Alyssa.
I've known Alyssa pretty much my whole life. Her family moved into the "circle" (the neighborhood I grew up in) when she was not even two yet, and I was around the age of 4. We were playmates all through our childhood years. Summer for us kids (there were a lot of kids in our neighborhood) mean't being outside ALL DAY playing in the circle. Riding our bikes, rollerblading, playing cops and robbers, walking down to Sunco (if we had money to buy candy), climbing Alyssa's tree and seeing who climbed the highest, oh, and jelly beans of all kinds. Yes, Barbies of course ;) We would get all the neighborhood girls out and we would drag ALL of our Barbie things outside (including the Barbie houses) and create a neighborhood of Barbies (the good ol'e days ya know). Alyssa was always bundles of fun, sweet + caring. She was a couple years younger than me, but that never effected out friendship. We were the best kind of friends.
(This is Alyssa in the pig tails, and me, the blondie, David, the little guy and Alex, Alyssa's brother)
We ended up moving out of the circle when I was 13 (we out grew out house with 11 kids and counting). Which was a really big change for all us kids, including all our friends from the "circle". We kept in contact some, but you know how it is when kids move it's hard to stay in touch. We got back in contact a few years ago over Facebook (thank you, Facebook) and she asked me to do her senior pictures. They drove 3+ hours to me so I could be the one to do her pictures (aren't they the coolest?!). Alyssa and I have so many sweet memories together from the circle. It is such a joy to be able to photograph my friends.
I love this girl to death.
