Dear Hannah,

What a weekend. It’s hard to put into words what I wanted to say, but I’ll give it a shot.
I don’t remember my life before you, but I’m pretty sure your existence is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I couldn’t imagine this world without you in it. Being your sister is one of my favorite things, but being your friend is my favorite thing in the whole world. Your constant friendship through everything life throws at us is the biggest blessing I have ever received. You’re always there. My promise to you is that I’ll always have your back and take your side. No matter what happens or where this crazy life might take us.
I’m so immensely proud of you. Everything you have accomplished is a direct result of your hard work and dedication. You worked so hard to get to where you are. The humility you show in your success makes me even prouder to know you. Your persistence inspires me to be better. I hope you know how special you are. You did it. Everyone saw the culmination of all your hard work, but I saw you every step of the way.  I saw you work for this for so long. When others might have given up, when I would have given up, you stood tall and kept moving forward. You deserve every bit of success you are receiving, you earned it.
I love you! You are probably the funniest person I know. You can make me smile without even saying anything. You’re always down for an adventure. You know who you are and you don’t let the opinion of those who don’t mater effect you. You follow your instincts. You have a moral compass that will serve you well in the future. You stand your ground for the things you believe in. When you make up your mind there’s no one who can stop you. Your dreams are big but I’m not sure that you realize that the mountains you will climb and the heights you will reach are even greater than your biggest dreams. The whole world is right there just waiting for you to reach out and take it.
Don’t be scared. Don’t let the part of you that wants to be safe keep you from jumping off a cliff every now and then. Knowing what makes you who you are is important, but sometimes the best experiences happen when you step outside of your comfort zone.  Take chances; even if things don’t work out like you hope you’ll learn so much.
Here’s to you, to all your hard work, to all your accomplishments, to all the success your future holds. Here’s to rest of your story. In the words of the brilliant Natasha Bedingfield:

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Congratulations! I love you so much!
-K

Please enjoy some seemingly random photos of Hannah that show how awesome she is!

Sister love! You still look at me like this…

You make me laugh! Hannah having a snackMy favorite adventure buddy!Sometimes she tolerates meHannah’s first tat!The day Hannah met a kangaroo ( the happiest day of her life)I just found this picture of Hannah and a goat to be funny; I hope you enjoy it!