one year older and wiser too

this post is dedicated to my dear sister jennie whitaker curtis. today is the celebration of her day of birth and i couldn't pass up the opportunity to boast about how wonderful she is.

jennie is the second oldest in our family and she has always been a great example to me. i was so young when she got married and left our humble abode but i have a few precious memories of her before she left.

i remember her cheerleading outfits and her pom pom's. i guess i wanted to be just like her when i was in high school!

i remember jennie playing the violin so beautifully (maybe i only remember this because of all of the family home videos i have watch over and over again...even so, it was a beautiful sound she was making and i love that she is so talented)

i remember jennie making dresses for ashlee and i. oh how i loved that dress.

i remember the lace my mom used when making one of jennie's dresses. or maybe it was her wedding dress...hmmm.

i remember sunday visits to the rest home to play the guitar and sing songs to help make someone's day a little better. some of the songs include "you know that song", "oh mr. sun", "because i have been given much", "how great thou art"

i remember buying the dress i wore for her wedding and helping out as much as an 8 year old could with all of the preparations and such.

and then i remember all of the fun times we've had as i have grown up without her at our home. there are, of course, too many to write about today but bear with me as i take a walk down memory lane...

i remember coming home from camp big springs to jennie because my parents were out of town. she is always volunteering to do things like that.

i remember having jennie's oldest son project spit up directly into my mouth...jen was so patient with me as i was freaking out.

i remember jennie looking after our dog crea while we were on vacation. she was so dependable and we knew crea was in good hands.

i remember going to canyon crest, the school where jennie was teaching at the time, and helping her in her room as part of a family night activity.

i remember jennie taking me to the mall one time and on the way one of her kids got sick and threw up in the car. she was so calm and mom-like when dealing with it. i admire her.

i remember jennie putting on a black out party for our family. she had dinner for us, bought a bunch of glow sticks, hooked up her ipod and provided us with one of the funnest dances i've ever been to.

i remember jennie and her family sleeping over on christmas eve. it would probably be much easier for her to have stayed at her own home but she still came to help ashlee and i contiue the traditions we were used to.

i rememebr jennie helping me with my hair for a number of dances. she always came to the rescue when we were in a panic.

i remember grandma beth calling you zennie and wondering when that all started...you've had a great relationship with her. i love that.

i remember jennie helping her kids earn money by baking hundreds, even thousands of her delicious cinnamon rolls to sell at the fourth of july parade. she is an fabulous cook and an fabulous mom.

i remember jennie and her family coming down to cedar city to visit me on a long weekend. she is amazing because they came at a time when i was truly homesick and needed my family.

like i said, i could go on and on because jennie is just that wonderful. she is such a hard worker, she is one of the most selfless people i know, she is so great with kids (her own and her school kids), she is fun, she is so creative, she is positive, she is a talented cook, she is caring, and she is beautiful. something i love most about jennie is that she always laughs when we say goodbye when we're talking on the phone. it may not be a huge laugh but i can tell by her voice that she is laughing or smiling that big, beautiful smile of hers. it always brightens my day even though i can't see it. she is always happy and always looking for ways she can serve or lighten the load of others around her. you've always been there for me. i know that i can come to you with anything and that you'll help me or just be someone to listen to me complain. i love you jennie. thanks for being such a good example and such a wonderful older sister. i hope that one day i'm half of the woman that you are.

.happy birthday big sister, love you.