A NEW Way of "Plumping"

I have a lot of random addictions. Well, I suppose addictions would be a bad word. I have a lot of interests. I love nail polish and painting my nails. I love highlighters and sharpies (no doubt, a trait that is attributed to my sister). I love make up - eye shadows mainly. And fun lip gloss. (And I could go on with my loves, but lip gloss just brought us to the story.)

Several weeks ago, my friends and I made 3 Sephora runs in one week. Im not exaggerating. None of them were for my own intentions. But let me repeat myself - we went to Se-phor-a. You cant walk out empty-handed. The first trip, I walked out with several eyeshadows. And when I checked out, the girl ringing me up was telling me about this "lip plumper" they just got in the store and all of the girls were trying it and saying how it made their lips tingly. OF course, I was intrigued. "What is it??" She runs to grab it and loads it on my lips. Within a few seconds, my lips feel like theyre being electrified! Sounds odd and uncomfortable. And it kinda was. It was a very strange feeling. But I liked the glossy look it gave my lips. But I walked out of the store without it.

We had to go back to Sephora not 2 days later for something else and I decided to find out what it was. I found it and was, once again, fairly intrigued by it. But my self control overcame me and I walked out without it, yet again. We went BACK another few days later and I finally decided I had to go for it. I mean, the signs were flashin! So I bought it. And Ive been pretty happy with my purchase! Id say it was worth the money - which I wasnt expecting it to be, quite honestly.

A week or so after this Sephora event, my friend, Kaihla and I made another trip to the mall. This time our destination was Mac. Yes, it seems we are similar in our weaknesses of purchases. So, as we walked through the mall, we spotted a small beauty with a sign advertising OPI nail polish colors out front. We decided we HAD to investigate their options. So we walked in the store.

We discovered a vast array of options, which greatly excited us. We also came across various makeup stations and immediately decided to have some fun. I found a lip plumper, which smelled like strawberries! And of course I had to try it! Also, figuring I knew what it would feel like - you know, since Im a pro at lip plumpers and everything at thing point. I mean - Id had mine for a good week at this point! I knew what I was doing. So I put some on.

Obviously, my lips did not approve of my brains decision to test the product.Within a minute, they felt a fiery vengeance upon them. Now because I have so much experience with lip plumpers, I knew this reaction was not a normal one. I quickly decided it would be best if I took off the plumper. However, the damage had already been done and I felt, helplessly, my lips burn as if i had placed them on the sun itself. I tried to furiously fan them with my hands, but they continued to burn. I chose to ignore it since we had a mission to accomplish. We moved on to the Mac store.

Upon our arrival, someone helped Kaihla find a lipstick she was searching for. I stuck by her for moral support as she made a difficult decision between a few types. After applying one, she turned to me to ask my opinion and gasped, "Oh. My. Gosh.... Carly, are you... are you ok???" I looked at her puzzled and responded quite honestly, "Well, my lips are on fire but otherwise, yes Im fine. Why?"

She continued to let her jaw stay dropped as she braced me for the next words she would divulge. "Your lips... are HUGE." I searched for a mirror, which luckily was close, since after all - we were in a makeup store. Sure enough, my lips were about five times the size of normal, bright read, and looked very irritated. And all this happens... in the middle of Mac.

I did my best to kinda cover them up so I didnt get a lot of looks and attention... which that could just be awkward and weird. We finished up our trip and headed for the car. Since I had never experienced an allergic reaction before, I was a little panicked. I felt the burning subsiding, ever so slightly and Kaihla tried to reassure me they were going down. Each time I passed a mirror, I managed a sneak look... they were not going down. But I appreciated her sweet attempts to calm me. She was even so thoughtful as to mention the situation reminded her of a similar one in the movie Hitch. If you havent seen it - look it up. There is a scene where Will Smith has an allergic reaction to shellfish and his face balloons up. Well, this was similar to me - without ALL of the face.

I decided it would be wise to stop and grab a drink somewhere, then held it to my puckered lips as I drove. The coldness definitely eased the burning sensation. Then I took a Benedryl once I got back to my apartment. They calmed down and went back to their normal size fairly quickly once I began to treat them. It was quite the odd and mildly terrifying experience. I looked up the ingredients and could barely pronounce most of them. So I have no idea which caused it. I intend to write the company to see if one of the ingredients seems to cause reactions in people. It would be nice to know what Im allergic to. Haha! Kinda strange saying that, but its kinda cool too. Im actually allergic to something. I thought I was immune to all. My Kryptonite has been discovered.... Well. Almost.

