Family Friday - Carly

I've worked from the youngest on up, so today's Family Friday is about my sister Carly. Born in 1979, Carly is the second child in our family, and just as my parents planned, Carly was born (in Stockton, CA) just after my second birthday.

(my mom pregnant with Carly, 1979)

Obviously, I can't remember life without Carly. We were very inseparable as little kids. Our personalities were very different from day one, but that didn't matter to us. We played barbies together, had hamsters together, wore sponge-rollers together and always had matching outfits!

(Carly and I, Stockton CA - 1981)

Four years after Carly was born is when Lindy joined us. Never without our bows and curls, we were each sister very different. I was the bossy oldest sister, Carly wanted to prove she had her own personality and Lindy just wanted to suck her thumb and be happy. It was a comfortable dynamic! Carly and I would often fight as hard as we would play, but there is great power that comes with being the oldest, and all I would have to do is make a silly face or give a bribe....Carly would laugh and we'd be playing again!

One of my favorite memories is Christmas 1987, I was 10 and Carly was 8. I made Carly her very own cassette tape copy of my copy of Tiffany's album (you know, "I Think We're Alone Now"). She thought that was the greatest thing ever! Ha ha ha, still makes me laugh.

(Me, Carly and Lindy - 1986 ish)

As high school approached, we didn't necessarily grow closer and seemed to have different interests. I was a cheerleader, Carly was in Ag. We were both in band, but played different instruments and we also had different groups of friends. I drove us to high school everyday, blasting my "cool" music, and as we'd part ways and go to our separate classes, I'd glance over at Carly with a silent feeling of protectiveness over my little sister.

(Carly's Jr High Graduation, 1993- Me, Carly and Katie)

Years later, we both moved to Utah for college where still had separate groups of friends, but our gap started to close a little more. We'd get together for dinner or would drive home to CA together to see our family. Eventually, we both got married within 7 months of eachother- which made our worlds collide even more.

I had the priviledge of going to most of Carly's doctor's appointments with her during her pregnancy with Alyson, and even got to be there for her birth! We hadn't planned it that way, and frankly, I was terrified of everything I'd seen with her pregnancy (I used to tease that it was great birth control for me to be so involved with her pregnancy!). But being in the room for Alyson's birth was by far one of the coolest experiences of my entire life and it completely changed my whole perspective on pregnancy and childbirth after witnessing that special occasion!

(Alyson's "birth" day, 2001)

Soon, Carly traveled down a new road of single parenthood. It was scary and none of us really knew much about it. Eventually Carly and Alyson settled down in Southern California. Carly pulled herself up by her bootstraps, figured out this parent thing and began working for high-end salons as a stylist.

(4 generations - Alyson, Carly, My mom, My Grandma - 2002)

Carly has always had a creative streak in her, and she surprised everyone by going from self-proclaimed "tom boy" in her younger years, to an amazingly talented stylist! She trained with some top stylists and really learned to master hair color. And, thanks to me, got TONS of practice on stacked A-line cuts through the years! While Carly was in beauty school, I figured she was a professional after the first few months, so I trusted her with my hair from the get-go. It wasn't till later she confessed to me that she had no idea what she was doing and that I was her guinea pig!

(Carly always with scissors! Alyson's first haircut! 2003)

I loved when Carly lived in Southern California. By this point, I had also moved back to California and so we were able to visit eachother every few months. Either she'd come up to visit us, or we'd go down and stay in her apartment. It was fun to see our girls get to know eachother, and of course I'd always buy her dinner if she would (please!) give me a trim!

(My Grandma's porch 2004 - Jordyn, Lexi, Me, Carly and Alyson)

I really developed a new-found love for my sister in the phase of our lives we'd entered into within a year of eachother. Motherhood bonds women in a way that nothing else can. We were both moms and our girls adored eachother. Jordyn and Alyson are 13 months apart, and have always had a special bond with one another. It was fun to develop more than a sister relationship with Carly, and learn to also be friends.

(Cousin Lauren's baby blessing in Anaheim - Carly, Alyson, Me, Jordyn, Lexi and Grandma - 2005)

(The pumpkin patch 2005)

Not too long after this (below) family picture, Carly's life took another huge turn that resulted in her and Alyson moving back to Utah. It's been hard for me to not see them as often! But what I've witnessed over the past year and a half is nothing short of a miracle, and has also given me such a deep appreciation for the strong woman my sister has become.

(Alyson's 6th birthday - 2007)

Carly made one of the most difficult and selfless choices a human can make when she chose to place her second child, Calli, with a beautiful couple - Mike and Elisa. I was so happy to meet Mike, Elisa and baby Calli a few months after Calli was born. I felt honored to be invited into such a personal and tender circle, and to get a first hand glimpse into a new side of my sister.

(Meeting Mike, Elisa and Calli for the first time - November 2007)

Although I've always been the advice-giving oldest sister, I've felt a natural switch of roles happen over the past couple years between Carly and I. I will always have an instinctual desire to protect my siblings...but I no longer feel like I have the answers or even have any advice left to give! Instead, I have been still...and watched....and learned so much from Carly as of late. She is by far one of the strongest people I know, with an amazing desire to learn and grow and better herself. She is beautiful, poised, talented, friendly, creative, smart and most of all, close to her Father in Heaven.

(Carly and baby Calli 2008)

(Carly and Alyson - 2008)

(A tired looking pic of me and Carly - July 2008)

And, in closing: Carly, I have two things to say!
1. My hair needs you really really really bad.
2. Take some days off and come visit!!

Love you lots!!!!!!