happy birthday, Jessie!

Today is my sister Jessie's birthday. She is ten years younger than me. Tonight, as I was playing French Monopoly with Max & Lucas, we were talking about Jessie's birthday, and they asked me how old she is now. 26! I commented that that seems so young to me. Max said, "well, yeah, to you!" (Is that a sign of getting old, that you look back on previous ages with nostalgia? And that you have children that mock you?) For a long time, that 10-year age difference was very evident in our relationship, but I can happily say now that it doesn't matter at all. I'm so glad that we have grown together and have become the best of friends.

In honor of her birthday, here are some pertinent facts about Jessie:

• She loves animals more than anyone I have ever known.
• I say she is a crazy cat lady if she has more than 2 cats; she says that the magical threshold for turning into a crazy cat lady is over 3.
• She thinks her sphinx cats are beautiful.
• She loves to read as much as I do, and we usually like the same books.
• As a child, she would run around the house imitating different horse gaits. When I commented that I couldn't tell them apart, she said, "well, of course not, I only have 2 legs!".
• As a teenager, she was a vegetarian. She also hated vegetables. I called her a starchatarian.
• Now she loves vegetables and embraces almost all foods. She gives me hope for my picky picky children.
  
• She used to be kind of a slob, but you would never ever know it because now she is such a neatnik! (I'm jealous.)
• She is destined to become a famous scrapbooker -- she has the best eye and the most original ideas! Plus, she is SO prolific! (I'm SO jealous.)
• Once she sets her mind to do something, she is unbelievably determined. Our grandma says that she is the cutest little zealot!
• She is the only person I know who is as much a homebody as I am. (Well, maybe Lucas...)
• She is great at organizing. I wish I could hire her to come and organize my studio. And my garage. Well, maybe my whole house.
• We affectionately call her The Badger. She has perfected the art of badgering people to get them to see her point of view. I tell her I'm immune to badgering, but secretly I don't know that anyone is immune where she is concerned.
  
• She has the perfect hair -- she has a lot of it, but it is silky soft and smooth. (I'm sooooooo jealous.)
• She is an utterly devoted mother.
• She has complete empathy for my struggles with depression.
• She wants to flip houses.
• She has way more energy than I do!
• She is almost sickeningly photogenic. (Have I mentioned how jealous I am?)
  
• She makes the best handmade gifts, ones that make me cry.
• She is beautiful in every sense of the word.
• She can really make me laugh. She has a great sense of humor and is so entertaining. You are never bored when you're with (or talking to) Jessie!
  
• She has experienced a lot in her life, and she is stronger than I thought possible. She has already had to deal with the death of a child. I was so impressed, because I could easily see how a trial like that could embitter a person, but that experience brought her closer to God, closer to her husband, and all of her loved ones.
  
• She has such a strong testimony of the gospel.
• She is a wonderful example to me in so many, many ways!
  
• She is the best sister I could ask for and I love her to death. I can hardly bear the thought of her moving to the other side of the country...

Jess, I love you so.