this is a little delayed...

On August 29, 2010, Jill Sowers, Ashley Maldonado, and myself hit the road for a Boston-bound roadtrip. Taking Jill's Nissan Murano, the three of us barely had room to breathe in the car, but were determined to get there.

The back view of Jill's car...

the passenger side back door (don't worry, there was a little room for Ashley on the other side of all that!)

2 days, 1768 miles, about 8 or 9 tanks of gas?, and 500+ sunflower seeds later, we made it to my brother and Tina's doorstep in New Hampshire. They graciously put us up for a few nights as we immediately began apartment searching for Jill and Ashley the next day. Their third roomie, Kathryn (and her black toy poodle, Ziggy!) made the exact same drive with Kathryn's mom in tow. The three girls would be beginning a new chapter in their lives, just having graduated from the University of Oklahoma. I was simply along for the ride :) However, that is not what this post is about. This post is dedicated to Ashley & Jill & all of the memories that we have shared together over the past few years.

I met Jill Sowers on August 18, 2005, the day that we both moved into Walker 6W. Creepy that I remember the date? Nah. I have a weird way of remembering things like that...

Jill and I when it snowed finals week of our freshman year of college. This has got to be one of our first pictures together!

Jill and I lived on the same dorm hall and came across each other the night we moved into the dorms. Even though we went to high school together, I was a horrible human being and never truly knew Jill (sidenote: I still get ragged on for this at any opportune moment that Jill can think of! :). A few of us were ordering pizza for dinner that night, and Jill happened to stop by my dorm room to see if anybody needed anything from Wal-Mart. I did not have any ranch to dip my pizza crust in, and asked if she would pick me up a bottle. We exchanged cell numbers at that time and I put her into my phone as "Jill Ranch," not because I didn't know her last name, but because we were talking about ranch at the time. Ever since then, we have basically been inseparable. She will always be Jill Ranch in my phone :)

Our Big Event team 2006! Most people lived on our hall/were friends of our dorm hall...

bottom: Andy, Clint, Mark, Bert

2nd: Jill, Janay, Lydia

3rd: Bailey, Courtney

4th: Erin

Allison, Lydia, Rachel, Jill, Maddie

There is no better caption for this photograph than: "Jillllllll...."

This is a game that Jill loved to play. I had these little magnetic balls and other shapes that were a kids toy. ANYTIME Jill came over, she found the balls (I would have hidden them) and would let them drop on the floor...causing them to bounce EVERYWHERE. I'm sure once all of the furniture is moved out of this house someday, there will still be a few balls lying around.

this is an infamous picture (Jill and Mitchell)

Mitchy, Jilly, Lydy

Tacky Christmas Party (Jill's sweatshirt has an actual Christmas stocking sewn onto it, which she provided snacks from for everyone all night long)

Lydia, Jill, Mitchell

Many an hour was spent playing Guitar Hero at mi casa...

Lydia and Jill

We're babies in this!!!

And then Ashley came into the picture... :)

Ashley went to UCO in Edmond for a few years, but we were introduced to her through Kevin. Ashley and Kevin were both born and raised in Thomas, Oklahoma, where everyone knows your name :) One halloween, the Norman crew headed up to Edmond for a halloween extravaganza at Ashley's casa, and the rest is history!

Ashley (aka the dirty Mexican) and a flapper!

Dr. Sowers and her Flapper Girl

I feel like this picture should be titled, "Hi, my name is Lydia and I'm pale."

Jill and Ashley--tacky Christmas party!

Ashley and myself (please note the bedazzled sweaters)

Maddie, Angela, Jill, Ashley, Allison, Lydia

Holly Lake Ranch Crew!! Jillian, Allison, Alex, Weird Al (aka Rachel), Ashley, Lydia

Lydia, Ashley, Mitchell, Jill

Allison, Ashley, Jill, Lydia

one of the most fun nights ever! front row: Rachel, Sarah, Ashley, Jill

back row: Mitchell, Angela, Allison, Lydia, Kevin

Anytime it snowed (or iced as the case may be in Oklahoma), it called for some wonderful sledding opportunities on none other than Tecumseh Road (ie, the only hill in Norman).

Ashley, Allison, Mitchell, Jill, and Lydia in Owen Stadium. January 2010

Ashley, Jill, Mitchell, Lydia, Sarah

Ashley, Jill, Lydia--2 nights before we left for Boston! Can't wait to come visit again :)