BFF's And A Baby Niece

     Most girls have a BFF. Someone we can be completely ourselves with, and we know that they will love us anyway. For me, that crazy someone is Katelyn. We've been friends since we met on the second day of 3rd grade (precise, I know). That was 15 years ago! I've known her longer than anyone and even though we are now both married and live in different states, I can still say she is my best friend. We don't talk often, or see each other often, but every time we're we're together it's like no time has passed at all. That makes my heart sing!

We are slightly on the special side....

     We have a lot of memories together, and our families became close because of us. We both were home schooled (her family starting a year after us), which allowed us to spend a lot of time with one another. I always remember the time they were studying Egypt, and I got to help them mummify a chicken! Yeah, we home schoolers are awesome!
     She and her family moved to Oregon when we were still kids, and it was devastating to lose my best friend and sister. But we've managed to remain close through the years; I guess you could say we're "kindred spirits" (any Anne of Green Gables fans out there?).

     We had the privilege to be in each others weddings and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else as my maid of honor.

Photo by the wonderful Krystine Lewis. Aspen, Colorado.

     I've gone to visit her in Oregon and she's come to visit me, and we've both had the chance to meet up in sunny California on several occasions. She has a sister that lives here, which makes it the perfect halfway point for us both to see each other. Plus, who wouldn't want to spend some time in the sunshine?
    
     Fast forward a bit, and she now has an adorable baby girl; my little niece. And like every good aunt, I have every intention of spoiling that little girl. 

     I wasn't able to visit when baby Evelyn was born, but it happened to work out that I am here visiting family and she and her husband were making a trip to visit her husband's family (who also live in California). So I finally got to meet my adorable girl!

Spending some time with her Auntie, and not being still for the photographer.

Best friends, baby niece, and the nerdy husband. I mean...cool husband.

     We exchanged Christmas gifts (there may have been a lot for the baby), and I've gotta say, this lady knows me well. She gave me a beautiful wooden box that she wood burned a design in, a book about crocheting, and earrings that she thought would give me inspiration for my own jewelry designs.

     Funny side note, crocheting has always intrigued me as well as overwhelmed me, and I just ordered crochet hooks and some yarn to give it a try. And then she gave me a book about crocheting. Perfect coincidence!

     I'm so glad that I got to spend time with this wonderful family, and we will hopefully have a beach day later this week before they return home. I can't wait to use my new treasures, and perhaps make a baby gift with my new crochet skills (fingers crossed!).

     This little family is a treasure in my life and I look forward to watching them grow as a couple, and grow as a family. I love you all!

"All I Want For Christmas Is You"

     This is the first time in 4 years that my husband and I have been apart for Christmas. I'm not sure that the reality of that has even hit me yet.

A little back story:

     Rewind to 2010. Our meeting was not exactly...normal. I sat down at the computer and signed in to Facebook like I did every afternoon. I noticed I had a friend request and clicked to find a scraggly kid a little older than myself. I had no idea who he was. I had never seen him or heard his name that I could recall. We had no "mutual friends". At this point in my life, I had decided that mass amounts of strangers as "friends" was silly, so I never added people I didn't know. I hovered over the "delete request" button. But...something kept pulling at my heart.

The first family outing with both our families. We spent the day in Aspen, went to Maroon Bells and drove over Independence Pass.

     Being the true stalker that I am, I looked through his pictures; a tall, skinny, metal-head, skateboarding kid with crazy hair. Let's just say not my usual type. Those eyes though... and I proceeded to thoroughly stalk him on Facebook and Myspace (back when Myspace was still a tiny smidge cool). 

     After all that, I still wasn't sure what I should do. I had my fair share of obnoxious guys sending me requests in the cyber world and I thought that this might end the same way. But...something kept pulling at my heart.

The Getty Center in Los Angeles.

I clicked accept. And here is where it all started. I sent him a message saying hello and asking him if I had met him before, and he had no idea who I was, and didn't remember sending me a request even.

     I came to find out that he was searching for a different Tessa, but because I lived close, my profile came up and he thought "Well she's pretty cute." From that moment we hit it off, and talked online non-stop. Pretty soon we had exchanged numbers and began texting all day, everyday. At the time, I had a pay-as-you-go phone, and Girls, if a boy offers to buy you minutes so he can keep talking to you, you know he's a good one!

     My attraction for this stranger grew, and I knew he thought I was pretty at least. We agreed to meet in person for the first time at a frisbee game some friends at my church held every Sunday in the summer. And this crazy looking, metal-head agreed to meet me, surrounded by 20+ people I've grown up with and been going to church with. I should have known then that I had him hooked! He pulled up in his little green Mitsubishi and he and his brother and friend climbed out of the car. Now, I am not the most talkative person around strangers in the first place, so when I'm suddenly confronted with three strangers, it can be slightly overwhelming. I went over and met them all, and then walked away with one of my friends and told them I'd be back. Yeah, smooth move.

     I came back and sat in the grass with them, near him, and he didn't seem to have much to say. I felt awkward, and I felt like he was uninterested. I spent most of the time talking to his brother who is much more outgoing. Years later he admitted to me that he was so angry and ready to leave because I seemed interested in his brother instead!

He'll hate this picture, but I love it. At Newport Beach.

     We met a few more times after that, and he gave me many mix CD's. Classic "I Have a Crush on You" move. I played them for one of my friends, and every song that came on she would say, "Well, clearly he likes you!". But I still had my doubts. I couldn't believe that two people could fall for each other that quickly, and that hard. It was literally just a couple of weeks. I had been in relationships before where emotions got the best of me and things didn't end the way I wanted, and I didn't want that happening again with this one. 

     He came to my house to meet my mom, and of course, thought that she hated him. Which was far from the truth. The next day, I left for California. We talked every day, every chance we could get, and it was the first time I wanted to hurry up and get back home to Colorado. 

    While I was in gone, he asked me what I would say if he asked me out on a date when I got home (never been too secretive, this one). I told him he should probably ask and find out.

     On July 30th, 2010 we had our first date and our first kiss. And from that moment on, I knew I was going to marry this man. Six days later we told each other we loved each other (so much for keeping emotions in check, huh?). I knew that a proposal was in the near future. We had talked about it many times; our hopes, dreams, where we saw us as a couple. And on October 15th, 2010 he proposed to me in Aspen, Colorado and of course, I said yes. 

     We were married on October 27th, 2011 in Aspen at a beautiful nature center. It snowed the morning of our wedding so we had to move the ceremony inside, but it was small, it was cozy, and we were married. The years have been a whirlwind. We've had ups and downs, but I know that we can get through anything together. Imagine how different my life would have been if I had just clicked delete! It just goes to show that yes, love at first sight is true, and yes, some things are destined to be. Miracles do happen.

He  cleaned up a lot for me. These photos by the wonderfully talented Krystine Lewis. In Aspen, Colorado.

     So, even though I know this is just a bump in the road, Christmas without you will be hard this year. All I want for Christmas is you, Baby. I love you! 

At a Great Gatsby party in Boulder, Colorado.

In Aspen, Colorado October 2013. He reverted to his "old" look again, but is a little more clean cut these days. But I love this picture.