Angels among us

I'm supposed to be the Big Sister here...

Josh is literally the best
brother any girl could ever ask for.  We've been through it all together, and even though things were often hard, we together learned how to smile despite it all.  He was the one and only reason I ever doubted coming to BYU.  I was afraid to be away from the one person in my life that was always there for me.  Little did I know that being so far apart could bring us so much closer together.  I just can't believe how big he has gotten; he's 16,,driving, and dating! I hate that I am missing his A Capella concerts and all the things that are important to him and subsequently are important to me (with maybe the exception of video games :).  In my psychology class we talked about how sibling relationships are the longest ones you will ever have - longer than the one you will have with your spouse and even your parents most likely.  I am so thankful that Heavenly Father gave me this boy to be my lifelong best friend, the boy I can always count on.   

Sabrina is my amazing fantabulous cousin/sister-can't you see the resemblance? :).  We grew up together wearing matching dresses, having sleep overs and tea parties, and playing dress-up in our moms' old prom dresses.  I guess you could say that we were pretty inseparable.  We had our rough patches (like all relationships do...) but we were always able to overcome them and gain a little more understanding of each other.  She is currently a Senior at Auburn University and not getting to see her very often is definitely hard.  When we do get to hang out, there's often so much to catch up on that we don't even know where to start!  As far as I'm aware, we are currently planning to travel/conquer the world together, no biggie.  We both have a desire to serve, travel, and take advantage of our "free" time and do all that we can as the opportunities present themselves.  She is such an inspiration to me, and I really do admire her.  If only we lived closer!

  Samantha Paige Cassell is one of the single-most important people to ever come into my life.  This girl.  I cannot imagine my life without her for a minute. I know that God gave her to me for a reason.  When something goes awry, I know that I can always count on her to be there for me, to pick me up, dust me off, and set me on the right course where she'll be by my side every moment of every day.  We met at Wetumpka High School in August of 2007 - I was a freshman and she was a transferring sophomore.  It was her birthday, we were walking out to the band practice field and we automatically hit it off.  You know those conversations you start with random people that just have the element of flow?  You could talk for hours and hours and never even think to look at the time?  That is Paige.  She is so so so much more than my best friend - she is my sister.  My un-joined twin.  Okay, so there's not really an obvious resemblance, but forreal, we have twin telepathy.  We have no boundaries.  We are essentially one person.  She gets me more than I get myself, and I'm okay with that because there are times that I need someone to give me the necessary advice.  We have big plans together.  We are going to live really close, and our husbands will be best friends, and we will essentially share children.  :)  I cannot wait for that time in our lives, when we think things will be easier (chances are out of the question - it's going to be hard) and we believe we have everything we could ever want.  We talk on a daily basis, and she is one of the main sources of my happiness.  Her approval is everything to me, and I could not ask for a better judge of character when it comes to boys. ;)  Her boyfriend, Jacob Wadsworth is my brother, and I am so thankful that they have each other (in case you didn't know, they were made for each other.)  I love this girl to death and I would do anything for her, and I know that she would be willing to do anything for me.  Don't let her size fool you, she packs a mean punch when she needs to. :)  Oh, and have I mentioned that I haven't seen her in over 2 years.  It says a lot to me that we can remain so close while she's currently living in Washington.  I miss this girl with all my heart and I would give just about anything to be able to hug her! But the good news is that we will finally be reunited in December for a short while in Alabama, and boy I can't wait!  I could go on forever telling stories about Paige and I, but I think this is sufficient as far as y'all are concerned. Just know that I love her dearly and am so thankful to have her as my best friend and sister, my better half. <3

Forrest is pretty much ah-mazing! We met a long long time ago at church, and became really close during our high school years.  She graduated a year before me, but once I graduated we were BYU BOUND!  It was so great going to college with someone you already knew, especially since we were going so far away!  I am so thankful to have had here this past year or so.  I don't know if I would have fared so well without her!  When you don't have family living close by, it really helps to have someone there who understands what you're going through and where you come from.  She knows me so well, and I could not ask for a better friend to come to college with! We've both grown so much since being here - it's awesome! :)  We love experimenting and charming the boys with our cooking skills... it's a Southern Thing. ;)  She is such a great friend, and I am thankful to have someone here with me that understands me so intimately.  She always knows how to give the best advice, and I know that I can count on her to keep me in line. :)