Grateful for the BIG Things

I didnt expect this week to be a difficult one. I didnt expect this day to bring me to tears. Actually. On the contrary, I expected this week to be very busy, but fun and fast... leading me straight into the weekend with my birthday. But it has been fairly difficult, extremely busy, stressful, and crawling by. But, of course, its been manageable. I actually expected today to be a really easy, fast, fun day. Yes, theres homework, but I had one class and it had a test. Within 15 minutes, I was out of there and still have my whole day to look forward to. But this day packed an unexpected punch. Not a bad one, by all means... although I guess a punch cant really be taken in a good way... Let me rephrase. This day provided an unexpected... unexpected. There. Thats the best I got.

I found out the other day that my sister would be having surgery today to take out a tooth that had 'resorbed.' Meaning it died. Given, my sisters teeth are cleaner than mine. But it stems from an accident we were both in 12 years ago. An accident that truly changed our lives. Shaped us into the people we are today. Gave us an understanding and gratefulness for life. We never thought wed be returned to the accident in such a way that Jordanna has faced. The way Im laying this out may be confusing. But if you read my blog, Im sure you know all about what Im talking about.

Jordanna was 12. She had several injuries that no doctor expected her to make a full recovery from. Let me make that simpler. Doctors were shocked she survived. My sister nearly died. One of the injuries was a broken jaw, which led to the more recent discovery of a resorbed tooth (apparently, this can take years to happen/discover, which is exactly what happened). Anyways. Today she had the tooth removed and will have an implant put in tomorrow. It will appear as if nothing happened. But she knows what happened. And so do we.

I called her this morning to tell her I was praying for her, but I missed her. I knew this was a big deal, but I dont think the full extent was really understood... until I read her blog.

I am able to recall aspects of our accident the best. I typically can do it matter-of-factly, rather than becoming emotional. Mind you, I was 8 at the time of it and therefore didnt understand the complete gravity of everything. But her interpretation of it in her blog brought me to tears. I know how blessed I am that the Lord decided it was not her time. I was reminded of that again today. In a new way.

Today, I was reminded of the days in the hospital, seeing her in her coma. Seeing her in therapy. Seeing her want to talk so bad that she broke the bands keeping her jaw shut after surgery. Seeing her face obstacle after obstacle, yet putting a smile on and gaining determination to prove everyone expecting the worst wrong. She was so inspiring. That hasnt changed.

Today, I was reminded how close I came to becoming an only child. Some people want that. I dont. Especially with the sister I have. I wouldnt give her up for anything. I had glimpses of what my life wouldve been like without her. It would be so dull. It would be so depressing. There would be no spurts of joy she brings. No extra brightness in a room when she walks in. No love and understanding she provides. It would be so hard.

But today, I dont have to think that way. I dont have to wonder what she would be doing today and what type of impact she would have on people. (My sister is the type of person who really touches people and can make a difference.) I dont have to wonder who she would become. I dont have to miss her.

I get to be grateful I have her. I get to thank the Lord He didnt take her. Her time wasnt finished. I get to smile remembering something she said the other day. I get to be excited to see her this weekend. I get to talk to her husband and know her surgery went well. I get to feel so incredibly blessed to have my sister.

Today is a day of remembering. It is a day that couldve been a terrible day. It could be filled with tears of asking why and what-if. But its not. It is filled with tears of joy, knowing she is alive and well. It is filled with an appreciation for her. It is filled with feeling blessed.

A Dogs Perspective

In case you dont know me, I am an animal lover. And I am especially in love with my animals. I always hang out with my pups more than anyone else when Im around home because I just adore them. (Not that I dont love everyone else... but I spend most of my time at home and, in turn, with my pups.) Anyways. Several months ago, we said goodbye to my Casey girl so this summer Sammy has become the ultimate family dog.

He has become so much like Casey in the sense that he doesnt want to be alone and he wants to know where everyone is. He follows us around the house. He comes in my room and lies on my floor in the mornings until Im ready to get up. He is constantly looking for attention and returns the love to us. Hes definitely my boy and my bud. Weve been hanging out a lot this summer. He is our main concern. We want Sammy to be happy and with company as much as possible. Obviously, our animals are our lives.

