Today’s post is very personal. It’s an inside peak into my family. Today is all about birthdays for one reason. Today we celebrate one of my sister’s birthday and this one is special to us because she is in the middle of a move away from our hometown. She has never lived away from home and without giving away her age, let’s just say she is also a survivor of many things. Some of these pictures are not the best quality, but you’ll get the picture.
It was about this age that she accidentally drank turpentine and was rushed to the emergency room. After pumping her stomach, she was fine. We were all scared to death, but she was laughing in the hospital. So precious.
Sometimes, I wish I could hug them one more time at this age. We are a fun family if I say so myself.
I love these girls like they were mine, instead of my sisters. They have been an inspiration, a source of constant laughter, a rare pain in the rear, and two of the best sisters on the planet.
Kristie is 7 years younger than me and Kellie is 10 years younger, so although at times it feels we are a generation apart, we have remained very close to one another and I know we will stay that way. We now have so much more to love about each other than we did as children.
First and foremost, she is one the best mother’s I know. Her children have no doubt that they are loved and having been a cheerleader in high school, she has never stopped. She just cheers for a smaller team these days.
She loves and supports her parents. Through every illness, surgery and health-related issue we go through with our family, it is Kristie we call. This is part of the miracle of our family life. Shortly after her 30th birthday, Kristie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She fought a hard fight and pretty soon after she got the news that she was cancer free; she went back to school and became a RN. What a day of celebration that was!
She is now an Emergency Room nurse and does a great job of handling crises.
Kristie is usually the life of the party. She makes us laugh most of the time. She will make us cry when that moving van pulls away from a house where we have had some of the most fun times in our family.
More Graduation parties.
She is a great aunt. All her nieces and nephews love her.
She is always a great hostess whether she is entertaining 2 or 50.
She loves animals.
Happy Birthday, Kristie. You are the picture of a successful 21st century woman who can do it all.
It may have been Kellie who wanted a “smile like Barbara Mandrell,” but we’ll take yours over Barbara’s any day. We love you.