Calvin and I have lived together for three years now, a time I wouldn't give away for anything. He is a jack of all trades, and a master of several. He's smart and caring, and would go to the end of the earth for the people I care about. In a lot of ways, Cal has become one of my best friends, and I can't imagine what my life would be like without him. It's going to be weird living away from him-- away from podcast recs, free bike maintenance, and a well of entertaining stories. I'm so happy he's going to be part of the wedding, and I'm so glad that Hunter and I get to count him as one of our friends for the rest of our days.

Jack is my youngest brother, cycling partner, and bourbon buddy. He cares about the world in a way that few people do, and is passionate in his efforts to make it a better place. It's funny-- Jack can be as much of a big brother as a youngest. He's wise and successful beyond his years, and has a worldview that is informed by years of hard work, dedication, and deep connections. I'm proud to have him as a brother, and so glad he agreed to play a role in our wedding.

If you've yet to meet Aidan, you're in for a treat. There are few people as charismatic and hard-working as Aidan Osterdyk. I've counted on him for advice and insight for years, and I have no intentions of stopping any time soon. The depth with which he cares about his friends is astonishing, and something we should all aspire to. I feel lucky to call myself one of them.

I remember seeing Kobi across the band room when he moved to Billings in 8th grade; I had no idea such a formative and substantial friendship would be forged in the coming months and year. As a man, Kobi is intelligent and kind, and can make you laugh like nobody else. As a friend, he's generous beyond measure, always making the time and the effort to see you, to know you, to care about you. I'm so glad he's a part of my life, and so glad he's going to be there this August.

I've known Harry a long time, from the early days of Big Sky Little League. I've only gotten to know him as a man over the last five years though, and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity. Harry is a man with a plan, whether that's in regard to his career, his passion for rugby, or his burgeoning business (ask him about it, it's very cool and I will not be able to do it justice here). He's a hard-working man with a big heart, and I feel so lucky to be able to get to call him my brother. The relationship he has with Hunter is so important to the both of us, and I can't wait to further and deepen it as we both move into this new stage of life.

Joe and I have known each other a long time-- I remember eating too much pizza, getting sick, and bailing on a sleepover with him and Carl Froslie as far back as 2nd grade. I finagled my way into being his roommate in college, and it was one of the most important periods in my life. I learned so much from Joe during that time; he's both one of the most intelligent and one of the funniest people I know, and sets a quiet example of how to lead a life worth living. He's the man, he's all of our ol' dad, and I feel strongly my life would be substantially worse if it wasn't for him.

Holden is Hunter's youngest sibling (by like, 20 minutes). A twin to Harper (see below), and the current pride of the Bobcat Rugby team, I'm so excited to have him as part of the wedding. I was lucky to get to know Holden via phone calls during the pandemic; Holden would call Hunter, she'd put it on speaker, and we'd BS about anything and everything. China, the trials and triumphs of an engineering degree, fly-fishing-- nothing was off the table. Those phone calls gave me the chance to meet a sharp, caring, and deeply thoughtful man, and again, someone I'm so excited to have as a brother. The thing I think both Hunter and I both admire so much about Holden is how much he cares about family, and his vision for the future (ask him about his vision for a Howethold Trap House).

Usually, when my phone rings, it's Hunter. If it's not, odds are good it's Jimmie. Jimmie and I met at an ultimate frisbee practice in college (Jimmie stayed on, I bailed because it was way more running than I expected), and have been friends ever since. Some of the most interesting and formative experiences in my life have been with Jimmie-- I am constantly learning something from this man. From the woods outside Evergreen to Gardiner and everywhere in between, it's hard to imagine a person I'd rather have by my side then Jimmie. I'm so glad he'll be by my side for this, as well.

I honestly don't know when I met Jack. In my mind, I've known him as long as I can remember. The creativity and courage that pours out of him are forces to be reckoned with, even before he was fighting fires with his bare hands. Until Hunter and I embarked on this whole journey, there were only a few people that I felt just innately comfortable around-- Jack is one of those people. His simple presence makes life more approachable, rounds the edges off until you feel like you can take it on. He's smart, he's kind, and he's a damn good friend.