I have always wished I was Dr Doolittle and was able to talk with animals. I desperately want to know what theyre thinking. I wish Sam could talk to us. We try to talk for him... I wonder how that makes him feel. I firmly believe that animals can teach us so much.

They teach us how to treat Gods creations. They teach us unconditional love - where a dog could get in trouble for chewing a shoe, but still want to snuggle with you at night - always desiring love and affection and always willing to give it. They have genuine adoration for their owners. Just as a few things one could learn from an animal.

As I spent time with Sam this summer, I grew to appreciate things in a new way. All of my animals have had this affect on me with different things, but as Sam being an only dog (which is rare for this family) he really opened my eyes. He has a curious mind and an appreciative spirit. Even if hes not excited to get in the car for an adventure, Im sure he never regrets getting in. At least, he always seems interested in the passing scenery. There were several incidences this summer that made me so grateful for him and the way he has responded to situations.

My grandma lives up in the hills, not too far away. Shes surrounded by horse people - corrals, horses, trails, etc.. I love it. This summer, when going to visit her, weve been trying to take Sam along. The first time we took him and he was able to smell the horses, he was instantly curious. When he got out of the car, he was so overwhelmed with the smells and scenery. He smelled bush after bush, tried following along a trail, chased a stray orange down the hill, looked over the canyon. He was so excited!

Each time we pass the horses on the way to my grandmas, we try to get him to look at them. He is so amused and interested to figure out what they are. They are bigger than him and just mysterious creatures to him. You can tell he just wants to go investigate... clearly we cant really let him do that... But it is so funny to watch his ears perk up, eyes fixated on the large animals as they walk along the property line. Though I know what they are and, yes I am fascinated by them still, he is just so curious as to what they are. I wish I could see through his eyes at what they look like to him.

On several occasions, we took him to the beach... something we couldnt do with Casey due to her injuring herself at previous visits. Sammy would miss out on beach trips too, simply because they were a pair. They liked to be together. It wasnt as fun with only one. But Sammy has done so well with every trip to the beach weve taken! He was like the old grumpy grandpa who would grumble at his grandchildren to go play away from him. But not anymore! Especially at the beach. As soon as he smells that water as we get closer in our drive, he becomes a puppy. Nose in the air, stands to his feet, tail wagging, head out the window, impatience setting in. He runs all the way to the water and dives in. Theres

no testing the water temperature with his paws. Its all or nothin! He makes friends with just about every dog he sees. He fetches balls, but drops them and allows the rightful dog to reclaim ownership. He plays with puppies - puppies! Who are clearly way younger

and more agile than him! But he keeps up! He chases them and romps with them! He has slobber all over his face, making other owners smile and push him away, but he is happy and when Sammy is happy, we are happy. His happiness is contagious. But see. I hate the beach. I hate the sand getting everywhere and the cold salty water. I really dont choose to go to the beach often. But Sammy makes me realize how much I take it for granted. The fact that its not a far drive to enjoy. Its a beautiful creation to just look at. Sam is an only dog, but you wouldnt know he had a care in the world when hes at the beach.

Its so refreshing to watch him in all different types of situations. Its like watching a toddler experience things for the first time. It makes you realize how truly blessed we are with the things around us. Even in the morning time (which I hate mornings) he has been waking me up with standing by my bed, waiting for me to acknowledge him. I never get irritated with this type of wake up call. Hes so sweet about it, just wanting to say good morning.

I have always been grateful for the ability to have animals in my life. Yet again, I find myself feeling blessed and thankful for the lessons a dog can teach me.

Standing Still

That time is coming again... the dreaded time of packing up the things I cant live without, loading our cars to a should-be-illegal-limit, trekking (in cars, of course) up I-15, moving all my necessities into my new temporary living arrangement, and finally going to my classes. Yes. It is almost time for school - again. For the 16th time in my life, I will have a first day of school.

Every year I start school - I dread it. Im sure youre thinking ya Carly, everyone dreads it. But I dont think you know the extent that I truly hate school. I wont go into it. But I will say that this year, I am even more dreading it than usual. Im sure its contributing factors, not solely a class thing. Nevertheless, the day that I move back to school is in no way going to be an easy one.

