Happy Birthday Big Sis!

I am so excited to send out a happy birthday to Loriann! We are only sixteen months apart and so we truly were "raised together". I was always a little jealous of the fun things that she was "old" enough to do and sometimes my mom even let me do them with her. We have so many fun memories that I will always hold dear to me. Here are just a couple of them:

1. We shared a room for the first 17 years of my life and I still love to remember how we would stay up and talk or play together at night. When my parents would hear us we would fling ourselves on to our beds and pretend to be asleep (it never really fooled our parents) Nighttime with Lori was always a special time to me, because even during our teenage years when we didn't always see eye to eye, we still would talk and laugh at night.

2. Lori and I used to LOVE to play dolls, barbies, etc. My parents built in this little room off our bedroom where we could store all of the dolls. We used to sit in there for hours, making a TOTAL mess, but loving every second of it. Growing up, it was so nice to always have a friend to play with.

3. I have many fond memories of all the different "classes" my mom put us in together. We took tumbling, gymnastics, archery, ballet, soccer, the list goes on and on. We also went to trefoil ranch camp together, and I even got to sort of join Lori's girl scout group when I was too young.

4. My dad used to travel a lot with work when I was younger. While he was gone my mom would put a blanket out either on the lawn (summer) or in front of the fireplace (winter) and we would read books together. Little Women and the Secret Garden are both books I will never forget reading with them!

5. Lori was always such a "model" student in school. When she was younger she always said she either wanted to be a librarian or a teacher when she grew up. She loved to play school with me, but always insisted on being the teacher (just a touch bossy---after all she is the oldest). I still loved to play school with her and we would make tons of lists of all the students in the class together. Who would know that Lori would actually go into business instead?

6. A few years ago, Lori & Tyler had season tickets to the Suns only a few rows away from us. They were so sweet and would take Madison and hold her for a good portion of the game! That allowed Jesse and I to sit alone and feel like we were sort of on a "real" date.

7. Now Lori has her own little girl, Kaylin, who is now 8 months old! She is such a little peanut and so fun to hold. I love whenever we get together with our kids. I cannot wait to watch our kids grow up together. I always loved having cousins to play with....so thanks for giving my kids a cousin Lori Lou!!

We ate at bUbBa gUmPs on the Big Island of Hawaii this summer and this was a bench in front of the restaurant fashioned after Forrest Gump!

Don't you just love those matching pink bathing suits?! Ben was happy sitting on the little raft until a second after the picture was taken and we dumped him (on accident I promise) into the Great Salt Lake!!

Lori, Robby, Cousin Kaylin, Grandma Sheffield
Lori with my little guy, Robby

Wasn't she a beautiful, blushing bride!

We all sure LOVE you!