happy birthday kristy

Kristy. So I'm a little late here because your birthday was back on the 10th and I may or may not blame it on Dave pretty much taking over our blog. Regardless, you had a birthday and I would like to take a little stroll down memory lane. Won't you join me?
Nezzie with Aunty Kiki and one of her "cousin buddies"

Here's one of my favorite pictures, I'm not sure where you are exactly (please enlighten us), but I do know that it's either France or Switzerland as a sister missionary.

At the Santa Clara County Fair in a good old fashioned photo booth

What a cute couple, cutting the wedding cake. Tender.

With the Clintons (who we do not endorse in any way, shape or form) in D.C. back in 1994.

By the way, remember how during this trip to DC we got SOAKED in a downpour as we were walking with our luggage to the metro. I had packed for about 20 people and the wheels on my suitcase broke as we were running three blocks to the station in the downpour. I remember sitting and wringing my hair out. Another memorable moment on this trip would be Mom cutting my bangs while they were wet and they ended up being about one inch long. Or when Mom had to take shelter from a (different) downpour in front of an X rated adult store on her way back to our hotel from the mall. I will always have that image in my mind.

Actually, there are so many memories to choose from. For example, remember when I made the mexican casserole that you served VW for lunch and then you took credit for it? Or when we went hiking up King's Canyon with Dad and he drove like a mad man in his "magic carpet." I'm pretty certain that was the trip where we coined that phrase for him as I kept singing the Aladin song "A Whole New World." Or of course our classic story of when you chased me down the street with broccoli on a fork and made me eat it and sit on a snail shell. I can still hear the crunch and then feel the relief I felt upon realizing it was empty.

But one of my favorite memories is going to San Onofre to a little beach party that Carol and Gene were having and listening to Bob Marley for the first time. You had just returned from your scholastic sojourn in Hawaii and enlightened our family with the goodness that is known as reggae. As we drove down PCH in the white bug, windows down we listened to Legend on your "boom box" because that would have been silly to have had a working stereo in the car. It is so vivid to me, I even remember Carol surfing with Gene! Great. Now I miss the beach more than usual.

So there are ten years that separate us, but I have never felt that separation in our relationship/friendship. I am so grateful to have you in my life. You make me a better person, woman, mother and alto (only when we are singing together though). You have a good heart, you are so thoughtful, you are so generous (I cried when I found your CHI flat iron that you left behind for me last year) and you are an excellent example.


I wish we lived near each other so that I could whisk you away and go for a facial and massage and shopping and movie and (fill in the blank). Can you please move closer? I love you! Happy belated Birthday!!