My beloved Ali

 My dear friend and roommate Ali Cole Hostetter passed away last Thursday after a tragic accident.  I was given the opportunity to speak at Ali's funeral yesterday.  This is pretty much a transcription of that talk -- a tribute to my wonderful friend Ali. 

Ali was a great roommate and friend.  She always knew how to make you smile and laugh and feel better. If one of us had had a bad day, Ali would run to the freezer, pull out a carton of ice cream and a bunch of spoons.  We would dig out all of the good stuff from the ice cream and talk about how boys are stupid -- or what ever else was bothering us -- but it was usually boys, and it always involved ice cream.  We would often go get the shake of the month at Charlie's or go clean the sink at Angie's.  In fact, just a couple of months ago Ali came to my house with a slurpee in hand because I had mention I wasn't feeling well.

Cleaning the sink!

One time, one of our roommates had just broken  up with her boyfriend, so Ali ran to the freezer.  We were out of ice cream!  Oh, the horrors!  So, Ali, Lauren, and I dress all in black, put beanies on our heads, put black under our eyes, and went over to our next door neighbors house to "borrow" some ice cream.  We entered in through their very secured unlocked door, hid behind couches, and did somersaults across their living room ninja style.  I don't know how our neighbors could not have heard us with all our laughing.  The ice cream was especially delicious and therapeutic that night. 

Back from stealing ice cream!

However, sometimes ice cream wouldn't cut it.  So Ali would take us on an adventure, or we would do something crazy.  Ali even kept adventure hats in her car -- just in case!  One day to cheer us up, we rode down the stairs in cardboard boxes -- which would have been way more fun if there hadn't have been a closet two feet away from the bottom of the stairs!  One day we drove up the canyon until we found a good spot and danced and sang in the moonlight.  Often we would turn on loud 90's music and have a dance party!  Ali was great at getting even the most reluctant person to participate, and soon, we were all dancing and having a great time.

Being silly in the fort we made

Ali was great at gauging what we needed for comfort or advice.  Often, if we were having a rough day, she would just say "come into my bosom" and give us hugs and love.  Other times she would bluntly say, "get over" or "suck it up" or "lets be honest -- it's not really that big of a deal."  And really, it wasn't that big of a deal, and I would realized that I was being silly and it would help me feel better. 

Ali was definitely the most fashionable of all of us.  I mean, even her pajamas matched and looked cute!  We would often go to her closet and borrow her clothes or her shoes of her purses.  She would go shopping with us to help us pick out cute and trendy clothes.  She would help us decide what to wear when we were struggling.  She definitely helped us all with our fashion sense.

I'm totally wearing Ali's skirt and shoes

You could talk to Ali about anything: boys, clothes, school, work, travel, or the Church.  I am grateful for the many conversations we had and for the testimony she bore.

Ali loved her friends.  She made an effort to really get to know people and help them personally.  Ali was a great party planner!  When she planned our birthday parties or bachelorette parties, each was completely different but so much fun because it was something that the guest of honor would absolutely love.  She planned a BBQ, a Junior High dance party, a karaoke party, a murder mystery party, and many more that I can't mention here.   

Mocktail party!

I'm glad Ali was there when I was dating Logan, although her spying on us got a little annoying at times.  I remember one night Lauren was head first down the stairs while Ali held onto her ankles so Lauren could peek through the railing to see if Logan and I were holding hands yet.  We were.  When Logan and I went outside, everyone ran upstairs to spy out the window to see if Logan would kiss me.  He didn't.

I remember when Ali told me Logan was a keeper because he shared fruit snacks with her in Sunday school.  I loved when Ali asked Logan for a priesthood blessing when she was sick.  Her approval of Logan made me feel much more confident about my decision to marry him. 

I am so glad Logan and I moved closer to Ali so we could meet and approve of Chris.  We really like Chris and thought he was perfect for Ali!

This past year Ali and lived very close together.  It was great because since Ali was off for the summer, and I am a stay at home mom, we were able to see each other a lot more than usual.  Ali always seemed to know when I was having an especially rough day, because I would get a text from her saying she wanted to hang out.  Just last week Ali came over and just hung out with me and played with Lucy.  It made my bad day so much brighter and better just to chill with my happy friend Ali.

Ali encouraged us to make good choices.  She helped to motivate us when we didn't want to go to church or class.  Because she was so focused and driven and put together, she could reach out to help others get on the path that was right for them.  Ali was everyone's best friend.

 Good-bye, Ali my dear -- we love and miss you so much!!!!!