HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA LYNN KOVALCHIK

In lieu of sending Missy a birthday card here is my tribute to one of the Greatest Friends Ever!

How we we have celebrated in the "Good Ole Days"

Tomorrow is my friend Missy's birthday-a really special day in my book. Missy and I have been friends since 8th grade and have only grown closer as the years have gone by. A few weeks ago I sat in my basement going through 7 boxes of old pictures and had so many memories to relive. I am so blessed with her friendship that at times it leaves me with no words to say. She has been a constant in my life for more than half of it. We have been through really hard times (the loss of Grandparents and boyfriends, pregnancies, weddings, step children, pets and family drama) and some of the best times ever (falling in love, raising our children, growing our families, marrying the men of our dreams, drunk fests in high school-man those were the days).

Dying each other's hair in front of my Grandmas in 94 or 95

Essentially I could go one forever and ever about the memories I have with her. What is most important to me about Missy is that our friendship has NEVER wavered. With time things always change and you often lose the people you were once friends with, but that is the farthest from the truth from our friendship. When she was engaged (the first few times) and I was living the single life we were best friends, when she was broken up living the single life and I was "in love" we were best friends and when she got married and I was still searching for Mr. Right we were best friends...you get the point-no matter what our friendship has been strong. (OK, there was one fight over this boyfriend of hers that she thought I was "making out" with)

This was after I moved to Columbus and was visiting-we were at my Grandmas-maybe 1998

We talk all the time-even while on vacation. She checks in when she knows someone in my home has been sick, she knows all our of kids and all about each of them and she takes the time to remember special things. I could not imagine my life without Missy and I pray that I never have to. She is so important in my life yesterday, today and for all of my tomorrows.

Here we are on the day of our friend Jamie's wedding.

Missy-Happy Birthday! I hope you have an amazingly sweet day and that all of your wishes come true. (OK most of them!) Thank you so much for being such an amazing best friend time and time again. Thank you for being there and supporting me. Thank you for understanding me even when I am completely irrational and telling me that I am. Thank you for listening to the things that I would not tell anyone in the universe but you. I love you and I am so blessed by your friendship. Happy Birthday!

Aaron says Happy Birthday Missy and he wrote the following line...

.n;nkgmjgy?O0 tg0f;[;p;[h\/.lp .;l [lh[p-k,[= hj