Happy Birthday to ME!

I always post for birthdays and special occasions but wasn't quite sure how I would pull this one off. Lucky for me, my sister Ali took care of it for me! I stole this post from her blog this morning. Thanks Ali for remembering me and for your mushy post that will keep me in tears all day!

Birthday Post/100th Post

There are 2 big occasions with this post. For one, it is my 100th post since I started the blog. Two, it is my big sister's birthday today. How awesome that her birthday and my 100th post happen to fall at the same time. I think it's cool anyway. I was up at 745 this morning and thought for once that maybe I could get a birthday post done before 1130pm the night of the birthday. I guess that is awesomeness #3 to add, a birthday blog goes out before 9am. Anyway, I just want to wish Stephanie a very happy birthday. (Sorry there are no pictures but you really are not one to have many pictures of you around.) She is my oldest sister, and just may be the wisest. I have had many fabulous times with my big sis over the years. I think the the best times have definitely been later in life. I love that as all of us siblings grow older we get along better and find more joy in being around each other. I have 2 all time favorite times when I was with Steph. One was when I was so lucky to get to spend a couple months with her in Germany. I had so much fun hanging out with her and travelling around the area, experiencing new things. My other all time favorite time with her was the year I lived with her after I graduated high school. I moved in with her the summer after I graduated and I totally loved it. I was so lucky to watch her girlies for her while she worked and it was so much fun. I just enjoyed the time I lived there with her. I don't recall us ever butting heads or having any issues. We just enjoyed our time together and it was great. I am so thankful too that I could be there for her that year. Many not so good things happened in that time and I am just so grateful that I could be there for her in those moments that were so difficult. I love my big sister.

Steph, I hope you have a great day. You are such an amazing woman and though I am so far away I love to see who you have become since you married Rick and have been in NY. I can see how strong your testimony is and how much more amazing you have become in the gospel. Not that you haven't always been, but I have seen a change in you. I admire the mother you are. I know you teach your daughters well and are raising them the way Heavenly Father wants all of us too. You embrace your calling and your activity in your ward there and I think it is so great. I am so glad that you are happy. I am glad you found such an amazing man to marry. You deserve the love he has for you and the way he treats you. I know you have dealt with a lot of difficulty in your life and I just am so thrilled with where I see you now. You truly are amazing and I really am inspired seeing the way you have overcome things and they way you rise above the challenges. I know it must not have been easy and there are probably still many not easy times. You do it with grace though. You have a good heart. Sorry this is all mushy but when I write these things I just say what comes to me. I just wanted you to know what I think of you. We don't talk as much as we should now that you are so far away, but I hope you know that I love you the same as always, maybe even more. You truly are a great example to me in all walks of life. You are amazing. I am so blessed to have you as a sister. I love you!

Happy Birthday Steppie!