Jess explains it all: Girls Night, Guests, and Tubing

We have been busy lately!! It started last Wednesday when several of my girlfriends and I went to "Chow Down Around Town" which is when we get together each month for dinner at a different restaurant. This was our first month and we went to the
restaurant 26. We had some great food and drinks and ended up going to the Blue Monkey Martini Bar. We had a blast.

Friday my best friend from Atlanta, Amanda and her husband Bobby came into town for the weekend. I have known Amanda since I was 14 and she was in my wedding, and I in hers many years ago. She is the only person I have been able to keep a close relationship with long distance and that alone speaks of how much I love her! So Friday night the four of us went to eat at at Jackson's restaurant in Homewood. The weather was perfect and we sat outside and enjoyed one another's company. We weren't quite ready to head home so we walked to Oak Hill Bar and had a few more drinks.

Saturday was the big day we have been looking forward to for a long time-tubing! We ended up having around 20-25 people meet up and drive to this place in the middle of nowhere. It's very difficult to find if you don't know where you are going, as we have learned in years past. I got directions this time so we all made it pretty easily. For $10 a tube, you are driven in the back of a truck to a drop off site where you walk down a ravine and hop in the Cahaba River. Then you will float along the river while being able to ride the rope swing, go down a few rapids, jump off some cliffs, and just pull over on the side to relax, eat, and enjoy the scenery. I had a few run ins with some rocks, and have the bruises and cuts to prove it, but it was a well worth it! We ended up having beautiful weather and a great time! Click here for more pics of our adventure. They are very cute!

Surprisingly, after we ate dinner and returned home from our day in the sun and in the water, I got a second wind. Bobby and Amanda were able to stay an extra night thanks to her sister who was watching their kids, so Amanda and I put on our pj's and had a few glasses of wine while singing our hearts out to karaoke at our house. Though we may not be the best singers, we had a blast and tried our hardest to match up to Cindi Lauper and Madonna and the other artists we sang.

Sadly, Bobby and Amanda had to head back on Sunday and I already am missing them! Sunday I didn't feel too hot (imagine that) so I was pretty much worthless. We did end up having dinner at our friends' Phoenix and Oj's house which was nice, so I can't count the whole day as a wash.

Since the new week has begun I am still recovering from the last week and our many adventures. We had a great time and I am so glad we got to spend lots of time with Bobby and Amanda and several other of our great friends. It's times like this that makes me feel so happy that I live here and am so close to such amazing people.

We have another big weekend coming up this weekend-Friday we, along with several of our friends are throwing my brother in law Nick and his fiance a wedding shower. Saturday if the weather is nice I am hoping to try to go check out Birmingham's Saturday Farmers Market Pepper Place. That evening we have an engagement shower to attend. Whew! It will be busy but fun!

Here are a few Pics from this past week:

Mere and Ang B. being silly at The Blue Monkey