Everyone around me is moving forward in their lives. Getting jobs. Meeting their "other half." Searching for their own places. Moving out of their parents house. Creating lasting careers. Getting married. Building their own lives. Being completely and entirely dependent on themselves. And its what they are striving for. So each of my friends who is seeking after their desires - I am genuinely happy for them. Im happy if they are happy. And most of them are very happy with where things are going and excited to see how things turn out. People are constantly moving around me; constantly changing and chasing after what they want. It really is a thrilling experience. However, in the midst of all this, I feel as if I am standing still, watching the movements around me, but not stepping anywhere.

The only thing I have in that list is a job. And its not a job I want to have forever. But I dont live on my own. Im not searching for an apartment to move into once I graduate. Im not planning on getting married any time soon. I dont have any intention to move out of my parents house until I feel comfortable enough to be on my own. Of course, it isnt like I would be dependent on them as my life source: I would get a job, try to create a career, save money to potentially move out and yada yada. But it isnt in my realm of sight right at this moment. I just want to finish this ridiculous thing called school... And I really dont totally know how this year is going to pan out... I have about 100 things I need to do and not nearly enough time or space for it all. But keeping the thinking to when Im done - Im not excited to figure out what to do or where to go.

Dont get me wrong. Standing still while everyone is hustling and bustling around me seems depressing, but I really am ok. I am satisfied with where Im at. I love knowing I always have a home to come back to and parents who will always love and encourage me - in whatever I want to do. I dont know when Ill get married, and of course I feel as if it would be easier to have a partner to figure out what to do, but for now Im trusting in the Lord with whatever comes with that. What else can I do?

The only thing that makes me nervous is my career. I just want to be in it already. I want to be doing something that I love and something that I can best utilize the abilities I have been given. I am at a point where I really dont know what I should do and where I should go. That is an absolutely terrifying place to me. It isnt a place Im in frequently and when Im in it, its frightening. Not only that, but I dont have a desire to chase after anything anymore. I feel like Ive been chasing after a specific career for so long, that Im just pooped out. I want it. I just have no desire left in me to chase after it. To do what I need to to get there. I just want to be there. I just dont have that push Ive always had. It sounds ridiculous. It sounds confusing. Its kinda how I feel about it all right now.

Despite all this confusion and... everything I really am okay. I know I said that already. But its true. Im trying to become the person Im called to be. Im trying to find positives within the negatives. Im trying to surrender my worries, fears, stresses, frustrations, desires/non-desires(??) to the Lord because all I can do with them is worry and stress. Not that this is the most simple thing to do - after all I do have control issues - but the fact that I am satisfied with where I am and Im not scratching at the walls to get out (this may change when I move back to school) tells me I am experiencing some type of peace. Though I havent put my finger on what it is regarding - the future, the past - or what, I believe it is from the Lord. Because he loves me and cares about me and has a plan for my life. So, though Im concerned about what Im going to do and where Im going to go and Im incredibly apprehensive about moving back to school, Im okay.

Im dealing. Im trusting.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Retraction

I feel as if I must write a retraction for my last post (dated yesterday night). Upon a second glance over, I realized a reader could easily take it as if my mother is a terrible parent. But really it is quite the contrary. Scroll down to Fifty is Freedom and youll see all the amazing things about my mom and see why I love her and we get along so well.

We find those stories hilarious. It may come off that I was neglected in my sufferings, but really, it was quite the opposite. When we reflect on these stories, we laugh hysterically. We can share our vantage points with each other and others and it tends to make the story that much more pleasurable.

Really, my mom is a fantastic mom. Shes done nothing but love me and support me my whole life....

And laugh at me when I fall.

Mehehehe!!! ;)

The Girl who NEVER cried "Wolf!!!"

If you dont know me very well, then why the heck are you reading my blog?? How did you get here?? Possibly a link from my sisters blog. But no really, if you dont know me very well, let me give you a little incite. I am a joker. I am constantly horsing around, teasing, cracking jokes... of course I never do it with the intention to hurt someone - or myself. Its all in lighthearted fun. More than anything, I crack jokes and tend to be mildly witty in comebacks. So its more that I am a verbal jokester.

I dont usually pretend to fall - all the way to the ground - then pretend to be hurt. Depending on the situation, I dont think thats funny. Basically, I dont joke about injury (unless its a 3 second deal or something minor).

