now presenting: the roller skating bachelorette

you can't put a price tag on your college homegirls, and i would venture to say that mine are the best.

hence the reason i was so stoked to travel to salem, oregon last weekend for the one and only bethany o'connors nuptials. 

mr. lesley graciously agreed to join me so i could show him off introduce him to all the ladies. 

unfortunately for us, our day started off a bit rocky.

naturally, i left my bridesmaids dress on the shuttle bus on the way to the airport. 

there i was, standing in line to check in, when the realization hit me, and i started yelling to mr. lesley...

"BABE! I LEFT MY DRESS ON THE BUS!!!!!"

fortunately for me, he worked his charm with the shuttle company lady over the phone, and i had my dress back in my hands in no time.

however, i did think it was a good idea to keep a constant reminder on my hand, to help make sure i kept the dress in tow at all times. 

after parting ways at the airport (mr. lesley went to hang out with his aunt and uncle for the night), i made my way to salem (thanks to adri...the best airport pickup a girl could ask for) for the first of many wedding festivities...the rehearsal. 

we learned our spots and practiced walking like a bunch of champs! 

and i kept looking around thinking, "is this real?" 

i hadn't seen some of these girls in years.

i was pretty much in heaven.

once the rehearsal was over, it was time for the real fun to begin.

biffo's bachelorette party! 

it started out the way any good party should...bethany o'connor on roller skates.

i have to say, the icing on the cake though was the little tumble she took after skating in.

i don't care who you are, it's always funny when someone falls (especially when they don't get hurt:) 

and i was LOVIN' those undies. 

nothing like a good bachelorette outfit:)

we took loads of pictures, laughed until it hurt, and soaked in every second of our precious reunion.

after dinner, we headed out to the second installment of the bachelorette party...

a spin around the willamette river.

a booze cruise (or so i liked to call it) all to ourselves.

once our captain explained the rules of the ship and we were well educated in life vest procedures, it was time to party.

we took in the sites and sounds...

"borrowed" some hats from the captain...

opened loads of lingerie... 

and DANCED.

it was just a taste of the things to come.

the night closed at the o'connor residence, where i passed out on the couch while everyone else hot tubbed it up or finished wedding decorations.

i just wanted all the girlies to know that i am still the same girl they knew in college.

you know, the one who can barely keep her eyes open and always ends up drooling on the couch.

no matter the time or distance.

some things never change. 

and i feel pretty good about that.