Vital Adventure's: Happy Birthday Tara!

Hello October! This happens to be my favorite time of the year (although, I think Christmas will surpass it now that I have a L.O.). I have been busy pulling out the Autumn and Halloween decor, I have accumulated over the years, and decorating the house. As you can see I felt a need to decorate the blog with a Halloween background, and went ahead and put a picture of my cute little man as a pumpkin at the top!

October 2nd (today) marks the birthday of one of best friends, Tara Wineki-Smith! I know she is not extremely excited about this birthday because of her post here, but she has been such a wonderful friend to me over the years and deserves to have an amazing 29th birthday!

Tara and I met in the 7th grade during art class. We became friends that year although she was quick to tell me, at the time, that we were not best friends (I wonder if she remembers that convo like I do? lol). I always enjoyed her sarcastic sense of humor, but at the same time if you are a close friend of Tara she opens up and confides in you (that is when you know she has accepted you as a friend). I can't pinpoint when exactly we did become bf's. Maybe it was in 9th grade Accelerated Biology when I thought I wanted to be a neorusurgeon (what was I thinking; I did not go that route at all), and of course was teased by the male population in the class telling me there was no way that was going to happen. Tara stuck up for me; I can not remember what she said or if she even believed it, but she stuck up for me.

From that point on we were there for each other when we made stupid teenager decisions, and also decisions that brought us to our current lives. Most of my high-school memories are about Tara and I. After high-school we both decided to attend Perk she played soccer, and I was on the dance team. We often refer to Perk as the best years of our lives (sorry Drew). It was a time of little responsibility and more freedom then either of us ever had before. I was there to watch Tara meet and fall in love with her soul-mate Craig and later blessed to be a part of their wedding.

Graduating from Perk brought us to Mississippi State. We opted to get an apartment together and went pot-luck for our other room-mate. We were extremely blessed to meet and live with Mindi Kern who became a best friend to both of us! MSU brought many more memories and life changes. Tara and I were there for each other after Hurricane Katrina devastated our home town. She was there when I met and fell in love with Drew, and was a part of our wedding day. Tara was also there for the birth of my son Tristan; she will never know how much that means to me.

The thing about Tara is that she is a natural beauty. Perfect skin without make-up (makes you sick), and gorgeous natural blonde long locks! She is one of those people that is good at everything she tries; swimming, surfing, soccer, anything art related, and not to mention she happens to be a Doctor!

Tara I am sorry I can not be with you today to celebrate. I know you are not thrilled to be 29, but 29 marks all of the wonderful things you have accomplished and all of the memories you have made! 30 will bring even more :)! Have a wonderful birthday today, and I will see you this weekend!

Love, Tina V