Happy Birthday, Amber!!!

Today is my wonderful friend Amber's birthday, and I just have to say that she is just one of the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for! Amber and I first met 5 or 6 years ago when she worked for a short time at the KUMC office of KU Endowment. Her time there didn't last long (because she soon went back to graduate school), but thankfully our friendship did! I just feel so blessed that she is part of my life. Not only is she extremely fun to be with and amazingly hardworking and smart (she'll officially become a PhD this year), but Amber is also one of the most thoughtful and considerate people I know. She is forever going out of her way to do nice things for people, whether it's baking a cake, sending a card or just dropping a thoughtful email. She's a great organizer, decorator and party planner extraordinaire--my birthday was a prime example of her thoughtfulness and decorating talent! She frequently hosts festive parties for lots of friends and always makes the most amazing snacks, including her famous 3-2-1 dip (aka "crack dip"). No one every turns down Amber's snacks and baked goods!

In my second year of blogging, I haven't done nearly as good of a job recognizing the birthdays of my friends and family members, but there are a few good reasons I had to make sure the day didn't go by without talking about my fantastic friend. First, last year I failed to mention her birthday entirely! I actually blogged about doing something with her and failed to mention her birthday at all! I'm clearly not the considerate friend that she is. Secondly, Amber is not only a dedicated reader of my blog, but she's also a dedicated commenter, which I very much appreciate. Thirdly, Amber was my most loyal training partner this summer/fall, and I was so incredibly grateful for her companionship for all of those miles. Finally, I have to recognize this b-day because it may be the last time Amber and I live in the same town and can celebrate together! I will be so very sad when she and her husband Jake move to the DC area this summer. I miss them already. :( Happy birthday, my dear friend!