live it to the max

to avoid speaking about our current PT journey, i have the honor and privilege of writing something so special and near to my heart instead.

kelly.

you know. kelly from montana? my best pal?

well, today's her birthday. and her daughter was also baptized today. and i couldn't be more thrilled for her whole family. but i have to wait fifteen more minutes before i can call her. that's what her husband said.

seems their family has been busy. family in town. birthday celebrations. baptism celebrations. and just everyday life. and she's an hour behind me. so when i called last night in an effort to talk for a brief second, i talked to joe (husband) who said, "your best bet is at 9 tomorrow night."

and because i'm a ridiculously nerdy rule-follower, i will wait until 9.

but in honor of the day she graced this world with her presence, i am here to offer a pictorial walk down memory lane.

ALERT! ALERT! THERE WILL BE LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES. if you don't know kelly. or frankly don't want to sit at the computer looking at LOTS AND LOTS of pictures of us, feel free to go back to your google reader or bloglines.

most know this story. but for you newcomers...

kelly and i met in fourth grade at a slumber party. we were the only ones in the living room while other girls were in the den, watching television or talking about boys. who knows. but we found ourselves in our sleeping bags right by the couch (yes, i still remember this). and we talked and talked. we didn't go to the same elementary school, so we knew we probably wouldn't see each other very much. but in sixth grade, we both attended the same junior high and went on to high school together.

a bible study started that we were both a part of. along with several others who actually read this blog. hi casey, lori, kimberly, kylee, and christine. this bible study lasted all throughout high school. we met once a week and really formed some amazing relationships.

my time with kelly was always too short. i always wanted more. i spent the night at her house. she spent the night at my house. her parents were my parents, and vice versa.

graduation came, and we were both going to go to different schools. but i knew college was going to be a time for me to make new friends anyway. so no big deal, right?

and honestly, we didn't see each other but once a year...at christmas. lori had us over for christmas cookie decorating every christmas break. and for the record, i ALWAYS needed more flour than everyone else. my cookies were pretty pitiful. foreshadowing, i guess.

anyway, the summer after we both graduated from undergrad, we met up at church one sunday. the church we were going to was starting a college bible study. and so the two of us went. and typically, we went together. and it was such a wonderful reconnection for us. her faith in Jesus was growing by leaps and bounds. and i couldn't wait for the next time we would hang out.

that summer, i had to make a road trip to baylor for some final graduation requirements. i asked her if she'd be interested in going. and she said sure. and those sixteen round trip hours have proved to be some of the most valuable and beautiful hours of my life. oh, and that whataburger on the way there proved to be quite possibly the best hamburger i've ever eaten. side note. sorry.

anyway, it was wonderful reconnecting that summer. we were both heading to graduate school that fall. i was heading to illinois. she was going to nebraska. we knew no one at our respective schools. and email was just really getting a start. so we decided we would try to keep in touch. and oh my. we kicked tail at it.

side note: kelly is BY FAR the best correspondent ever. she loves me through my love language.

we visited each other. spent time together. invested in each other. challenged and encouraged each other spiritually.

and then...then, she met joe. and she'll admit this just like i am admitting it right now. at first, i was bummed. i SO thought we would date at the same time. get married at the same time. have children at the same time. and the morning that she called me to tell me of her engagement? was a time that buz and i were in the "just friends" period. and for some reason, i couldn't pull myself up by my boot straps and be happy for her. but you'll be pleased to know that i apologized shortly after and was thrilled for her.

joe is PERFECT for her. i was so excited when i met him. because i knew. i knew that God had ordained their relationship and blessed my best friend with the man of her dreams.

and then, i met buz. and the story involving kelly coming to visit on the first day that buz asked me out and my turning him down because my best friend was coming to visit? i'll save that for a later post.

but buz and i started dating.

and she met buz and knew that he was perfect for me.

and then, we both got pregnant within three months of each other. and then we got pregnant within three months of each other again. and then, well, she got pregnant again. and buz said this little pattern of ours had to stop. :)

but at any given moment (with the exception of buz), i cannot think of ANYONE i'd rather spend my time with. some of the best moments have been sitting on the couch next to each other, eating BLT salad, eating crunchy corn dip, drinking dr. pepper with, having runza with, watching a movie or checking blogs together, and talking. or not talking. or touching things at TJMaxx. or snow shoeing. but we save that for when i visit her. because well, it doesn't get below 40 here. much less snow.