However, in all the years I have been this way - almost 21, to be exact - my mother tends to think my joking personality stretches further than it does. We have several stories that involve me falling, causing injury to myself, sometimes crying, and my mom not believing me in the process. Slightly confused? Ill make it simpler. I fall. She thinks Im kidding. Shell say it makes her sound terrible, but in her defense, I was like a little boy in my childhood... kinda wreckless. And I can see why she would assume Im faking, but after so many falling stories, you would think shed catch on that I really did fall or whatever the case may be...

Last night we were reminded of all the stories we have that we can now laugh about, but may not have been so funny at the time. As we shared our stories with my grandma and aunts, we found ourselves with tears streaming down our faces, squeezing our legs together, folding over, holding our stomachs, slapping our knees.... ya, we have some pretttttty hilarious stories to share! Yet in the same instance, our audience was definitely entertained by us, but I feel they lacked the understanding and appreciation we had. Not that they werent great - they laughed along, but I think they more thought we were insane than simply hilarious. Or maybe they were giving my mom those looks.... after all, Im the innocent victim in all these stories.

So for lack of an eruption of laughter from our audience, I wont make you sit through all of the stories we have. Ill choose one of the funnier ones that you can read and picture and laugh at. Hopefully I do it justice in writing....

So about 2 years ago, my family flew up north for my cousins wedding. We all flew separately since I was coming from school and my parents wanted to go early, so my sister and I arrived the same day, similar times and were picked up by my parents. We spent the day together, then prepped for the wedding that night. My mom and I had gone shopping a few weeks earlier and unexpectedly stumbled upon from adorable dresses. I searched and searched for a specific color shoes - which ended up being pumps - and Mom made me a matching sash. So we made our way to the wedding, which happened to be in a grassy park... Mental note. If I ever go to something and I know it is going to be in the grass, do NOT wear heels. Im not an experienced heel walker and had to walk on my tiptoes to avoid having my heels sink into the grass. Boy were my legs tired.

We then made our way to the reception in downtown Sac town following the ceremony. Luckily, I was able to take my shoes off during a majority of the reception. After the reception, around 1030 at night, we headed back to our car. We began walking down the street of downtown Sac town, my mom and sister several steps ahead of me, my stepdad one or two steps in front of me, and me bring up the rear. My legs were shaking from exhaustion, my feet were sore from the unfamiliar height, but I told myself just a few more blocks. But they decided to take a break all on their own.

I stepped off a curb into the alley and instantly felt myself beginning to collapse. My legs folded underneath me and I found myself sitting on the ground. Steve was immediately to my side, as my mom and sister took a second to turn around and acknowledge my odd position of sitting on the sidewalk. My mom stared down at me for a second before she said, "Are you kidding me??" I looked up at her, helpless, as in gosh Mom, you got me!

Before I could respond though, Steve chimed in, "Uh honey, Im pretty sure she just fell..." And I was back on my feet due to the swift and quick movement of Steve. I kinda dusted myself off, all the while my mom is still standing a few feet ahead of me, trying to figure out if I was for real or not.

"Mom, I wouldnt have taken a joke all the way to the ground at 1030 at night in downtown Sacramento..." Suddenly she seemed to believe I wasnt full of it and asked if I was ok. We managed to make our way back to the car, all the while, Steve clung to me and I to him to avoid another walking mishap.

And there is one - just one - of our stories we share. Hopefully you got a good belly laugh out of it.... We definitely werent laughing at 1030 at night. I dont think we really laughed about it that night. And the next day I realized I really did hurt myself, so it was still a bit of a sore topic. But it didnt take long for us to recall the incident and laugh hysterically all the way through... As many of our stories go...

No Longer a Kid....

In case you arent completely familiar with my family - especially my sister - yesterday, August 8th, was my beautiful sisters birthday!!

This year has been a landmarker for all of us... My mom and Steve both turned 50! Im turning 21 next month! And Jordanna is now 25! Unfortunately, we grow older rather than younger... But it is exciting that we all have big birthdays in the same year! AND Jordanna is officially HALF of Moms age! Thats cool in its own way.

Well, just last month, I dedicated a blog to my mom in honor of reaching her 5th decade. I decided it would be best to dedicate another to my sister in honor of reaching a quarter of a century. And similar to my moms, I figured naming 25 things I love about my sister would work for this blog as well... Hopefully it works for Jordanna as well as it worked for Mom. ;)

1. She is absolutely one of a kind. There is none even remotely close to my sister... for so many reasons.

2. She has the kindest heart - warm and welcoming to friends and strangers alike. It doesnt matter if youve lived most of your life with her or if you just met her, she will make you feel special and important.

