Kelly’s brother, Todd, came on the scene two short years after she was born. As kids, they fought and bickered as all siblings do. In grade school she even claimed not to know him. By the time she got her driver’s license she begged her mom to make him find his own ride to school.
Tyler was younger than Kelly by almost 7 years. This greater difference in age would allow her to look out for him from the perspective of an older and, she thought, wiser sister. And he adored her too. “She would brighten your day the instant she walked in a room. Kelly made sure that everyone was happy and having fun regardless of her mood.”
She and her mom were best friends. They did nearly everything together: shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning and decorating the house.Theirs was a relationship any mom would love to have with a daughter.
As Kelly grew to become a young woman she also started to gain weight. Enough weight that it became a concern for her. So she went on a program to lose it. It all seemed reasonable, watching calories, exercising, and eating healthier meals. She was having great success and getting compliments on how good she looked.
She was also falling in love. She met Jared when they were both freshmen in high school. They started out as friends but one night in their senior year it all changed. An outbound road trip to a basketball game with another friend became a return trip with just the two of them. After two hours of sharing life stories, hopes and dreams, their fate was sealed.
Christmas was her favorite holiday. Her family had up to 7 trees for her to decorate. Kelly hunted for just the right sugar cookie recipe. She wanted to bake and decorate a flawless batch, or more, for her brothers and cousins. The holiday table was equally important. Dishes, glasses, flatware all had to coordinate. No misfits on her watch.
As Kelly and Jared prepared to go off to different colleges, she continued with the high spirited approach to life that was becoming her signature. She grew closer to family and friends and became known as the “go to” person for anything they needed. She was fierce in protecting her loved ones. And that circle was growing larger.
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