I love my friends!

Wow - it has been two weeks since my last entry! My Aunt and Uncle were here for a visit last July 16th, and then last weekend was the housewarming! Unfortunately, Javi and I were enjoying our guests' company so much that we had completely forgotten to bring out the camera! It probably would have been an akward photo session though ;) I often have to remind myself that I am not with my high school mates, who have learned the art of spotting a camera and jumping to the front of the group for the best exposure possible. Well, then again, my friend from high school, Cara, was there last Saturday.

The housewarming was ok, I guess. I suppose our guests would have to be the ones to say how it went because I was pretty much busy making sure that everyone was picked up from the lobby and that the food would not burn to a crisp. ;) But I did love the little presents we got - candles, gorgeous plates, and a cute Mexican handicraft for the kitchen.

I also definitely enjoyed the company! Although most of the couples had never met each other before, I want to mention that they were the ideal group of friends to have warmed up our new home. So for those of you who came, THANK YOU! And please feel free to let us know when you're downstairs at the lobby again! You are all welcome, anytime! ;)

So speaking of friends, old and new, I have decided what to do for my following blog entries! With their permission, I will feature each of my favorite friends on this blog in order to let the world (ie, the few who know that this site exists!) know what wonderful friends I have.

I want to acknowledge how terrific they are because they have all influenced people's lives in positive ways, and I would like to share how they have done so in this blog.

To start off, here's a picture of my group of friends back in high school:

Top, L-R: Jon, John, Rob / Bottom, L-R: Marie, Patti, Eloisa, me, Kim, Ryan

This was taken at my house, during Kim's birthday party. Awww... Kim looked so young and angelic then!

So my first feature is someone who I can say is my best friend for life. Yup, you guessed it - my husband, Javi. (Don't worry, Patti, you're coming up next!)

Javs and I met in college, where we both used to hang out at this restaurant called LeChuck's in between classes. We were introduced by common friends, and became really good friends right away as well. He was the funniest, sweetest guy in the group - always on the verge of cracking a joke, but also always asking to see if you are ok. (I'm not exaggerating here - we watched Star Wars, and he would ask me every 10 minutes if I was ok).

So that's Javi for you - a real sweetheart. He has been there for so many of his friends, always being the one to listen or give advice, or the one to cheer you up with one of his corny jokes or silly antics. He gained my best friend's approval the very first minute they met when he immediately offered her a about baseball-sized mass of oreo filling, wrapped in foil (the LeChuck's owner gave him the filling because she was only using the actual cookies for her cheesecake).

Javi is also a great intellectual (he just refuses to admit it). He can talk at least one hour with a person he has never met before about politics, history, business, or even interesting trivia he found out about while watching the Discovery Channel. Javi has a great mind and is a great friend, with a big heart. His compassion for those who are less fortunate than him put me to shame, and this is one of the many things I love about him... he has taught me to be more thoughtful and giving. He reminds me that in a world where a lot of people are selfish and individualistic, one can still be noble and kindhearted. He has shown me how to avoid judging people based on their appearance. He has taught me (as well as many others) how patience, compassion, kindness, and even humor, can be our own way of making this world a little better. ;-)