happy birthday to Jill!

Today is Jill's 36th birthday. We met and became friends when we were 18, so we have now officially been friends for half our lives!

(Jill and I in our apartment, 1991)

(Jill and I with the nightie she gave me at my bridal shower, 1991)

Fortunately for me, we have a tradition of going out together on both of our birthdays. That makes it feel like having two birthdays a year!

(Jill talking to Kristi before we left. It's blurry, but I think she looks so pretty I had to post it anyway!)

Today we ventured out to the new IKEA that opened here recently.

(Jill peeking through the aisle at me as we were trying to figure out how to get a cart!)

After spending almost 3 hours there, we were famished and had lunch at Chili's. Then we went back to Jill's house and I watched her open up some of her gifts. (I can't wait until she posts about all of the goodness that has come her way for this birthday!)

That was it. Pretty basic, but it was the most one-on-one time I've spent with Jill in months, and oh, how replenishing it is to me. I love that we can talk about anything, or nothing. The most important things, or the most banal things. Or even just sit in companionable silence. I always feel comfortable with Jill.

(Jill and I, at ease, on the beach at Nantucket, 2005)

(I love to see Jill with her camera!)

As I was sitting here, thinking about a birthday post for Jill, I decided to go back to my post on her birthday last year. And tears started rolling down my face. So, while this may be tacky, I'm going to refer you to this post. Because the only thing that has changed in our friendship since last year is that now I feel even more grateful for it, if that is possible. (That and the fact that she came to visit me in Paris!! Ooh la la!)

(Jill in the Louvre.)

Thank you, my dear friend, for utterly changing my life, for improving it in so many many ways.