Awhile back, Lara wrote a post singing the praises of her friend, OP. She challenged her readers to write similar posts about their friends and wondered how many would do so. Well, I am late, but I am here.

Sarah and I met at the beginning of 1998. I was transferring to her school and dating her friend. It took me awhile to realize that Sarah hated me. Luckily, about that time, she changed her mind and came to see how rocktastic I truly am.

We were in choir together and, well, it was the late 90s, okay?

Before you bother asking, yes I am mortified that I am sharing this picture with the Internet, but that is just how much I love Sarah. There are many things we must address here, but can I just begin with – Do you see the size of my thigh? How is it possible that that sweet young girl thought she was fat? Anyway, Sarah’s the one kind of to the left of me (assuming you can even recognize me without my fat coat). By this point, we were cool. (And by cool, I mean that we were friends. Since clearly, neither of us were cool by any stretch of the imagination.)

Sarah and I had many adventures, some of which I’ve chronicled on this site. There were good times and bad. There was the time I told Sarah I wasn’t a virgin and she said, “Sometimes I forget that you weren’t always a Christian.” There were the road trips to Los Angeles. There was the time (okay – more like times – like, probably THREE times) I called Sarah to tell her about my car accident. There was illness and death. But through it all, there was Sarabeth (which is a brand of jelly that we’ve never eaten, but we like the name and that is what we shall be called henceforth).

I was friends with Sarah before I met Andrés and it was me and Andrés who introduced Sarah to Josué. I did not consider the ramifications of hooking them up. I certainly didn’t think they’d get married, but I probably should have considered whether or not I really wanted my best friend and my boyfriend’s brother to break up. (Answer: Um, no.) Luckily, it appears I won’t have to deal with that particular horrifying thought, since they are getting married next year.

Speaking of weddings, Sarah was my maid of honor. She has a “real” sister, so I won’t be fulfilling that particular role for her. I’m not bitter. Today. (Or ever, really. They are having this awesome and totally non-traditional wedding in which I’m guessing my responsibilities as a bridesmaid will mostly consist of running interference for people Sarah doesn’t want to talk to. Which, incidentally, I rock at.)

Look at how pretty she is. Looking at that sweet face, you would never know that in just a couple hours, she would put the moves on my husband.

Dun dun DUUUUUUN!

Okay, not really. She just, kind of, you know, accidentally kissed Andrés instead of Josué at the reception. To be fair, they are identical twins.

Shortly after Andrés and I were married, Sarah got accepted to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and I went off to Kansas City for seminary. We’d never spent that kind of time apart since we’d met. But it was an exciting time for both of us.

Sarah was one of the first people I told that I was pregnant with Alliclaus. Just a few short weeks after I found out, I went to Chicago to see Wicked with Sarah. She didn’t make fun of me for buying maternity pants and she even went so far as to say that I was obviously pregnant because, “you never gain weight in your stomach like that.” Could a pregnant woman ask for a better friend? I most certainly could not.

I really wish the previous picture had come out, since Sarah has her hand resting on my stomach, trying to feel Alliclaus (Fefe at the time) move. It cracks me up.

Sarah came out to Kansas City when Alliclaus was born (although the timing was accidental, really). She was with me my first few days as a mom. And it felt right. She taught me to be a friend and a sister. She watched me learn to be a wife. And besides, she’s a rockin’ auntie.

I’m terminally slow in the making friends department, so most days I just want to pack up all my stuff and move to wherever Sarah wants to live at that exact moment. But I can’t really do that to my family. Instead, for now at least, we make regular trips back and forth to see each other. We try to talk on the phone when we can. And whenever we do, it’s like picking up a conversation we just left.

Sarah graduated from SAIC in May. We were all so proud of her. Even Alliclaus. It took a lot of courage for Sarah to pick up and move to Chicago. (Said the girl who picked up and moved to Kansas City. I know. But it seems different to me.) Now Sarah’s doing her dream job and living in an awesome city. The best part: I get to enjoy that success with her.

Incidentally, I think my arm in this picture is as big as my thigh was in that picture from high school. Let us never speak of this again.

Sarah’s coming down next weekend for Alliclaus’ Ladybug First Birthday Party and I am so excited. It’s been three months since we’ve seen each other, which is entirely too long. Josué will be coming as well, and it will be nice to see them together. I’m so excited for them to get married. Then they just have to hurry up and have a kid.

I bet she (or he) will look like Alliclaus. After all, people are constantly telling me that Alliclaus is a little Andrés. And a little Josué couldn’t look that different, right?