Holly is the best person I know. It's not an exaggeration, I tell people this virtually every day. She's not the best because she's the best at everything she does (quite literally) but she's the best at making everyone around her feel just incredibly good about themselves. She makes a room feel bright and cozy and expansive all at the same time. Holly makes me feel like I can do absolutely anything and my life is limitless and full of adventure. She's the first person I tell anything to and (next to Sam) the person I want to be around most when I'm feeling sad. I couldn't imagine a world in which I didn't have Holly and having her as one of my maids of honor really feels like a pinch me moment.

I will never forget when the present I had been begging Holly to draw for me got thrown away in the post-Christmas madness. I was inconsolable and it was only Harper and I at home. Harper went to the store, bought a bunch of groceries, and made me this amazing tomato pasta dish and sat and hugged me as I sobbed (for way longer than was warranted, probably). But that's the kind of person Harper is. She shows up in full force when you need her the most and you never have to ask. She is fiercely loyal and deeply empathetic and getting to see just how much cooler she is than me is one of the best things about being her sister. I simply couldn't imagine my day without her. I really am the luckiest.

Maria has known me longer than every single one of my siblings. For almost 20 years we were inseparable. We have been through all of life's big firsts together. She was the first person I ever called on the phone, my first roommate at dance intensives, and the first person I called for literally anything - including if I needed a cut and a color (if you know. . . you REALLY know). I was the Maid of Honor at her wedding and was (kind of, sort of there) when she became a mom. When we were twelve, we pinky promised in front of our dance school vending machine that we would be the maids-of-honors in each others' weddings and although I am a decade later than her on that score, I quite literally couldn't imagine it any other way. She just radiates joy and everyone who gets to meet her is better off for it.

I have known Katie since middle school. In my mind she was (and still is) the epitome of cool: do no harm and take no sh*t. When we landed on the same cheering squad, I remember vividly thinking "this is my chance to be her friend, I will NOT blow it." Katie made me feel less scared to be bold at an age when I felt really trapped in my own skin. We did the silliest and goofiest things (like dye matching streaks of our hair pink in my basement or go to "raves" in local abandoned movie theaters) but having Katie as my friend gave me a lot more courage to take more risks and figure out who I was. She's strong and smart and stands on her own two feet with the grit and resilience I can only ever hope to have a fraction of. Although I'm never going to let Katie dye my hair again and can never truly never thank her enough for the gift of her friendship and who she is as a person, but I'm hoping almost 15 years of friendship (and more!) comes close.

Alex was my roommate during our respective internships in DC and from the very beginning we were fast --and extremely-- close friends. While I could recount our 48 hour Iceland adventure story, there is one more apt (and that I like better). I was going on a date in DC and was planning on wearing my Birkenstocks, as I had worn with every outfit since freshman year of college. Alex insisted that I just could not go on a date with shoes that didn't match my outfit and that she wouldn't let me out of the apartment looking like that. Shopping ensured and it was hilarious, and silly and so much fun. But that's Alex: always anticipating what you'll need before you do, dragging you along to do things that will be the best for you before you even know it, and doing it with the biggest love and such warmth you can feel it. Alex is kindness in a bottle, anyone will tell you that, but she is also resilient, resourceful, and brilliant. I couldn't have done college, or any years thereafter, without her.

Aubrey O'Cain is much more than my college roommate. She is one of my closest friends. Some of my favorite memories start with us both making coffee (okay, really Aubrey making me coffee) in the morning and drinking it in silence together, too tired to make conversation with the implicit understanding that we didn't have to. In truth, I mostly hung onto Aubs because she always had it together and I am, to put it mildly, chaos on wheels. Aubs dragged me into adulthood and I would not be here without her. Indeed, I could not have done half of what I did in college without her support - she's moved my belongings, taken care of my cat, and cheered me on completely all the while. She's really one of the best humans I'll ever know and it has never crossed me mind I'd get married without her by my side.