Rachel & Lauren...where do I even begin? I can attest fully that without these girls, I would  not have survived high school. Rachel is just flat out the best thing since sliced bread!  In case you didn't know, she is my twin as well!  She is one of my all-time best friends.  Okay, so I say that about a lot of people, but Rachel, she really is different from the rest of them...in a good way. :) She is always willing to listen, and when you get us together, we really don't shut up.  However, I think we are closer now that we are out of high school! It's crazy what distance can do to relationships.  I love her to death and I hope that we will continue to get closer as the years go by!  Rachel's is definitely a friendship that I never want to lose.  Not even boys can tear us apart. And if they try, then they better know what they're dealing with! ;)   If I had gone to Auburn, Rachel would have definitely been my roommate.   Oh well, I guess twins will have to do! :)  Lauren, that lucky duck, is Rachel's roommate at Auburn!  She is flat out amazing.  We were dates at our Senior Prom together. ;)  She's such a great and dependable friend, and I know that I can count on her to be there for me, no matter what.  She is always so understanding, loving, and caring. She really is like everyone's second mother!  I can't imagine not having known Lauren, for she truly is an amazing individual who has helped me through so much.  I hope to continue build our friendship for years and years on end.  She's always so busy between school and band (she's an awesome mellophone/French Horn player by the way...) that we don't really get to talk all that much anymore, but I know that if I needed her, she would be there in a heartbeat, and  I would do the same for her!  

Gah, I love these girls. :)

Emily...oh Emily.  This girl is definitely something else! I think this picture truly captures our friendship (Who knows what we were laughing about this time.) We are always laughing and joking.  We literally never stop.  We have so many inside jokes it isn't even funny.  Sadie Hawkins Dance.  Sailboats.  Tourettes.  Good times.  :)  We are different, yet so alike that we just mesh! I loved spending time with her this summer, especially since I missed the summer after my Senior year of High School.  We always have so much to catch up on, that like most of my friends, we could just talk and hang out for hours, making friendship bracelets, swimming in the lake, and all that jazz.  I seriously miss this girl so much!  I hate that it gets so busy that we don't get to talk very much, but I hope she knows that I love her!

I LOVE this picture.  I don't think she'll
 mind it too much. ;)

Ashley. My goodness, I would be a wreck without this girl, no joke.  She is the first friend at BYU that Forrest and I made... even though we were kinda scared of each other at first!  It didn't really take us too long to find our connection made in the Premortal existence, however!  I truly believe with all my heart that it was pure fate that we became roommates in June 2011.  She is so amazing, and I love just sitting with her and talking about life.  She is amazing at giving Gospel-centered advice.  I am so thankful that even though we aren't living in the same apartment this year, she just so happens to be my next door neighbor.  She kinda, just walks in whenever she feels like it! (Well, except for when the door is locked.. :).  I don't know what I would do without her. I definitely consider her to be one of my "soul mates", in a non creepy way.  She gives amazing hugs, and always knows how to make me feel better.  Let's just say she's pretty dang awesome, almost better than eating a half gallon of Graham Canyon! Oh wait, she was the one I did that with on a weekly basis... ;)

This is the essence of our relationship...
in balloon form.

ChrisTopher.  Oh my, this kid is a mess. Yet, he is one of my greatest guy friends!  He is Ashley's brother, who upon getting home from his mission started going to BYU Winter 2012.  At first I wasn't sure what to expect of him, but he's so great. We found out that every time we are together, Ashley is off somewhere in turmoil and need of rescuing...not that she can't handle herself or anything, it's just easiest when there's someone else to help out. :)  Topher (I don't like calling him Chris) is just awesome.  He is so easy to talk to (most of the time...) and he is always good at giving advice.  I think one of our biggest debates is whether or not he should buy me ice cream on a regular basis... I think you can guess what side I'm on. ;)When I need a guys opinion about something, I call him up and he is always willing to escape his homework for a while to talk.  Also, he can't resist my sad face, so I can't help but to use it on him! Hehe :) 

~This next section is dedicated to these beautiful girls-
my amazing roommates of 212 E Richards!~
These girls got me through my first actual semesters of college (Fall 2011-Winter 2012)! They gave me the right balance of study and play time.  I love these girls with all my heart.  I am so thankful to still be so close to them and talk to them on a regular basis.  I can't believe how awkward we were at the beginning of  Fall semester... who would have known that we would become such close friends? :)

