Tyler Lynn

 A little over 17 years ago, my best-friend Linsey had a baby girl.  I had no idea how that little girl would change my life and bring one of the greatest relationships I have into it.  Tyler Lynn was and is my first baby!  I lived with Linsey while Tyler was just little, the first 4 years of her life and we took care of  Tyler like she was our own. Linsey used to joke that it was like we were married.,  Linsey worked in the mornings and I worked at night so that Tyler wouldn't have to go to daycare.

Even when Linsey and I moved away from each other for awhile, we would still arrange our schedules around Tyler and she would come stay with me all the time.  She was the cutest little girl ever.  She had this wispy white hair, if you could all it that, she was so cute and so spunky.  She was so fiesty!! One of my favorite pictures of Tyler from when she was a baby, was her holding a stuffed animal and she had the grumpiest look on her face , a binkie in her mouth and a plate of food was sitting next to her on the couch.  I asked her why she was mad in the picture and she said, "They tried to make me eat that sh**"  She was so funny.  I used to tell her all the time that she completed me and then she would say, no you complete me Aunt Bran.  And we would do that back and forth until she would finally say, "I'm gonna complete you right upside the head!"  She would also tell me all the time how much she loved me. I would ask her, "How much do you love me Ty?" She would stretch out her arms as far as they would go and say, "This much Aunt Brandy. 5 whole pounds!"  That's always stuck with Josh and I. We still tell each other that we love each other 5lbs.

When they moved back to Junction, when Tyler was about 6, she would still come and stay with us occasionally on weekends and for a week in the summer. She gave her Uncle Josh the name Uncle Pottymouth and it stuck.  He was just as enamored with her as a little girl as the rest of us. He hates ice cream and he would sit so patiently on the couch and let her feed him ice cream all the time.   He used to love to take her fishing and to feed the ducks!  He loved to torment her with the ducks and throw them in the back of the truck with her!

 Then she turned 13 and discovered boys and friends and we have seen her less the last few years. But we understand.  We would still chat on the phone and sometimes cry on the phone. Being a teenager is hard. Thank heavens for texting and facebook. If I ever went home, I always made it a point to see her if only for a few minutes and if she came here she would do the same thing.

How the time flies!  She's all grown-up and she is just as lovely as a young lady as she was as a little girl.  I can't believe she is going to graduate this year. She asked me to do her senior pictures.  I admit I cried a little.  I wanted very much to offer that to her, but wasn't sure about doing it.  I told her I had lots of friends who could do a more professional job, but she wanted me to do that. I'm so glad.  I look at these pictures and it melts my heart. I'm so grateful for her. I'm so grateful for her mom and our friendship that has withstood a lot in the past 22 years!  Wow!  I can't believe it's been that long.  We've been through a lot, this girl, her mom & I.  I have some crazy stories, but the most important thing is that we all still love each other. They are my family.

I was really sad when Josh and I decided to be done having kids.  I really wanted another daughter in my life, a sister for Piper, but honestly, I don't need to have my own. Heavenly Father has allowed me to have two awesome girls come into my life in a different way. I am so grateful that he knows who and what we need in our lives.

I love you Tyler and am so proud of you and all your accomplishments!  I can't wait to see where life takes you!  I love you 5 lbs.