Memory Monday {Tanya}

{Tanya is going to kill me for posting this, but I don't care. This sleepover was so fun!}

Tanya has been my best buddy since 6th grade. We didn't have the best first impressions of each other. She thought I was a gangster (because I had Doc Martins) and I thought she was a nerd (because she wore bows in her hair). hee hee
But she moved down the street from me, and we quickly became inseparable. Her mom and stepdad are deaf, and I was immediately in love with learning sign language. Some of our favorite things to do together were:
-On Sundays I couldn't play with friends, so we would write notes to each other, ride our bike to the others house, and leave it in a secret spot. Then we'd throw a rock at each others window and ride off. Back and forth all day.
-Playing college. We would pretend we were college roomates, had jobs, boyfriends, everything.
-Sing. We sang all of the time. Especially "The Rose" and Whitney Houstons "I Will Always Love You" and The Lion Kings "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
-Making movies. Especially murder mystery movies. I can't believe how much Tanya trusted me, but she once let me stab a knife into the bed next to her! Like...a big fat SHARP knife. Goodness me!
-Dancing and jumping on the tramp. We would pretend to be her parents and imitate their voices. It probably wasn't very nice, but we got a kick out of it.

Tanya has always been a huge example to me. In 7th grade she got Ovarian cancer and had to have one of her ovaries removed. I stayed with her in the hospital whenever she had to have chemotheraphy treatments. It was during those stays that we both discovered the incredible movie "Jaws", played cards, and ate Wendys food my dad brought us. As hard as those days were, I'm sure more for her than me, I remember those stays at the hospital with great fondness.
She has been through a lot in her life. More than I think one person should go through. But Tanya remains one of the sweetest, most loving, generous people I have EVER met. She is truly an amazing friend, and I'm so grateful to have her in my life.
I am also grateful for her husband, Nick. He treats her so well, and is also an amazing person. They have the cutest little daughter, Olivia Mae. (Olly, to us Johnsons).