happy birthday, my dear friend!

Today is my darling friend Sammie's eighteenth birthday!

Happy Birthday, my dear!!!

I've been blessed in knowing her as one of my best friends for the past five years,

and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for our friendship in the future. 

Unfortunately, I'm not able to share this day with her in person.

So, Sammie, here's a post just for you - just a reminder of how awesome I find you. 

And a little way for me to say, yet again, 

thanks for being an incredible friend, and my sister in Christ. 

For those of you who don't know Sammie, let me introduce you. 

Yes, I do have an utterly gorgeous friend. I agree wholeheartedly. 

She's very passionate about many things. 

First and foremost, her relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing in her life. With Sammie, we aren't just friends as teens sharing their lives, but as sisters in the faith. It's such an encouragement to have such a friendship in a world as fickle and shallow as the one we find ourselves in today. God has truly blessed me through her!

Her lovely blog is His Hand Holds It All. And you should visit her there.

Our friendship is very versatile. We can have the most serious conversations one moment, and then act like children the next. 

We love happy meal toys, tie-dying, gummy bears & swedish fish, galavanting through Toys R Us, Josh Duhamel & Matthew McConnaughey, polar bears, Piggly Wiggly employees, Australia, having our toes dissed by Asian women, ducks, pigs, and so so much more. We even went to a Jonas Brothers concert together at one point. We also went through a Justin Bieber phase. It's okay, we're sane now. 

We dyed our hair together (mine didn't take, and hers was a mistake.) 

Sammie is my favorite person to photograph. hands down. 

Sammie is also addicted to music. 

Not in just loving it (although yes, she does adore it, especially John Mayer,) but hers is a passion that is personal, and completely her own. Her youtube channel is one of the most visited sites on my computer.

She has been so blessed with beautiful musical talents: singing, piano, guitar -  she's exceptional at all. 

Here's just one of her many gorgeous videos. 

I can't wait for her to become famous.

At the end, you'll notice, she mentions something else she and her wonderful mom are passionate about, invested in, and dedicated to - the abolishment of human trafficking, modern day slavery. Human trafficking is real, it is everywhere. Now I can't even begin to explain this extremely important issue to you all. Sammie, however, makes up for where I lack in this department, and can educate you.

Five years..

not too much has changed..

and if things do, which they will, since we're big now..

lets always stay the same. 

be in my wedding, please?

Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Sammie!

(Stacy Hillary Whitman, Daisy) 

I love you and miss you and hope your day is spectacular!

Love, 

Mary Catherine

(Audrey Icantremembermymiddlename Lansen, Jewel of Persia)