ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

I thought I would write out my first impressions of the weekend. Or maybe, more accurately, my  lasting impressions. I met a few friends for the very first time, and a few that I'd met before and communicated with a lot through the past nine months or so. I hope they don't mind that I'm talking about them behind their backs and they don't even know it! Oops! What I learned about: Mindy She came out here, by herself, from Kansas. Are you kidding me? And then took a taxi from her hotel to meet us in Balboa Island for breakfast. You guys, she was so sweet. Like beyond sweet. Totally real, totally charming, totally warm. You felt like her best friend after like 30 minutes. Not afraid to just be herself, she was encouraging and fun. I felt so happy getting to meet her [since I wasn't expecting to]. And her kids have the coolest names: Wilder & Story? Are you kidding me? April She was immediately engaging. She wanted to chat and joke and get to know you. J...

you guys, we literally had the most fun ever this past saturday night! my husband's close friend was having an engagement party. we were planning to go to dinner and then swing into the party a few hours late, thinking it would be no big deal. around 5:30 my husband gets a call, asking if we're coming. he explains that we're just leaving for dinner and we'll be there a little bit late. the groom, on the other end of the phone says: "we're surprising everyone and getting married in 25 minutes. get here" what? i mean seriously, they have to be the coolest people we know. if not for all the other wonderful qualities they each have, mostly because they're doing a surprise wedding. who does that?!? they actually held up the ceremony for us. he called his bride as she was making her way down the walk to the ceremony site and said, "wait, stop. joel's not here yet!" so we ran up just as her dad was announcing the surprise and she was walkin...