Ode to Elise

I just have to give a quick shout out to one of my very best friends who is leaving on a mission to Argentina in three days. Bear with me :)

Miss Elise and I met in 7th grade (random fact - as Elise recalls, I was wearing a Costa Rica t-shirt. Not important to the story but cool nonetheless) but didn't really become friends until 9th grade when we both joined the Lone Peak swim team. We began a carpool to practice everyday with Zach and Hayley and slowly got to know each other over freshman year.

Sophomore year we had American Studies together and her and Zach also got a ride with me and my brother to swim practice everyday in the grandma car. Basically, that means that they sat in the back seat and just watched me and my brother be our weird selves with each other. I think they, and I, will always remember the day Michael smashed crackers in my face for no reason. It's one of those things you just have to be there for but it is sure a great memory!

Anyway, junior and senior year we just continued to become best friends. We have some great basketball memories, dances, and hundreds of swim team memories. 

The two of us, Taryn, and Zach code-named ourselves the fab 4 and usually spent our weekends in sweats lounging on the couch talking and laughing cause we were so tired from swim practice. 

These friends, as well as our other wonderful swim friends have become an amazing group of friends to be around. Check out these wonderful swimmer family photos if you don't believe me. Yes, we are weird, but we have fun!

Fast forward to sophomore year of college when Elise and I brought our friends together to live in lodge 73 at Glenwood Apartments. That year was literally the best year of my life and we have so many happy memories from that year; I'll always treasure it! Especially spring semester when we just partied it up. And then this year I got to live across the hall from her and Sarah since we couldn't all get into the same apartment. We learned our lesson: don't be slow on housing! 

One of my favorite things about her is that we don't have to do anything to have an absolute blast. We can literally just sit, chat, and laugh for hours, and it is one of my very favorite things! We can talk about anything and everything and she is so good to listen to all my crazy stories. I'm extremely grateful for her true friendship and for her incredible example to me of a Christ-like person. She makes me want to be a better person each and every day, and I wish I could even begin to portray how much I love my bestie! She will be greatly missed over the next 18 months, but Argentina is extremely lucky to have her. And I know she will do amazing things there! 

Love you Lise-Geese! I'll see you in August 2013!