Kim is just...Kim.  She is so unique and man do I miss her!  (She only lives on the other side of campus, guys, but we seriously do not get to see each other enough.)  She is in the BYU Nursing Program (yeah, she's that AWESOME) so she stays pretty busy.  She helped me to eliminate my stigma with people who were unlike me understanding what I have been through.  She is so understanding, and I love the deep conversations we can have with each other, especially those we had in the bathroom after saying we should probably go to bed 5 million times. :) Any time we said that we would just keep on talking until the late hours of the night/morning.  When I'm going through a hard time, I always have a strong desire to call her - she really knows how to put my trials into an eternal perspective for me, and I am so thankful for that.  She's also just so cute, guys!  I don't know what I would do without her helping me pick out my clothes and curling my hair for me.  I seriously miss her and admire her more than anything.  There's nothing better than eating cereal (that we got from a guys apartment...)at 2 am with tablespoons when all of our spoons were gone... oh man.  Have I mentioned how much I miss this girl??

Kennedy is so inspiring.  She is living with us again this year at Glenwood, and I am so excited! Kennedy is seriously one of the most musically inclined people I have ever met.  And not to mention she's flat out hilarious.  I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be able to get to know her better.  She's amazing and strong, and I know that I have been blessed by having known her.  She's always so inviting and ready to include everyone, and I really admire that about her.  Kennedy is incredibly smart and caring towards everyone she meets, and I'm excited for the opportunity we have to make new memories this coming up year!

Cecily is my role model.  Like forreals.  She is incredible on so many levels, and you'd be lucky to have her grace your presence!  She's so amazing, and I look up to her immensely.  I am so thankful to have had her as one of my roommates.  She is so responsible, yet she knows how to have fun!  There's nothing better than starting random dance parties to the end credits of Monte Carlo, which turns into model walking lessons in pajamas, heels, and red lipstick.  I miss those days.  She can be shy, but seriously once you get to know her, she is a person that you want to be around all the time!  She is so loving and caring towards everyone, and is such an inspiration.  She always made my day so bright when she took the time to ask how a test went or how a certain event in my life that shouldn't matter to anyone, yet she remembered and actually wanted to listen to me talk about it.  Yeah, Cecily is awesome. :)  

Kristiann. Oh, Kristiann.  Where can I even begin.  So...we're awkward.  And obnoxious.  But it's okay, because believe me, we are fully aware of this.  I love this girl so so so so much.  From the late night study parties at the library to staying up talking about who knows what, or having awkward conversations in the corner.  Or putting packing- paper stapled together as hats on our heads and popping out from behind corners to scare our roommates, or facebook stalking people (come on, we all know you do it too), or listening to 'Call me maybe'  and trying to project it through the bathroom "speakers" to the kitchen... in case you couldn't tell, she just gets me.  There's no pretending when it comes to my friendship with Kristiann.  We were mutually awkward at first, but once we started to get comfortable, we eliminated all boundaries present.  And I mean ALL of them.  She is such an amazing friend, and she has completed my BYU experience.  We've had at least 6 classes and a lab together, so that just goes to show how much I love being around her!  I love that she is weird, because we all know that I am too.  She's helped me to get out of my comfort zone that I create with people other than my family.  I know that it's okay to be loud and eccentric sometimes, because that is what college is all about right?  She has helped me to find myself and I am so grateful for that.  I know that my Heavenly Father was watching over me when He willed us to be roommates.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU REACHED THE END!  If you made it this far, to be quite honest, I am really proud of you.  I'm also glad you took the time to read all of it!  I hope you found it interesting, as these are the people that I most hold near and dear to my heart.  People whose friendships I will always value, and ones that I know will not be for a season, but for a lifetime.  These people have left lasting impacts on my life and I am so thankful for them.  They truly are angels sent from above to keep me on the right track and help me to see the brighter side of life when the rest of the world wants us to focus on the darkness surrounding us.  These people are my inspirations and my beacons.  Writing these made me realize how much my Heavenly Father does know what we need in life, and that He cares for each of us so much - I could not be more thankful for these blessings in my life, for whether I am in Alabama or Utah I know that there are always people there for me who love me and care about me.

P.S.  If you are not included in this, that does not mean that I do not care about you, because I do. :)