Oh Natalie! Happy Birthday! And You Are NOT An Old Hag, No Matter What They All Are Saying

June 2. The day Natalie "Durb" Buttars entered this world. You can't get a better friend than Durb. And it's not just that her family has a houseboat at Lake Powell. Nor is it the fact that she has season passes to Snowbird that she so generously disperses. Or the vacations to Sky Ranch where there is a runway strip leading to a garage off the house. Those are just the perks associated with the overwhelming, glorious friendship that Durb gives me.

Durb (I know that you have stopped calling me Alex, but I just can't stop calling you Durb. Forgive me. I can't hep it), I remember the day we met. Just kidding, I don't remember at all! I just remember that you entered my life by way of the 16th ward. And I remember that all the girls were jealous because you and the blondes really shook things up. I heard them talking in the bathroom once, downstairs in the Institute after a stupid linger-longer. True story. And then I, Vanessa the Scientist, became one of the blondes. I will forever remember the initiation ceremony where we cut our our palms and drained our blood into vials to wear around our necks, and then we wrestled in our bras and panties. Oh wait...that was something else. I believe the blondes initiation ceremony was more along the lines of racing the Corvette down the canyon to the reservoir and then skinny dipping in a lightning storm. Yeah, that sounds more like it. We were pretty hardcore.

Seriously Nat, I can't get enough of you. I love you so much. You are a total rock star! You will always be one of my best friends and favorite people. You have always been there for me 100%. I love how last year on my birthday you sent an email at 12:01 am so as to be the first to wish me a happy birthday. I love how you would come over at 1:00 am to pry Fly from the filter. I love how everytime you came up from Vegas you would stop at my house to say hi before you headed up north. I love how last year, when I was an emotional basket case, you would find any way to come up and just let me cry on your shoulder. I love that you have such an amazing family that have accepted me as their own. I love that you were totally cool about me snowboarding with your husband. And I love that you married such an All-Star who has made me feel important, because I'm important to you. I love that when we arrange to meet in Barnes & Noble, that we find each other in the Science section. I love your kindness and generosity, which I feel a blessed recipient of. I love how I had to bring you your underwear in the temple on your wedding day. I love the fact that when I back out of plans at the last minute you don't get mad. And I love how when you don't feel like doing something, you tell me straight out, and I don't get mad. I love that we have that understanding.

I adore you, Durb. I'm so happy that you're a big part of my life! Let's be friends forever. Deal? Deal.
Do you realize that I don't have any recent pictures of us? Let's remedy that soon, shall we?

At least I have this one. My favorite view of you.

And the love tiger picture. Classic.

And this one that I already posted on my blog, but will post again for pictures sake.