Mi muy bonita hermana

( I realized I don't have very many pictures of Katie when she was growing up because I'm 7 years older than her and wasn't really around then. But in spite of that Katie is still one of my closest sisters.)

KAT is 23!

Happy Birthday to my little sis. I made little list of talents that Katie has been blessed with and that I covet. I love her and is a genuinely great girl who I want to be just like when I grow up.



*PURE.
*an awesome DECORATOR. She knows the newest trends and can throw things together and paint a piece of furniture, put it in a room and bang! instant beautification.
*an awesome THRIFTY DIGGER: She has regular haunts where she visits and she finds the BEST stuff EVER. It helps that she lives in a super big town where everyone buys "new"....(send some stuff my way Kate.)
*a super great FRIEND. Always worries if she has said anything to offend anyone and always has positive things to say even if everyone else doesn't.
*a GREAT LISTENER- you always feel that she heard everything you said and adds some kind of comment or advice to let you know she has.
*has CUTE FASHION. I always wanted to see stuff through her eyes. She has a LOVE for the neutrals and always looks classic!
*such a awesome LEADER- In high school she was "regional/state/president of everything FFA" and she had to put together a Leadership Retreat. I went to help with the food because I wanted to be associated with the RAD activity she put on. It turned out so good. Its still LEGEND in Hermiston.
*BRAIN POWER- She can memorize like nobody's business. She did the FFA creed in record time and was in a couple school plays where she was the STAR!
*A super great TESTIMONY, and she's not afraid to share it. Baptized and brought many to the gospel during her short years in HS and after. I am always jealous she can talk so freely and people can feel the spirit so easily. Katie was KNOWN for her awesome youth talks at church. She can totally take any gospel principle and make a random analogy for it. Again: LEGENDARY. (Ask her about "pig and the Oreck vacuum")
*so WISE. (see above)
*A GREAT MOM- she lives far away from her family and can't rely on family like I do and she's still survives (imagine that). She loves to do family outings with her boys and is patient and kind. I learn from her example.
*She is BRAVE- when Dan went to boot camp they were apart for 6 months, and then moved to Buloxi, MS to be close to him while he was in training for another 6 months. He couldn't sleep at home during that time, she was a single mom in a strange place and she survived that too. Soon Dan will be deployed to Iraq and again she will show bravery by loaning her husband to serve our country in the war.
* a good ATHLETE- I don't care what you say Kate: you did good in all the sports you played. She had Heart, which is hard to come by these days. Besides she had my thighs, and she couldn't be the best at everything...right?
*PENMANSHIP- Kate has honestly the best handwriting in the world. Also, she would draw these cute little stick figure people families- even BEFORE it was cool to stick em on the back of your expensive SUV. I know she came up with it first. I still have a few pictures, framed that she drew of my little family and I still LOVE them.
*PREPAREDNESS- she has a ton of food storage and if something happens I'm headed to phoenix to drink her water and eat her food. She will save my life. Good girl Kate.
*POPULAR- for lack of a better word, she always attracts a crowd and her and Dan were the life of the party in their Boise college ward. They loved their time there and have many friends to show for it.
*Makes CUTE BABIES- what? they are, even if they weigh close to a cinder block when they are born.
*STRONG- (see above) she packs those boys around for the first months of life and thats NOT easy.
*WELL ROUNDED- as mom would say. Fits her to a "T".

I love you Kate. Happy Birthday.

click here for her blog.