Happy Birthday, Krista!

This is late, as usual, but I could not pass up celebrating my own little sister's birthday. What a treasure this woman is in my life and I cannot forget to thank her publicly.

"She's about this high.

She's smaller than I.

Sometimes I help her tie her shoes.

She's my sister.

And she plays with me

And I hope that she

Is glad that I'm her sister too."

Krista and I used to sing this song to one another, with her singing "she's taller than I, sometimes she helps me tie my shoes." We even performed it for a large group at the DC Temple Visitor's Center when she was about 8. So precious. I am SO SO glad that she is my sister, even though I don't help her tie her shoes anymore.

 Thank you so much, Krista, for being born. Without you our family would not be as good as it is today. You have added such JOY to my life (how appropriate) through your companionship during our adventures. Not to mention the wisdom I've gained through you and from you.

 You let me drag you around the house during our photo shoot as kids. I am not a natural photographer, but thanks for letting me try. And remember when we made up a dance for Dan's Christmas present? You let me rope you in to doing truly humiliating (but super fun) things. 

what the heck!?! BWAHAHAHA!

And then you got too cool for me, but I still wrote to you when I was in AZ. I sent you poems and pictures and letters and missed you so much. Kind of how I miss you now that you live so far. You tolerated my obsessive need to teach you everything I've ever learned in life and forgave my faults. I've never stopped loving or missing you. You have taught me to have more faith, to let go of my need to control everything and everyone, to judge less and listen more, to relax and have fun, to be positive, and to try to make the world better and not accept that "all is well in Zion."

Thank you. I love you. And happy belated birthday!