Kelli and Jeff's Wedding - May, 2007
L to R: Me, Kelli, Jeff, Jeff's Best Man Jordan
About a week ago, I had a conversation with a friend who's also planning a wedding. The conversation turned to bridesmaids, and she was saying that she has a friend who had all of her college friends in her bridal party, and now - three years later - that friend never even speaks to her Bridesmaids since they've drifted apart.
The conversation drifted to my bridal party, and I realized how blessed I am to have a woman representing each stage of my life in my Bridal Party. Women that I talk to regularly, who I have maintained relationships with throughout the years. These are INCREDIBLE women, so I decided to write about each of them over the next couple of weeks!
I'll start with my Maid of Honor - my sister Kelli. Kelli is three years younger than I am, and we are as different as night and day, at least as far as our interests go. The older we get, the more our similarities have come to light - the way we speak, communicate, eat, clean, likes/dislikes. As adults, we've become more than sisters but great friends!
Kelli has the kindest heart of anyone I have every met. She is empathetic to a fault, and soooo generous with her time, resources and creativity. SHE IS SO TALENTED!
It's been incredible watching Kelli grow from a little dirt-ball tomboy into the sophisticated, beautiful and glamorous woman that she is today. She is a woman from a different era - always polished and effortless - gorgeous and glowing even in her work clothes. And let me just say that she is NOT afraid to get dirty!
Yes... I'm very white. Yes, Kelli is covered in mud - I told you she was a dirtball!
Trinity Lake, Circa 2003
Kelli has a wonderful husband, Jeff, and it has been such a blessing watching Jeff and my fiancee Jason bond and become fast friends. My hope is that someday we'll have our kids at close to the same time and they can grow up together - playing together and vacationing together just like we were able to do with our cousins.
I have a lifetime of memories with Kelli in them, but the ones that come to the forefront of my mind right now are of countless Christmas Mornings - of racing Kelli down the hallway to the living room, ready to see the tree and the treasures that lay below it. Every year she would beat me, every year one of us would get shoved into the wall heater as we wrestled for the doorway.
I am so grateful and humbled to have a sister like Kelli. I love you so much, sissy! Thank you for being my maid of honor and my dear friend!
No date, No location, but we're probably at a lake somewhere, camping. I LOVE this picture. I love our faces!
One of my most vivid memories of my sister (we're 3 yrs apart too) is the Easter Sunday when she got to the baskets before me and discovered that the big egg had a $1 bill in it. Since I wasn't as close on her heels as it seems you were on Kelli's, I didn't see that she sneakily took the $1 out of my big egg and put it in her pocket. Can you imagine how sad I was when I got to my basket and found no money in my egg, but saw my sister waving her money in my face? Grinning all the while because she knew she had my money in her pocket too? Did I mention she's my best friend in the whole world now?!
ReplyDeleteYAY!!!! That is so sweet! Kelli is super kind and definitely one of the most wonderful people I know. <3 So much love!
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