It was our senior year of college (Amanda completed her two year degree), and we were graduating on the SAME DAY (with our awesome brother James)! In the week leading up to graduation, Amanda and I decided we needed a haircut. We walked into the salon, and the lady at the front desk asked if we were twins. (We get this a lot).

As a female, it's sometimes hard to navigate through different seasons of life with people. Single, married, pregnant, motherhood. Sometimes it's hard to relate to others, sometimes our lives just become so different that schedules and priorities just don't seem to align anymore. Sometimes our interests no longer match up, and sometimes, without even seeing it, a gap can begin to grow between us and some of our closest friends. 

As I walked into Amanda's home on Friday, November 13, I remember feeling anxious and nervous, and a whole slew of emotions that I had never experienced before walking into her home. I had walked into her home hundreds of times - and each time I felt happy, and excited, and welcomed, and - well, HOME.

There are very few times in my life when I have been truly surprised. You know, that overwhelming SHOCK that completely catches you off guard, and you wonder how in the world you didn't see that coming?! I can literally count on one hand the number of times this has ACTUALLY happened to me. And every single one of them involves my sister, Amanda. 

This picture was taken almost 28 years ago on Easter Sunday. It was the most beautiful day. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. I can even remember folding my lace-trimmed socks down over my white patent leather shoes.

But really? A double wedding? Who does that? Well, we did. Partly to save money (I mean our guest lists were basically identical), and partly because we like to be unique. We had never been to a double wedding, and there were definitely moments when I think we both wondered what we were getting ourselves into.

I have always looked up to my baby sister. I always thought it was ironic that my younger sister would be the person I respected most. I loved her more than she would ever be able to understand. She helped me through this life in every way. She encouraged me, challenged me, held me in my most difficult times, prayed for me, laughed with me, endured every phase of life with me.