#RoadTriptoTrevor

Growing up, my best friend was always my big brother. He's an amazing guy - he always let me tag along, even in those awkward teenage years when guys don't typically want their little sisters hanging around. Around the time I was 12, one day he brought home someone else vying for my best friend spot. His name was Trevor Linderman.

Now at first, I really wasn't sure how I felt about this. But here's the thing about Trevor: there's always room for one more. Instead of losing my big brother, I gained another one!

Almost instantly, I came to think of Trevor as just my other big brother. And through my junior high and high school years, he watched out for me, took me under his wing, and let me tag along, just as my own brother always has. When I was 16 and they were 18, Trevor was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He underwent pretty serious surgery, which resulted in him losing mobility on one side of his body. I will never forget the morning he called our house, and I happened to answer the phone. Without asking for my brother or my mom or anyone else, he just said "Kylie, I have a secret to tell you. I just raised my arms above my head."

I have hung out with both of my older brothers less since moving away from home, but we've always been in touch. I've watch Trev go through some difficult things, as he battled and beat cancer a second time, went back to school, and started his beautiful family. I've become friends with his amazing wife, Chelsi, who accepted all of us Jacksons into her family without blinking an eye. In the last year, Trevor's cancer has returned. Through all of the treatments my family has been on the phone with each other, asking about Trevor, learning about his progress from my brother or Trevor's parents or whoever talked to him last. And then a few weeks ago, my mom told me Trevor was having a big birthday party to see all of his friends and family and how she wished I was there so I could ride down with them. At first I didn't think that much of it, but after I hung up, I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. I felt a very strong pull to be in Utah with my family for this big event in Trev's life. I was kind of overcome by the feeling that I should be there. I didn't really think it was possible, so I tried to shake it off. The same day, Landon came home and, having seen the party posted an Facebook, asked me, "do you want to go to that?" I knew that we were having the same impression, so we stopped fighting it and started planning. A few days later we started the 15-hour drive to Utah.

Now, I'm not gonna say that driving for 4 days straight with two very small kids was easy, or really that fun. Truthfully, it was exhausting. But so many miracles came together so this trip could happen.

Gas was the lowest price it has been in the entire seven years of our marriage. And as soon as the weekend was over, prices started to rise again.

The roads were amazingly clear for January.

My fantastically busy sister had the whole weekend free, and was willing to drive from Boise to Salt Lake with me on really short notice.

And then there was this:

Walking into that room, getting a classic Trevor hug, feeling the love that I and everyone around me had for this guy, and being with my other brother, who I don't see enough of, either:

It was All. So. Worth it. Worth the drive, worth the tiredness, worth Landon missing class, worth the ornery kids, just worth it.

Sometimes brothers don't share your last name. My heart is so full of love for this guy, and always will be. I know this trip wasn't for him, it was for me. I'm so thankful he and his family would take the time to welcome us into their home when they are beyond exhausted so that we can all be part of their lives. I hope they can feel our ongoing prayers and hugs from here!