i love my time with her. i love that she emails me to ask me about purse colors. i love that she texts me to tell me about an upcoming third day concert. (buz's favorite group.) i love that she loves my kids and that the first nickname goo ever came up with was "she she" for kelly. and that anytime big h and i play the wii, he always says, "yook! there's your friend kelly whose favorite color is purple." and that buz knows that she's that person. i love that she is loved by all who know her. i love that she loves Jesus passionately.

kelly, i love you so much. and am so thankful for you and who you are in my life.

happy birthday.

(and because i want to call her, these pictures are NOT going to be in any order.)

the two of us at a senior girls' lunch.

visiting santa. probably a little too big for his lap.

me, kelly, angie (hi angie). at my house when we were in junior high. showing off some suh-weet crimped hair. yeah, and my swatch watch? it rocks.

pretending that we were driving a car. and her sweet explosives jersey and my awesome cross-stitched bear sweatshirt. with sweat pants with elastic at the bottom. and red socks. good times.

junior prom. hi lori.

first time i visited montana. wanted to move there immediately.

her husband, joe, and me. i went through a VERY, VERY LONG scarf phase. buz detests that phase.

my wedding. all of us praying right before the ceremony. hi angela. hi davis. hi kc. kelly right beside me. (side note: she needs to be a professional maid of honor. she rocked the house, doing everything. she was incredible.)

montana visit. when we went snowshoeing.

day of her bridal lunch. you like the scrapbook-ness? look how beautiful she is.

quite possibly one of my very favorite pictures.

when she and her mom and my mom came to visit me while i was living in st. louis.

when we went through our bang phase. her husband detests this phase and has yet to let us ever get our hair cut together again.

high school buddies. hi amy, aaron, and matt.

someone tell me what i did to my hair...

we worked in the kitchen during a ski trip in high school. i love serving Jesus right next to her.

when she came to visit me when i was working at kamp.

kelly? where was this? i can't remember. i remember it being a great restaurant, and i think we sat outside. but i don't remember where it is. oh, and if anyone knows where i can get these saucony shoes again...these were my FAVORITE running shoes EVER. just thought i'd throw it out there.

scarf phase.

this t-shirt has seen me through some tough times. it makes me happy just looking at this picture.

the summer bible where we reconnected.

oh. my. word. two words. bangs. perm.

when i turned thirteen, i took kelly and angie to tulsa to sleepover at the embassy suites and just play. i was finally going to see a PG-13 movie. no PG-13 movies were showing that weekend, though. so i got to see cocktail (R). mind you, my mom was with us. weird watching people kiss (and whatnot) with your mom.

this picture almost always makes me tear up. kelly and i went on a ski trip as volunteers. we got up every morning before everyone and went outside to read Scripture and pray. in colorado. overlooking the mountains. so incredibly special.

scarf. guess they were on sale.

when kelly came to visit me when i lived in illinois. fall is beautiful there.

nebraska?

on a ski trip in junior high.

snow shoeing in montana.

seems that this was our favorite pose for a while.

i'd like to point out kelly's awesome spring colors. and my knee brace? we would make up dance routines to dirty dancing songs on her back deck.

high school graduation.

oh my. hey kelly, nice red ear muffs. and my grey jacket? so feminine. and i believe we have our jeans french rolled at the bottom. and those might be reebok shoes on my feet. bless my heart. and isotoners.

seventh grade sweetheart dance. notice i have no corsage? yeah, i went by myself. bless my heart. but kelly was nice enough to make sure i had a professional picture opportunity.

hi kimberly. guess i went on a lot of ski trips. and i'd like to point out that this was my first time skiing. and i got some memo that you were supposed to cover your ENTIRE FACE with sunglasses. so it seems i borrowed some glasses from an opthalmologist's office for when you have your eyes dialated.

seriosuly? scarf?

and to the present. kelly and her sweet lizzy. at four weeks old.

and kelly's awesome family. aren't they cute?