This is Talissa Smalley…

Daughter to Dogma Debate’s host David Smalley, and his wife Brandy… fur mamma to her Nyla Bear, and little sister to her older brother, Brayden… but most of all, she is Talissa. Unequivocally fierce, bold, and adult for her young age. She is helpful, skeptical, and science driven, constantly asking questions and aspiring to be her best self.

Talissa, also known as “T” in my home, is also my little girl’s best friend. They fight, torture each other, and drive each other crazy, but it is because they are so darn similar, they are actually just sisters. They love each other so much, and their bond is undeniable. T is such a strong supporter of Katlyn, and I am so happy to have her in our lives.

My husband and I met T when she was just 9 years old, and immediately became a second daughter to us. We introduced her to Katlyn, who was also 9, and just a month younger than her, via a long distance friendship. You see, T and her family were from Texas and we were from Baltimore, MD… and Katlyn and T became friends before ever even meeting each other. For their eleventh birthdays, they got to celebrate together, and we flew Katlyn out to Texas to visit for a week. Over the last several years, they have visited each other and kept this beautiful friendship intact over a distance of 2,600 miles. Something I similarly did with a few of my friends when I was their age.

Back in March of 2017, we learned that the Smalley family was moving to Los Angeles, and coincidentally enough, so were we! We couldn’t believe it, and not to mention just a 40 minute drive from each other, completely unplanned. During our time in LA, T and Katlyn became even closer friends, spending summer days together, staying for weeks on end at each other’s houses, and growing into beautiful young ladies with each other’s support.

These girls were heart broken when they found out our family was going to move to Phoenix… a move that just worked well for us. Naturally, T came to help us on our move and get Katlyn settled in her new home and her new bedroom. They slept on a twin size mattress together for a week, eating snacks, going on adventures, and visiting Katlyn’s new school. I am so glad Kate had T during this transition, she is lucky to have her.

During her visit to Phoenix, we traveled out behind out house into the desert sunset and captured some beautiful photographs that exemplify the amazing woman she is becoming. It was the least I could do to thank her for the friendship she has offered to Katlyn for all these years.