Go Shorty....It's Ya' Birthday!

My husband has been complaining lately that my blog is a bit dusty. Apparently, he has found it so dusty that he has taken to "outsourcing" the work so as to keep our family in the know. Ha! Okay. I can take a hint, Chi. Here goes...

Surprise, Becky!

My sister, Becky, is short....-er than me. But all 5 feet, 5 inches of her is pure amazing. I have never called her shorty before, and I may be in trouble after she reads this. But, hey. I have to get my digs in before my big 4-0 later this year -- I have roughly 5 months left, and I need to use my time wisely. After that, I will have to begin paying (i.e. suffering) numerous debts for the naughty, mischievous cracks I have made to my older sisters over the years as they have...a-hem...grown older. Come on! Being the baby sucked for soooooooo long. I had to watch you all go out to the movies, go on dates, and go out to have fun doing grown-up things with each other while Mom said, "No, Sarah. You're too young. Maybe when you're older..." Teasing is the one and only perk of my birth order position!

Carrot cake -- your fav! We remembered... Look at those high cheekbones! Luv ya', sistah!

Becky, Phil and their kids, Hannah and Ian, came to visit for a few days last week. My niece, Hannah, scheduled some college tours while they were here (Duke, Carolina, State, Georgetown! -- whew, girl!) and they also spent some time at museums in Washington, D.C. We always love spending time with the Gunthers -- they are such fun. Becky's &% birthday fell on the last Saturday they were here, so dinner became a big birthday event. Susan brought a scrumptious carrot cake and some petite key lime tartlets to celebrate. We couldn't let Becky's birthday go by without celebrating! One never gets too old to love cake, presents, and blowing out the candles. And there were a lot of candles, folks. We couldn't even fit them all on the cake! (LOL -- I have a feeling paybacks are going to be a bit_ _!)

But, seriously. I love my sister. I meant it when I said she was pure amazing. She opened her home to me when I was in college, and I lived with her while working in Denver during the summers. She is strong and determined. She is generous and wise. She is beautiful and caring. I am in awe of her patience. Her smile makes me smile, and she is never without one. She brings perspective to our lives and has been a shoulder to lean on many a time. She is full of love for her family, for all of us. We are so blessed to call her our sister.

My lovely niece, Hannah. We love you -- even if you go to Duke!