Shout Out....

....To a couple people who inspire me.  

This is Kaycee Hatch

Kayc. Kaycidilla.  My little friend.  Kaycaaaaay!

Just some random night....

Graduation of course.  Side note, that night after I took Kayc home from our all night party, we just stood in an embrace, bawling on her driveway.  Yeah, we love each other.

After Trek.  Again, bawling. 

Kaycee's Island in Lake Powell

Kaycee has been one of my dearest friends since about 3rd grade.  

It wasn't always that way, though.  Apparently I made her cry quite frequently in Kindergarden, and she would boss me around and make me do little things like tie her shoes.  We figured it out though.  I have truly been blessed to be so close to her.  We have a bajillion inside jokes that never cease to make us laugh, and memories that we will cherish for eternity!  Even though we have usually had our different groups of friends, and have had very different interests, we have always been able to come back to being the loyalest of friends. 

 Kaycee inspires me because she is so brave.  We have seen each other through some super awesome times, but have also seen each other through the hardest, most broken times of our lives as well.   In those times, Kaycee never stopped pushing me to move forward.  Of course, she would let me cry and listen to my sad songs, but whether she knew it or not, she has always encouraged me to buck up, accept the pain, and look at all of the good things around me.  Kaycee is not one to dwell on hurtful things.  She is one of the greatest examples of a person who looks to the future, no matter how daunting it may seem, with faith.  The blindest kind.  

Kaycee is also one of the most accepting people I have ever met.  We all judge sometimes, and unfortunately, in a lot of situations, we tend to assume the worst in people.  However, Kaycee has always been everyone's friend.  She is amazing because she establishes her standards, and holds them high, but doesn't walk away from a friendship, or judge someone because their standards are different.  From the person sitting alone at lunch, to the person who has everything they could possibly want, Kaycee is their friend.  

She is a tiny girl with a giant heart.

More memories to come, Kayc!

******

This is Garen Kay Anderson

Gare.  G.  Gerna.  Gern.  G-man.

He doesn't really appreciate it when I make him do goofy faces.  He does it anyway.

One of those photo booth (I'm obsessed with those) pictures!

Bored.  "Lets make the ugliest faces that we possibly can." Op, I win.

My birthday!  Photo taken with brand the new camera I had just opened.   Yay pictures.  And yay presents.  Yay presents that take pictures!

Garen and I became friends in our 7th grade TLC class.  We were in the same cooking group, and he couldn't tie his own apron, so I did it for him.  We started becoming best friends during the summer before our Junior year of high school.  Ever since then, I have considered him one of my dearest friends. He said once that we were probably good friends in the pre-mortal life, and I have to agree.  From conversations about the most ridiculous and goofy things, to discussions about the deep beauties of the gospel and the world around us, Garen and I have always been able to talk - about anything. Even when we don't talk, we are pretty good at reading each other.  Like books, actually.  Kids books.  The ones that at this age we should be really good at reading.  Like that.  Most of the time, anyway.  :) Besides that, we have always rejoiced in each other's successes/accomplishments and been there for each other during discouraging times.  Good friendships are ones where each person is uplifted and improved because of the other.  I truly feel like that has been the case with this kid and me.  Here are a couple reasons why: 

 Garen is one of the most sincere, real, and genuine persons I have ever met.  He is usually a man of brevity, so he thinks very carefully about the things he says (again, usually haha - he always cracks me up with little things that raise my eye-brows when they slip out).  When he asks a person how they are, he doesn't just do it to make conversation.  He is genuinely interested, and hopes that they are well.   Time after time, I have watched him have conversations with people, and it is obvious that they matter to him.  How awesome would it be if everyone we talked to walked away thinking that they meant the world to us?  Garen is one of those people who are friends with everyone.  Sometimes when he can't sleep at night, he pulls out old year books, and looks at each of the pictures.  He thinks about each person's life, and wonders what their story is.  Who does that?! 

 He sees.  He is a fabulous example. 

When Garen puts his mind to something, or understands something in a certain way, he sticks to it.  Not to say he isn't teachable, because he is also super humble.  He just thinks in a very unique way.  He is pretty one-track minded, and that is something that I respect about him.  In this world, there are so many grey areas, and in some situations it's great, but in a lot of others situations, it's not.  For Garen, things are pretty black and white, and this is reflected in the way that he acts upon the things that he believes.  For Garen, you believe something, you act with all you have in accordance to that belief.  The whole world would be much improved if we could all do that.  

I have been blessed with amazing people surrounding me, but I have been thinking quite a bit about the friendships that I have, and these two people's examples have stood out to me in the past couple of days. I only hope that one day I can be as awesome as them!