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Today is my friend Dena’s birthday.  I say friend, but she is more than a friend, she is family to me.  I met Dena almost ten years ago, when I accepted a position at a construction company here, where she happed to also work.  By the third day there, we were friends.  It happened THAT quick.  One of us cracked a joke, and we both knew immediately that we could get along and had the same sense of humor.  We went to lunch every single day together, we hung out on weekends, our husbands got along great and were eerily similar in their love of golf, music, wrestling (no that’s not a joke), etc.  We got married within months of each other.  We also got pregnant within months of each other. 

We rarely agree on anything.  We have had our share of fights but they never last long (like not even twenty minutes).  We have been through a lot together and more than anything else… at the end of the day, we both know that if either one of us needed the other, everything would be dropped and we would be there - no questions asked.  Our kids fight like they are siblings - because they almost are.  She treats me and my kids like we are family and I do the same with her and her kids.  She is brutally honest, direct, stubborn as hell, passionate, unbending, opinionated, argumentative, and at times frustrating as hell… but these are all the things that I love about her, plus she makes a mean chili cheese dog, especially on your birthday.

I have such an enormous number of memories with Dena.  If you have been reading this blog for the last five years, you probably already know that, as she is included in almost every story that I tell.  More so than memories are the traditions we have created for us and our kids.  My lord do we have some traditions - the End of the Summer parties, Half Birthdays, Elf Droppings, Camping Trips, summers at the pool, Friday nights - the list is endless and I treasure that with her.  She is an amazing person to know and and even more amazing friend to have in your life.  I can’t wait to see what the next ten years bring for us and our kids - I am sure it will be quite a ride… a fun, fun ride!!!

Happy Birthday Dena - We love you!!! :party:

Peggy thinks that the father of my children is HOT.  She makes it a point to tell me that on the regular.  She also loves to add little notes to his photos on Flickr - all of which, CRACKS ME THE HELL UP.  It is one of the reasons that I love her.  She IS one of the people that I have met online that I plan on meeting in person one day… ALONE and NOT with Todd, of course.  I tell you all this, because a few minutes ago, my Yahoo IM popped up with a new message from her.  You can see for yourself.

In case you cannot read it, here is what it says:

Peggy BellaMommy: I’m sending Todd a replica of my vagina for his birthday.
soapbox.SUPERSTAR: He will love that.
Peggy BellaMommy: he can practice.
soapbox.SUPERSTAR: You are not right
Peggy BellaMommy: I know.
soapbox.SUPERSTAR: I’m blogging this.
Peggy BellaMommy: good but don’t effin spoil the surprise for him.
soapbox.SUPERSTAR: hahahahahaha!!!!
Peggy BellaMommy: 
Peggy BellaMommy: the attached note is going to say “DO WORK, SON!”
soapbox.SUPERSTAR: Perfect!

You can see why I love her, can’t you?

It did not take me long to start slacking around here after I finished up my goal of posting to my blog every day for 365 days.  I have to admit, I enjoyed not stressing over it during the summer.  But summer is over, and I am not capturing great memories and stories on a daily basis like I should be.  So Dena and Peggy and maybe Shelly have all signed on to post every day for 365 days, so maybe I will give it another go!  I am all about setting goals now and acheiving them. 

I think I will also try the Flickr 365 challenge and take/post a photo of me every day for 365 days as well (aren’t you guys lucky) - if I am going to do something, I may as well not half ass it!  As they say in poker… I’m all in!

It’s that time of year again! Time to help in the effort to save second base! Once again this year I will be acting as the “Chief Boobie Financial Officer” by working behind the scenes of the 2008 Boobie-Thon to record all of the donations along with some other really great volunteers. I will also make my yearly donation to help Breast Cancer research and will donate a picture of my boobies for the cause to help in the attempt to get others to donate as well! The 2008 Boobie-Thon kicks off on October 1st and will run thru October 7th.

Confused? New to this? Let me explain… Tons of bloggers from all over the internet will anonymously donate both covered and uncovered photos of their boobies. Some will be photographed “au naturale” and others will be dressed up, painted and prettied up in various different ways. You are invited to visit the website that Mel has worked so hard on and view the “covered” galleries. If you make a donation of $50 or more to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and email us the donation confirmation, we will email you a private link and login information to see the “uncovered” galleries! What could be better than that? You make a donation to a great cause and you get to see boobies!

Here is the the info from the website:

Seven years of tradition has the blogger community sharing, and baring, their chests for the best reason they can think of - fighting cancer.

That’s right, the racks are back Oct. 1-7 and they’re committed to raising more than $10,000 in one week by unveiling Mother Nature’s greatest gifts. That’s right, we’re saying it, BOOBIES.

“I love the idea,” says Melissa Connolly, 2008 coordinator, “If someone’s going to ogle my goods, they can at least make a donation to save boobies and lives!”

No one ever said that blogger were afraid of expressing their opinions or sharing their ideas. Those are the very catalysts that make blogs the influential medium they are today. So when a joke between friends turned into an empowering fundraiser and awareness-raiser blogger nationwide signed on. And they’re saddling up again for another wild ride in 2008.

In an effort to gain donations for breast cancer research, hundreds of women and men are donating images of their chests for oglers world-wide to check out. Generous donor blogger are seriously strutting their creativity in both the clothed and bared arena on boobiethon.com.

Shall we repeat that? boobiethon.com, boobiethon.com, boobiethon.com, boobiethon.com.

The passion, the mission and the history are waiting for you to discover; online; today; right now at boobiethon.com. Don’t worry, all primary pages are work safe.

So get ready! The excitement starts October 1st!!! Go over and donate a photo for the cause or make a donation!