| Sarah |

This is Sarah.

Sarah has been one of my dearest, and closest friends for years. Our families have lived next door to each other for almost forever, and many of my childhood memories include them. Sarah and I have experienced all the craziness of growing up together. Speech tournaments, road trips, birthdays, our failed attempt at racquetball, cooking fiascos, cooking successes, shopping, California, making our own movie, writing our book, bucking hay, working at a hotel, milking goats, hot tubbing, texting ChaCha at 3am, campaigning, country concerts, sleepovers, vacations, camping, holidays... you name it, we've probably done it together. We have crushes on the same country singers. We did the whole, "Oh my gosh, we're not in high school, we're adults!" thing together. Kinda had a breakdown about growing old together. Sort of promised that we either have to get married at the same time, or stay single together... 

Sarah's a super cool person who has been an enormous blessing in my life. She's compassionate, funny, and smart. She's so laid back (unless we're playing a game- then she's pretty darn competitive) and brings a sense of chill to just about any situation. She's been with me through best, and the hardest parts of my life. 

She's a pretty big part of my life, and on Friday she moved across the country to Hillsdale, Michigan to start a new job and a new chapter in her life. She went to school in Hillsdale, so it's not like we've spent tons of time together for the past 4 years, but she's actually moving there now. To stay. It's the realization once again, that we're not kids any more. Why does this fact seem to take me by surprise all over again every few months? 

Before Sarah moved, we had talked about doing a photo shoot together. We decided that it would be epic to not only have photos done together, but to take the photos as well. I have a renewed respect for my tripod. We did this epic little photo shoot in Sarah's family's barn. Let me just say, quite the stellar location for photos! Hay, old tires, tractor, and an incredible old Ford truck. We were pretty stoked. 

Not too bad considering there wasn't anyone behind the camera, right? 

We're thinking of contacting Ford and seeing if they'd like to pay us for these photos.

Gosh, I'm going to miss her so much...

~Jasmine

My Thanksgiving Weekend

Yes! The holidays are officially here! Thanksgiving weekend was amazing, and now we've all boarded the train that is headed at a breakneck pace toward Christmas and the end of the year. It only gets crazier from here on out, but I'm sooooo excited!

Thanksgiving is a huge deal at our house. The day starts early with a trip to the Salvation Army where we help prepare a meal under the direction of a not-so-cheery Major. Following that, there is a trip to the grocery store for the one inevitably forgotten item. Back at home, we watch the end of Macy's parade and I vow once again to be there in person someday. Of course, as soon as Santa ushers in the season, we immediately begin playing the Christmas music, and pretty much don't listen to anything else for a good four or five weeks. After the parade, time is split between the kitchen, and watching the National Dog Show. If you've never watched this parade of pooches, come next year you simply must! It is adorable. Another happy part of this year's Thanksgiving was watching our favorite football team win their game. Our team doesn't always play on Thanksgiving, and I felt like the fact that they did made our Thanksgiving that much more legit.

The remainder of the afternoon involves last-minute food preparations, rearranging the dining room, carting food over from our neighbor's house, and at last sitting down with them to a scrumptious dinner. We've celebrated Thanksgiving with our good friends, the Harris' for as long as I can remember. We always get together a few weeks before Thanksgiving to plan out the menu and decide who will be baking what pies. I can remember years at their house when we had so many people, that the tables stretched down the dining room and then made a turn and continued on toward the living room. As people have gotten older, gone off to school, and gotten married our group has gotten a little smaller every year, which is the melancholy part of our holiday. Someday though, I think we will have a two family reunion where all of us, including our new families will get together and share this special meal again.

I was reading the blog of one of my friends the other day, and she had mentioned that someone had challenged her to write a list of 1000 things she was thankful for. She said the process had been good for her soul. I think I am going to join her in the list-writing. I think making the conscious decision to acknowledge and record the many blessings in my life can only do good things for my heart.

For now, at the end of the weekend, let me just say that I am incredibly thankful for my family whose faces and names are featured in the photo above. When I think about all the places I could have been raised, all the families I could have grown up in, I feel so blessed. Without these people, the holidays wouldn't mean nearly as much. Love you all!

Hope your holiday weekend was as lovely as mine,

~ Jasmine