Words cannot describe what a beautiful soul Shanna was. She had a free spirit, a bubbly personlity, was full of life and loved to the fullest. Shanna and I became friends when we were just toddlers. My dad shared a story of a time when we went camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes, we were probably 4-5 yrs old. We had just gotten to the campsite and all you could see was sky and water. Shanna took off toward the skyline and she was there one second the next she was gone. She had walked right off the cliff. My dad took off running and jumped over that cliff about 20-30 feet down. Thankfully, the side of the cliff was all sand and she just tumbled down the side on the sand and was laughing and just enjoying herself.

We were pretty much inseparable, I used to wish we were sisters so she could live with us. Anytime my family went anywhere, I had to have Shanna go too. I'm pretty sure we drove my parents and her mom nuts alway asking to hang out.

We made up dances together, played a ton of Barbie, shared our dreams.. we alway believed we would grow up and live right next door to each other in houses with white picket fences and that our kids would be best friends like us.

Shanna was there for me through some of my darkest days and I will forever be grateful to her. I just wish I could have been there for her during hers. She was  wonderful person and she will be greatly missed.