Taxidermy Worms: An Instagram Recap of Our Weekend

A few weeks ago I posted about being at my little sisters Senior Show, and how incredibly proud I was (still am) of her... Still on a bit of a high from our last trip down to her college campus, we set off for another. The final one. The trip that marked the end of a chapter in her life and by default mine. It may seem silly to some people, to define it in those terms, but for me, my sisters college years were a season all its own. I didn't go to college. At least not really. Not enough to count. And though I am, to this day happy with that decision, it would be a lie to say that I didn't live vicariously through her, albeit from a somewhat great distance.

There is something more to it than that however. Really it's that my world changed, because my relationship with my sister changed. And my relationship with my sister changed because she changed. And simply put, she changed because of college. Because of everything that it was to her. She went away to school as a strong, determined, extremely intelligent young woman and somewhere between then and now she has developed into an artist. A women grounded in herself and in her passions and abilities. Where many of us saw little room for improvement she flourished. No one doubted her capabilities, yet at the same time I feel it's entirely safe to say that not one of us who made up her inner circle, were not completely blown away by what she has done.

I know most everyone is at least, in some small way, proud of their siblings. But, I just cannot begin to articulate what it feels like to be in such amazing company. To know that this is the same little girl I used to coax into asking Mom to order pizza for dinner because I knew that her face was harder to say no to. Something about her inability to lie lent itself strongly to that reality. The same girl who I used to try to hide away from my friends, because they were mine damn it, not hers. I always knew that at any given moment she could surpass me. I guess I just never could have imagined how good it would feel to watch her do it.

I could go on... but I won't, because tears are hard to see through and if I went any further the possibility of a proper segue into pictures from our trip would diminish greatly with each and every word.... and I know you want to see pictures. So here they are:

The one in all pink... isn't she gorgeous?

...her entourage...

For documentation sake (this time last year this romper was MUCH tighter)

The flip side of the cap pictures everyone else was snapping

One of her many accomplishments; being one of the 10 Ideals chosen to represent the virtues of a Stephens woman. More importantly... secret society. You're jealous. I know. Me too.