vitamins to take, what activities to avoid, what was safe, how to sleep, what to read, how much water to drink...EVERYTHING.  You name it, I read about it, desperate to learn everything I could about what was happening and about to happen.

One day, about a month or so into the pregnancy adventure I found message boards on Babycenter.  I found a group of women who were all due in November 2007, like me.  I could read along about what they were experiencing, what their doctors were saying, anything and everything.  No topic was off limits.

But I found this November 2007 board to be intimidating.  There were literally hundreds and HUNDREDS of women posting to the site and I just couldn't keep up.  So I started following a smaller board--moms due between November 7th and November 15th.  With my due date of November 11th, I fit right in.  The group was called "the Pumpkin Pies" (all birth week groups had cute seasonal names.  We still have no idea who came up with them).  I started following these ladies and soon got to "know" them, purely based on their posts.  I looked forward to reading about their pregnancies, and I got to know each of their stories.

Then in May I was preparing for a flight from Baltimore to Hawaii.  This was going to be the longest flight I ever took, and my first flight during pregnancy.  Up until that point I had not posted to the Pumpkin Pies, but I was curious to see if any of them had any tips or experience with flying during pregnancy.  So I posted.

And thus began the beginning of beautiful friendships!

From that point on, I became a regular poster, posting to the group on a daily basis.  We updated one another on how we were feeling, discussed our doctor appointments and birth plans, share name choices, and spilled the beans if we found out the gender of our babies before birth.  

I once joked to a fellow Pumpkin Pie, "it's funny that I've never met you in person, yet I know more about your cervix than your husband does." Haha!  Eww....

While the Pumpkin Pies are a group of women from all over the country, there were a number of Pumpkin Pies that lived in and around the DC area.  They started getting together for lunch once a month.  Realizing I was only in Baltimore, just 45 minutes or so away, they started inviting me to come along.  The first month I was a little too freaked out to attend---I mean, these are people I don't even know, from the INTERNET!! They could be serial killers!!  

The next month I realized how ridiculous I was being--especially considering I had seen picture evidence with all of their pregnant belly proof--and wanted to attend, but I broke my foot. (Seven months pregnant with a broken foot is no fun!)  The following month I had a Ravens game the same day as the meet up.

Which brought us to October.

The final meet-up, with all of us in our NINTH month of pregnancy.  I decided there was no better to time to meet my message board friends in person.  We decided on Mexican food (to induce labor!) I was the last to arrive (duh, I'm always late...) and when I walked in and sat down I remember someone saying, "do you need us to introduce ourselves?"  I looked around and realized, no I don't!  I knew who everyone was.  I was among friends.

We had a wonderful lunch and snapped a couple photos.  Six VERY pregnant women all in the same spot is a quite a sight!  Then we said our goodbyes and planned to have a playdate after the babies arrived.  Little did we know one baby would arrive the very next day!

Since that day we stayed close.  We usually plan on once a month meetings, though sometimes we'll get together to go to a children's museum, or a pumpkin farm, or a cupcake date. :)  We've been through the sleepless newborn nights together, the excitement of baby's first steps, and the craziness of toddlerhood.  They are an awesome sounding board to discuss not just babies and motherhood, but life in general.  When I talk about my "Pumpkin Pie friends," my family and friends know exactly who I'm talking about...and even know most of the babies by name.

They are awesome.

Here are some photos of the babies together as they've gotten bigger.  You can click on any photo to make it larger.

 

 

We even held our first East Coast National Pie Conference just before the babies' first birthdays.  A fun weekend spent in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where we were joined by other Pumpkin Pies from New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia and even Idaho!

Not to be outdone, the very next year we held East Coast National Pie Conference Part Two---but kept it local, in the MD/VA/DC area.  Pumpkin Pie mamas and babies from New York and Ohio came and stayed the weekend!

I don't think any of us will forget our "Mamas Night Out" last May...Lindsey even flew in from Georgia and Lisa took the train down from Connecticut. :)

Now THAT'S dedication to Girls Night Out!

And so it only seemed fitting to include some of these awesome ladies on my 30 Before 30.  I only wish I could write a letter to each and every one of the Pies.  I have a feeling this won't be the last time I reference the Pumpkin Pies in this blog...

But for now, I'll stick with the local Pies.  The ladies I have the pleasure to see at least once a month.  I've written letters to them, one per week, over the past several weeks. This past Saturday we celebrated the kids' birthdays all together as a group.  I decided to mail all of the letters out this week, at the same time.  The birth of our children is what brought us together, so it seemed appropriate to celebrate my friendships with them during the same time we celebrated our babies' birthdays.

I'll share a few sentences from each letter to the DC Pie Mommies....in alphabetical order... :)

 Allison:

"I think your dedication to your children and your family is admirable.  There's no doubt that Dacia and Timmy will grow up knowing that they are very loved.  Come to think of it, I think that's true for all of the kids in our group...we're a pretty kick ass group of mommies. Just keep being the best mom and person that you are already being.  Things always end up the way they're supposed to."

 

Amelia:

"It's so funny to me, because when I remember back to my first "in-person" meeting with the whole group, I remember thinking to myself that you and I would have the least in common.  I don't know why I thought that, probably because you seemed to have it all together and I was a hot mess back then, but fast-forward to three years later and that couldn't be further from the truth.  You have a fantastic daughter in Ellie, a girl after my own heart with her love of princesses and nighttime costume changes!"

Brenda:

"I so vividly remember the day late in my pregnancy when I found out Sadira was breech and a C-section would need to be scheduled.  I cannot tell you how helpful you were to me.  It may not have seemed like a lot to you at the time, but when you took the time to write to me and send along all your advice and tips, it helped me TREMENDOUSLY."

 

Dawn:

"I still remember when you came to the first meetup and I was so jealous of Eva's luxurious locks while Sadira was still sportin' the peach fuzz, haha! I didn't know then what great friends we'd become, but I'm so glad you joined our group because it just wouldn't be the same without you.  Who would I plan evenings of chocolate and wine with?!?"

 

Emily:

"One time when I was having a particularly exhausting day you wrote to me and said, 'I'll tell you a secret, though.  While I don't envy how hard your day-to-day must be, I sometimes am really jealous of the special relationship you and Sadie have now, and always will have.'  I wrote those words down because they meant so much to me that day, and they still do."

Erika:

"I'm especially grateful for our friendship, and I know that whatever the situation may be I can always talk to you openly and candidly.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.  You, TJ and the boys have become such good friends to Sadira and I, and we truly love your family so much.  Thank you for always welcoming us into your home, time and time again."

Celebrating DC Pies first birthday.

 

Celebrating DC Pies second birthday.

 

Celebrating DC Pies third birthday!!!

"I love that we came together as friends, and now our children are friends.  I love that Sadira has a group of friends that she's literally known since birth!!  I hope that no matter where life takes us, we will be able to continue our friendships and theirs.

XOXO, 

Nas"

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