Family!!

I know I have posted about this many, many times before, BUT I just can't seem to say it enough...I LOVE MY FAMILY! Bryson, my mom my dad, Becky, Jayson, Kaitlyn, Lisa, Jeff, Bradley, Maddie, Blakey, Granny, Papa, Auntie, Uncle Kent, Kam, Karley, Tickie, Greg, Leah, Amy, Nam, Nampa, the Schooff family, the Bryson family, the Webster family. . . I couldn't ask for a better family! My sister, Kaitlyn has been in town the last week or so and just having her near (even though I'm sure she's been BORED out of her mind) makes me feel SO much better. There is nothing in the world like a sister. I learned this at an early age, watching my mom on a daily basis (at LEAST once a day) call her sisters and talk for hours. She would make it a priority to visit her sisters often, even if it meant driving for 3 days across the country with 3 small kids. I always just assumed that your sister was supposed to be your besst friend - that's just how it was. Kaitlyn and I have been best friends from the day she was born. Her sweet toast at my wedding says it perfectly:

"Ever since the day I was born, Ashley has been my best friend. We grew up together making forts in the living room, playing Barbies, and playing pretend, and I never knew that it was uncommon to have your sister as your best friend. We did, and we do, everything together from sharing our clothes and our makeup, to literally sleeping in the same bed."

When Kaitlyn was in 3rd grade - I THINK it was 3rd grade, she wrote me a note. Just recently, we found it and she read it to me over the webcam. I started laughing so hard that I literally cried - it was so sweet.

"ashley, thanx for the flowers. i love them. it's 1:30. we're doing reading. we have to read "soaring eagle." i saw you and mom writing notes to each other, so can we or i just wanted to write you a note. i love you so much. i love the note pad too. it's so cute. everydody is out for resses. (the playground) but i wanted to stay in to write you this note. it's 2:20 I round on time. i realy 2:18, but?) how was ridding the bus? i was fine. i sat with a girl named brandi (like the singer but not really) I played with her also for resses. i'm so nerves coming home on the bus. i have no place to sit. well, in the bus, do you have assigned seats. well we DO!! that's why i don't have any place to sit. (mad faces, means not fair or i dont like it that way.) well thanx any way. love ya so much. lylas (well we are sisters, so let's be best friends. deal?) (please tell me about your day and bus drive if you want.) GTG YRG ( you rule girl)"
your sister, kaitlyn schooff
ps you are cool"

As we've gotten older, people we have never met or seen before FREQUENTLY ask us, "Are your guys TWINS?" We look at them like, "Are you kidding?" Afterall, I have brown hair, she has blonde...I'm four years older - I think we look totally different. But, after being asked if we are twins at least once everytime we are out together, I'm starting to think maybe I'm just not seeing it. :-) This week, Kaitlyn has come down to my class three times, twice to read to my kids and once on Saturday to help me do teacher "busy work" - recording grades in the book, writing names on books, putting things in alphabetical order...all that stuff that no one really wants to do haha. She is amazing! The times she has come to read to my kids, they have literally been on the edge of their seats excited...wanting to ask her about a million questions. They all said today, "Miss Kaitlyn is so pretty and nice." And I, of course, said "I know! I'm so lucky to have such a great sister!" I am so sad, but at the same time ESTATIC for her, that she will be moving so far away, across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii for the fall. We were watching Little Women on Sunday and heard the quote, "Don't be silly! I could never love anyone more than I love my sister." So true! :-)

SO, today (and everyday), I am grateful that I was given Kaitlyn, my sister, my best friend. :-)