What in the world do I say in two minutes or less about Jamie? And keep in mind, I'm the 'planner' so I've limited my own toast...because I feel like this is the part of the night where the party really starts...or it's where weddings go to die in a room full of people who don't understand the inside jokes.
It's actually impossible to sum up our relationship in two minutes. Instagram would probably do a better job of giving this toast, but old people don't have Instagram so here I am giving a speech...something I have not done since sophomore year of high school.
Let me start at the beginning. I'm told I prayed for a sister. I don't actually have proof of this, and I'm not sure I ever said it because we spent the 14 years that followed fighting in the backseat of the car and drawing lines down the middle of the living room to keep each other from crossing. When I prayed for a sister I'm sure I didn't have sharing a room and a set of bunk beds until I was a freshmen in high school in mind.
So that was basically childhood. Then I went off to college and Jamie had mom and dad all to herself for four years and I'm honestly not sure how they survived without me, but they're here so they obviously did. At some point during those years Jamie became sort of mine and Josh's first baby. We fed her when she was crabby and 'parented' her through college even though she didn't like it. Here's our secret though...we needed her as much as she needed us. We love her like our actual baby! She's more than a sister, she's part of this weird mini-family unit we have in Ames when there aren't 'real parents' around. We're a semi-dysfunctional family who irritates each other daily, eats way too much chips and salsa, and binge watches Netflix like kid whose parents aren't home to give them a list of chores.
When we met Jamie on campus for coffee and told her we were pregnant with Mav she looked at us and said, 'we're having a baby?!' ...like it was the three of us. And I actually think after surviving pregnancy with me, she does qualify as part of the 'we.'
So that's the thing. Since Josh and I have been married, now for almost 9 years, we've pretty much always been a family of three. She's always around. Always helping. Always slumber partying. Always putting up with our Christmas shenanigans. When she's not around, Josh is asking where she is and why she isn't at our house.
Last night when I read the card she wrote in my gift at the end it said, 'Let's get married!' ...not 'I'm getting married!' or 'Adam and I are so excited to get married!' ...she said, 'Let's get married!' like it's somehow the four of us who just got done saying vows to each other.
Because we aren't losing her from our little sibling family of three...we're getting another brother. Adam almost instantly fit into our family and even fit into the Boersma family and THAT is the real miracle. He helps me hang things that require wall anchors, stays up late to watch movies with us when Jamie falls asleep at 8:30 pm, and entertains Mav when Josh and I physically cannot play another. minute. of toy trains. He's a perfect husband for Jamie, a great new brother for us, and an amazing uncle to Mav. We frequently call him 'Dadum' because it's funny and also accurate.
We're excited it's official so now I can stop washing and making two different sets of bedding every time they sleep at our house. We love you both and are honored to be part of your special day.
That is so perfect, so sweet, Mollie.
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