I remember the first time I met Max. I was standing in my parent’s kitchen 7 years ago and saw my sister Carla walking up the hill of our backyard with a guy in khakis and a button-down shirt. Business casual was not common for high school boys in our town… When I asked my mom who he was, she said, “That’s Max. They met at 4-H. Apparently, he goes to Catholic school.” Little did I know, the guy Carla walked up the hill with that day would quickly go from “Max, the quiet guy who goes to Catholic school” to “Max, my brother.”

Couples like Janna and Sam don’t come around often. In addition to being insanely fun and adventurous, they seemed to have known each other forever at the very beginning of their relationship. 

Mulan, waffles, ballet pointe shoes. That was a typical after-school afternoon for Victoria and I in sixth grade. We’d race off the bus, mix up some waffles (with whipped cream, of course), put on our favorite movie, and practice our ballet skills on her hardwood floor. I’m not sure how this became a tradition, but I loved it.