Melissa Fowler!

My friend Melissa is the best! She was the first friend I made when I moved to California as a 12 year old and we've been friends ever since. In middle school, we did everything together. My personal favorite was taking the video camera and making mock commercials or TV shows, then laughing until we cried watching them later. We loved watching Star Wars Return of the Jedi and even pretended a kid in school was friends with Chewbacca. We'd try to speak 'Wookie' to him and laugh and run away while he stood there, thinking we were crazy. We were always tent buddies at Girls Camp. She taught me how to sing alto and I taught her how to scrapbook. For Valentine's Day in the 8th grade, we went around and kissed all the boys with brightly colored lipstick to leave lip prints on their cheeks and started the Great Kiss Fest of 1992. We'd sing songs with our own lyrics ("Bulgy Land," "Greatest American Bulge," "The Bulgy Connection").

In high school, we did cheerleading together, went to EFY, and Church dances. We would play games like "20 Questions" but referring to a specific memory we shared. We playfully referred to each other as "pre-existent" twins. She was there for me when my heart was broken and I went to her when she was sad. We lived together briefly in college until she got married. We were each other's bridesmaids. Now, she lives in Minnesota and I live in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, we have the phone and internet to keep in touch. She has never missed my birthday and this year was no exception. She sent me Chewbacca and a hand made key holder. I giggled for a long time remembering our silly adolescent days. Thank you so much, Mel, for the laughs, the memories, and the friendship!

I didn't have a picture with me not looking like a fatty-boomba-laddy!