a sentimental family post with a million pictures

If you know me, you know I am very close with my family.
You also know that my two sisters are my best friends.
This post is about one of those sisters.
The little sister.
The sister leaving me for Arizona!!

Jessica and I have always been close, despite our 4-year age difference. I used to play barbies with her when I was too old to be playing barbies and I would pretend I was doing it just for her. But that's okay because years later when Cameron was born, we both would watch this one Barney movie with him and pretend we were only doing it for him. But I digress. We played a lot when we were little, and when we grew up we stayed close. When I got to be a teenager and she was still a kid, when most siblings grow apart, we didn't. I would come home from hanging out with friends or going on dates and would tell her all my stories and she was always so interested, which makes me laugh. Because my social life wasn't very interesting.

I left home at 18, when Jessica was just about to start high school. I was very ready to move out, but I felt so bad and so sad leaving her. True story: I was in the car with my mom about to leave for the airport when I realized I forgot something so I ran back up to my room and Jessica was sitting on my empty bedroom floor, crying. But it's okay because a few months after she graduated high school, she joined me in good old Provo, Utah.

I cannot explain how excited I was to have Jessica join me in Utah. Nathan had left on his mission 8 months prior. I had been pretty lonely. I had a lot of friends out here, but I didn't really let myself be depressed around them, so I would spend a lot of time alone because I didn't want to be a downer. I knew I could be a downer around Jessica. I knew I could just tell her I wanted her to sit in my room with me while I was sad, and it would be no big deal. Having her in Provo was a freeeaakkkiing blast.

The day we moved her into her dorm. Remember being tan?

Sunday dinner! Bree and I lived together, and then Jessica happened to date Bree's little brother for a while. It was convenient, haha.

Some of my favorite memories are our Friday's together. I would get off work at 12:30 on Fridays. I would go straight to Jessica's dorm and pick her up. We would get lunch, usually at Del Taco, and then go on a long drive. It was so much fun! It usually ended back at my apartment where we hung out all night with Bree.

We went to concerts together! This one was Tyler Hilton. We met him and were all kinds of stoked.

This Saturday we woke up, got diet coke, got the new Taylor Swift CD, and drove all the way through Provo canyon listening to it.

A very cold General Conference together.

The 19th birthday part I threw her.

Driving into Salt Lake to drive around, get cheesecake, and drive back.

Lots of sleepovers

BYU sporting events

We went to Vegas together.

My last Sunday in Provo before she moved home for the summer and I graduated and moved to Salt Lake.

My graduation

  That first year holds a lot of my favorite memories of Jessica and I. We did almost everything together. We lived 1 minute apart, and there were very few days we didn't see each other. One night I found out that Nathan would no longer be able to email me on his P-days and I would only be getting letters. I was really sad. Jessica drove around with me for hours blasting music until I got over it and was laughing again.

Jessica went home for the summer, don't worry, I visited twice. Then she came back to Utah! And back to me! We lived 40 minutes apart and I was crazy busy with a real teaching job, but that didn't keep us apart too much.

Matt Nathanson concert!

We still went on drives

We would meet halfway at Del Taco! One time, Jessica threw her tray away.

That Christmas Nathan came home! And we got enagaged! And Jessica was in the next room! And then I had two of my best friends together!!

Then Jessica met Marshall! And we loved him and so did she! He even came to our wedding! We knew it was business at that point.

Then they got married and lived in Provo! And we hung out like.... alllllll the time.

Jessica was there when Madelyn was born. She was at the hospital just a few minutes after us. And she stayed the whole time. She kept me distracted and laughing. She got to meet her little niece. After I gave birth, she was the only person who I allowed to come over. I didn't want to see anyone besides Nathan and her. She would sit with me all day, doing nothing, but just being there when I needed her. She'll never knew how much having her there with me meant.

We had one last year together in Utah and, believe me, we lived it up.

Last night we hung out in Utah together for the last time before they move this week. It hasn't completely hit me yet. I don't think it will until it's the weekend and we want to hang out with them, and we can't. I am so thankful to have a best friend for a sister. I am so thankful she has been here in Utah with me for the past 4 years. She has been an amazing support and friend. I am so glad we had his time. So glad we have each other. I am so excited for her and Marshall to start this adventure in Arizona and dental school. But they better be prepared for me to visit. A LOT!!!!!