3. She is always there. She truly has a servants heart - never able to say no, even at the expense of her own sanity/sleep. She will be there for someone if they need her, whether it be to take some pictures, run some errands, set up/clean up from a party, the list goes on. She will be there.

4. Not only does she have a servants heart, always willing to serve and help, but she never ever complains. She performs the deed with a smile from ear to ear and the best attitude. This is probably one of the reasons shes a go-to person...

5. She always looks at things on the positive side. It could be the hottest day in history, walk out to find your tires have melted, slam your fingers in the door, trip over a stray cat kind of day, and yet she will still find something good that happened.... something my mom and I are a little envious of.

6. She is a breath of fresh air. There is a uniqueness, a rarity, a specialness about my sister. It is something that cannot be explained until you meet her.

7. She is incredibly creative and has the patience to wait for the perfection of her vision to be made.

8. She sticks to what she knows and likes. She may have 10 colors of the same shirt, but its what she likes and what she feels comfortable in. That is what is important.

9. She has her own sense of humor, but always makes me laugh. I always love spending time with my sister because I just never know what is going to happen.

10. She appreciates me and my humor. She might not always get me, but she appreciates me. I can tease her, but she knows I do it out of love. She is such a good sport in those instances... even when other family teases her, she still chooses to laugh along.

11. She will go to Padre games with me and be my buddy... eat anything we want, cheer and hollar with the friar on the "get louder" board, and share stories between exciting hits or outs.

12. She treats me better than husbands treat their wives. And she recognizes when I need a little girl time or pampering, and treats me so well... better than I could ever deserve.

13. She loves her dogs, bird, and husband unconditionally. She has so much adoration for all of them and will do anything for them and with them.

14. She has an appreciation for life, people, moments, experiences that nobody really understands. She never takes things for granted and remembers to be grateful for the things she has.

15. She gets excited about the small things in life, like a new light on her balcony or new blinds. And not only does she point them out to you when you visit, but she will blog about them. You may be thinking a light?? Blinds?? Only Jordanna can make you fully appreciate them and only she can word it in a way that gets you excited about it too!

16. She loves the little boy she takes care of. She is a pediatric home health nurse and talks about her patient as if he is her own son. I cant wait to see her with her own kids.

17. She is very intelligent. She knows a lot of medical terminology and medications and diseases and on and on. She only continues to learn as she goes to work each day. But shes like a sponge in the way she soaks it all in and can regurgitate it at any given time.

18. She loves ice cream. I dont think Ive met anyone who loves ice cream quite as much as my sister. But in grateful for that... she introduces me to new flavors almost everytime I visit.

19. She cherishes her friendships and only says wonderful things about the people she has created relationships with. Jordanna is the friend everyone wants - shes dependable, positive, accepting, loving, and so much more.

20. She loves the Lord with all her heart. She has a passion to pursue Him and seeks after Him each day of her life.

21. She is an encourager. She is a permanent cheerleader without the uniform at all times, no matter where she is and what shes going through. She can be completely down on her luck, unsuccessfully searching for a job, whatever the case may be, but she will be genuinely happy for anothers success and happiness.

22. She is the most supportive wife Ive ever encountered. I pray my husband (of whenever that happens) doesnt pick up on how encouraging and supportive, full of love and commitment my sister is towards her husband.... I dont think I could ever quite live up to that...

23. She is young, yet feels a call to walk the 3 day breast cancer walk alongside my mom. I cant say Im that motivated nor that strong.

24. She doesnt give up. She wants a job in the hospital and I believe wholeheartedly that she will get one. She is persistent in what she wants and has a drive to achieve it... going where she feels led to be.

25. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. There are many things to characterize her heart as, but in general, she has a big, entirely selfless and genuine heart.

If I could choose any sister in the world to call my own, I would still pick my sister. For everything she is, all of her qualities and characteristics, her heart, her passions.... I love her with all my heart. I have no idea what I would do without her. Life would be so dull without her... and just not complete... not AWESOME. ;)

Happy 25th Birthday Sister!! I hope it was all you wanted and more! You deserve it!!