hey sista, soul sista

today is my loveliest sister lauren's birthday. the little lady is turning a whopping 29. i wish i had a scanner to put on some old fashioned L & L picks but i don't so the new & improved L & L will have to do.

being born 15 mos. apart had its challenges when we were younger. we both have scars from our fights...though mine are more prevalent. :) but when things were good between us, we had the BEST time together. sharing clothes, talking late in the night about boys, singing together, playing the piano together...and most of all, LAUGHING.

now that we are older it is so fantastic to have her to call when i'm just having one of those "i miss my sister" moments. she has brought be back from the brink many times, more than she even knows. she is such a wonderful person & i can't IMAGINE her not in my life. i love you, lorena, lorlene, dolly vardon, chubbiest of chubs, granny gochin!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

here are 29 things i love about lauren/memories:
1) when you played barber & cut my bangs so i looked awkward just in time for those halloween pictures dressed up as a strawberry.
2) listening to FM 100 together & singing all the songs....dedicating "the wind beneath my wings" to you on the radio & being so excited when it came on. then you dedicated "right here waiting" to me. (we were like 8 & 9 weren't we?)
3) playing "let your minds....go...BLANK" for hours at night
4) singing "at governor's plaza" over & over & over & over & over
5) jolene's....knows what value means
6) indulging your sister when she spoke like a botard. shtop it.
7) going on family vacations & you would ALWAYS get hit on by random boys. lawrence, anyone?
8) playing california speed
9) everytime we went to disneyland, you had the place memorized. if we ever were searching for a specific ride we would just turn to our little map lady & you would lead us directly to it.
10) having to listen to disney CD's in the car...that main street parade song drove me crazy!!!
11) letting me drive the car when i wasn't supposed to
12) that day we sluffed together, went to the mall & watched "bed of roses" (sorry mom)
13) you being so awesome to drive by my luva's house everytime...even when you were soooo annoyed
14) random toilet papering/newspaper shredding/traffic signs on crushes' lawns
15) driving around creepy neighborhoods until late at night & getting ourselves freaked out
16) telling each other our deep dark secrets late at night
17) lo how a rose & the power of two.
18) your intelligence
19) doing a debate tournie w/ you. i would make you write out what i was supposed to say word for word. you were so patient with me!
20) the california trip with casey....the flat tire, the argument in las vegas, rockin out to good music & feeling like we were so grown up b/c we didn't have any adults with us
21) indigo girls...singing together..going to the concert & joking about how everybody probably thought we were batting for the "other" team instead of being sisters
22) all the boys. too many to name until we finally found our B's.
23) being the first person to find out you were engaged!!!!!!
23) attacking bridezilla. "THAT'S IT!" doing your hair for your wedding & thinking there was never anyone more beautiful.
24) watching you become a mother, driving down from idaho & getting there after midnight to meet my sweet little nephew. 3 kids later, you have continued to be such an example to me of what a good mother is.
25) chopsticks around the world
26) being the only one who really understands our crazy family
27) having girls time...driving with the windows down, going shopping, eating desserts, letting me talk & vent until i had gotten it all out
28) your unending support with caleb issues, money issues, crazy kid issues, family issues. i just love talking to you.
29) being my best friend in only the way a sister could be!!! i love you so much!! have a great day!

ps-i called the code