My sophomore year of college, I joined a sorority and was so nervous and anxious to feel accepted. Sara Shreeve was my "big" in our sorority, but to me, she was much more than that. She was my first real friend and the first person to make me feel proud - like I was someone worth being friends with. She was, and is, the cool older sister I never had and know I'll never lose. But more than her relationship with me, Sara is deeply ambitious and loyal. She quietly achieves every goal and takes her people with her. I feel immensely lucky she chose me all those years ago and immensely proud of everything she's done since then.

Madde Williams is many amazing things to many important people; she has more friends than I would ever know what to do with. But I get the distinct privilege of saying she's my best friend. Madde fiercely loves her friends; as one example she has never missed my birthday, never missed a major event in my life, she checks in with me every other week without fail, and has never once - in almost a decade of friendship - failed to answer one of my texts or phone calls. And I know she does that for everyone who is lucky enough to be loved by her. Through the years and the growing pains of moving thousands of miles away from your closest friends, I have trusted Madde with feelings I have only told Sam and my therapist, and I know she is a locked vault with a thousand keys she has thrown into the ocean. That kind of trust is something I have and will cherish forever. What's more, most of the more magical moments in my life were orchestrated by Madde putting the group text to life. For every stage of my life in college and beyond, I know Madde will be there without fail or a second thought.

Katie Kvam is one of the best friends I have ever known and will ever have. There has not been a moment in ten years of friendship where she has not showed up for me at the drop of the hat. From picking me up from work late at night to flying across the country to visit me (not once, not twice, but three times!), Katie's friendship is hard to beat. But perhaps even more than that, Katie taught me so much about myself during a time when I felt like I knew who I was: painfully awkward and painfully serious. Katie showed me that I could be fun and loud and exciting; that I could have fun and loud and exciting experiences; that perhaps I even deserved to be a more well-rounded person. Katie and I have had those magical nights that slowly bleed into early mornings, and although we have not nearly had enough adventures to last a lifetime, in the vast majority of my favorite, most sacred memories, Katie plays a starring role. I owe a lot of who I am, in fact some of the parts of myself I like the most, to Katie. I couldn't do it then or now without her.

I told Cass when we were 19 that she was going to be my best friend and that sealed the deal. To be quite honest, whenever I thought of my wedding (even before Sam) I think I was more excited about Cass being my bridesmaid than I ever was about getting married. In college, Cass and I were nearly inseparable. There was not a single facet of her day that I didn't know about and visa versa -- people really started thinking it was weird. Then as we moved thousands of miles away from each other, we were finally separate and missed the intimate details of each other's lives, the details that I had mistaken as the measure of how "close" you are with someone. But nothing really changed. Cass was always there for the big things, she was always there when I needed her, and if I had some weird minute detail to tell her, I just texted her about it instead. Cass's friendship, and Cass herself, has taught me a lot about deep, unconditional love - for yourself and those around you. She has seen the absolute best of me and the absolute worst of me and loved me so hard and unwaveringly through all of it. I couldn't be walking down the aisle to Sam without having her friendship first. I'm lucky to have her, lucky to love her, and I feel very smug that ten years later, I am still right about where we'd be today.

The way Lauren became my friend was through a serious 6 hour hike on four hours of sleep and some cheesy pizza where I pretended to like olives. And honestly that should have been the end of it. Instead, Lauren became one of my best friends. In college, we spent so much time together people would mistake us for one another, we even talked the same. And for the most part, I just took for granted we were probably the same person in different bodies. But as we've grown up and grown older, I am grateful everyday that Lauren is who she is and I'm hanging out in her orbit like a multibillion lottery winner. Because it's true, you're lucky if you know Lauren. She's intelligent and kind and spunky and puts everyone around her at ease. But my favorite thing about Lauren is how silly she is and how hard we laugh when we're together. She brings out the best in me, my soul sister, my best friend, and at this point, more a sister to me than anything else.