This is my best friend Ariana, isn’t she pretty?

Here is a horrible picture of us taken the first year we moved to Vancouver. Yes, I really went out in public with my hair like that.

This week she is getting married to a really wonderful man. And then moving to a far off land, an hour and twenty forty minutes away. Words can’t really express how excited and happy I am for them. Luckily, I am not the bridesmaid who has to give a speech. Because a) I hate talking in front of large groups of people and b) I would probably cry too much. But I do love writing. So I thought I’d make this a very special and only slightly embarrassing Top Ten. It’s about to get cheesy up in here. Here are my ten most favorite things about the girl formerly known as AHepp.

One

She can recite every single line from Clueless and quote them in any applicable life situation. ”I am totally butt crazy in love with Josh!” It’s impressive.

Two

She is wonderfully encouraging and fiercely loyal. You could argue that those are two different things but I think they are connected. Ariana has been vehemently on my side through absolutely everything for the past eight years. Cheering me on through the good and talking/walking with me through the bad.

Three

Ariana cannot get through an episode of Gilmore Girls without squealing at least once. Particularly the episodes with Jess in them. I love this about her because I’m the same way and it makes me feel like less of a weirdo.

Four

She is hands-down the most organized person I know. Ariana is the kind of girl who would make a list of all the lists she needs to make. It’s pretty great if you have to take a trip somewhere that requires a lot of planning.

Five

I can send her an email with one sentence that says, “The Fug Girls just referred to that new Zefron movie as ‘Nicholas Sparks Presents: Making Out with Zac Efron’. Am dead from laughing. “ and she not only responds with a serious answer, it will invariably turn into a 50-80 email long conversation. Seriously, we never run out of things to talk about.

Six

She never makes me feel weird about crying. This sounds like a major “duh, that’s what best friends do!” kind of thing but for the amount of times I cry in an average week (roughly 3-18) there are only three people in the world who I can cry in front of without feeling embarrassed about it. She just hands me the Kleenex box and carries on the conversation like nothing even happened. She never gives me the “ouch that sucks” sympathy face. I never feel like I have to apologize for getting upset or explain my tears away or make an excuse. It’s the best.

Seven

She will give you a ride to the airport in the middle of a potentially life threatening snowstorm. Fact.

Eight

Whenever I go to her for advice, she always takes into account my personality/who I am before she gives it. So often people will speak out of their own experience, or tell you what to do in a given situation based on what they’d do. Ariana listens all the way through, nods sympathetically and then tells me what I need to hear, even when it’s not what I want to hear.

Nine

She is the best person to go to concerts with. We love a lot of the same music so I can always count on her to be my concert buddy. Plus I can get excited about nerdy music things with her and she not only understands what I’m talking about, she’s probably just as impressed as I am.

There are approximately 100 more pictures just like this on Facebook, of us making goofy faces with some band in the background.

Ten

In the past eight years we have been friends I have watched this lady grow in peace, patience and wisdom. God has done some really amazing things in her heart and her life. We are so different and also so much the same. I feel super blessed to count her as my friend and sister. As she becomes a wife(!) this weekend I’m so excited to see what God is going to do and what he has in store for my best friend.