Birthday Girl

On May 28th, 1982 at precisely 10:12 in the evening, Pacific Standard Time, my little sister joined me in this big, scary world.  She has never left my side.  I hardly know what I could have done in my former life to deserve such a gift...

My Kris,

Despite your being eight minutes less mature than myself, my admiration of you is boundless, as is my love.

My limited writing ability makes it difficult for me to find the right words to explain what you mean to me.  But, with thesaurus in hand, I will try:

I have always admired your quick wit and sometimes borderline off-color sense of humor.  I have given up trying to conjure up clever responses to the downright hilarious text messages you send me each day.  Your humor is my much-anticipated and appreciated "adult" escape from the chaos that fills my days.  I live in a perpetual state of "low memory" on my phone because I can't bring myself to erase any of your messages.  I am sure to get a good giggle each time I re-read them.

I have always admired your reliability.  My heart is warmed each time I think of you running into the delivery room to hug me just moments before I gave birth to Emmy.  You drove like a bat out of hell from Indiana to Tennessee, evading a speeding ticket in the process, to be there for me when I became a mommy.  And you made it.  Just in time.  You always do.

You are thirsty for knowledge of how to be the wife, mother and woman that God has called you to be.  You have forged on this journey with a humble heart, an open mind and pure faith.  Yours is a testimony that could make anyone a Believer.  I am honored to bear witness to it.

Your are one of the toughest women I know.  Your load requires super human strength to carry.  In managing to do so, I'm fairly certain that makes you super woman.  I couldn't be more proud of you for tackling whatever challenge is thrown your way with grit and grace.

I have always admired your devotion to your family and regard your approach to mothering as the model I attempt to emulate.  Your parenting style is the product of extensive research, and it shows.  Your babies are thriving under your care and tutelage.  They, and everyone else you love, knows it, because you tell us all through your altruistic actions and your loving words.  

I have always admired your creativity and "up for anything" attitude.  I have no idea where you muster up the energy for the fun projects and field trips you arrange to offer your kiddos new and stimulating opportunities to learn.  You loaded up your troops to tour the local landfill to quench Andy's insatiable appetite for all things garbage.  Who does that?!  Obviously not many, because the staff wasn't really sure what to do with you when you arrived.

I have always admired your tender-heartedness.  You make fun of yourself for being prone to tearing up in emotional situations (or watching touching commercials,) but I believe it is a testament to just how human you are.  You feel deeply for others and the empathy that you extend is such a comfort.  I speak from experience.

I have always admired your level-headedness and stamina for talking through issues.  Not to mention your trusty moral compass.  It's no secret that you are the first person I call when I am trying to sort through a dilemma.  Whether it be exhaustion from parenting a tantrum-y two-year old who woke up on the wrong side of the crib or accidental vehicular manslaughter of a squirrel, and everything in between, you always answer when I call and offer thoughtful insight and calming words (no matter what mess you are neck-deep in.)  You will never know the depth of my gratitude for the support you bestowed upon me during Nick's last deployment (and every separation he and I have endured over the past 13 years.)  You, literally and figuratively, peeled me up off the floor and nourished me back to life.  You did everything short of spoon-feed me, although I know you would've done that, too, if I needed it.

I have always admired your positive energy and refreshing ability to make the mundane fun and the special unforgettable.  The holidays in your house rivals that of the Griswolds, just without all of the swearing and dysfunction.  Your spirit is infectious as you inspire me to bring the same magic into my own home.   It should be no surprise that your children would wind up on the local news while donating toys for needy children to fulfill one of the projects in your month-long homemade Advent calendar.

Each day I spend with you is brighter for it.  Our "sister trips" lie in the front of my mental rolladex of "happy places" to visit on tough days.  Whether it be eating clam chowder from a styrafoam cup at a look-out at cliff's edge on Martha's Vineyard; almost running out of gas at midnight in the desolate mountains of Las Vegas, New Mexico; loading up all the kids to take them for breakfast on the beach in Half Moon Bay; standing side-by-side on the West Point parade field, beaming, as our boys ordered their company to greet us, in unison, from their lunch-time formation; our first maternity clothes shopping trip when you were newly pregnant with Andy; traversing Philly in search of the best cheesesteak; acting like fools in the White House press room;  sharing butterflies while flying to visit our boys in New York and then sharing tissues on the way home...

...And then there is the mundane: You hauling all of the kids you were babysitting to the house where I was babysitting just so that I could change dirty diapers for you; jumping our unreliable first car at all the least opportune times and realizing that Dad was right to have warned us against buying it; Friday night dinners at the local hospital in an effort to make our college food allowance stretch; riding our bikes through the busy Tucson streets to Kroger only to ride, miserably, back to our dorm with our backpacks overflowing with groceries; brilliantly realizing that we could volunteer to be sorority safe ride drivers and borrow the older girls' cars to run errands between drunk pick-ups; sleeping head-to-foot in the one twin bed in our sorority house bedroom for several months in protest of the sleeping porch, until you scratched my face with your toe-nail, and then defying the rules and smuggling a second bed into our tiny room...

One of the most heart-breaking moments of my life was watching you and JP turn onto I-10 in one direction and Mom, Dad and I taking the onramp in the opposite direction after our college graduation.  Quite honestly, I could write a book archiving all of my most treasured memories that include you, but it would end up as an autobiography of the last thirty years of my life.

The day I found out Emmy would have a sister was among the very best.  I pray that she and Hannah will find even a fraction of joy in their precious relationship as I have with ours.  You are such a gift, my Kris.  Happy 30th.

I love you,

Your Ali

Some of my favorite memories with you caught on film:

Mom, Grandma Odell and Grandma Hagg at her baby shower.  This photo is so beautiful; we were surrounded by so much love before we even got here.

Not quite the big boy mom thought she was having.

Sisters with sisters.

Sunbathing on the giant rock in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard.

A classic.

Never far from one another and similarly clothed.

"Lean on Me"

Not sure whose dog that is.

Hands down, my very favorite picture of you. Ever.

Cousin sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa Hagg's house were the best.

I'm pretty sure we were watching Dick Tracy, a little break from "State Fair," of which we watched on repeat.

Grandpa Odell, what a man he was...

Lot's of long farewells and honking cars departing from that driveway.

Perhaps one of our last photos with Grandpa Odell. :(

Always Christmas Dinner with Jesus' birthday cake at Grandma & Grandpa Odell's house.

Christmas before there were 7 other grandkids filling the living room.

I can't remember a birthday growing up that we didn't celebrate with everyone...

...Or any holiday, really...

...

 ...

JV cheer!

We've always been keen on the holidays. :)

The twinkie.  Our 16th birthday, the day I got my driver's license.  I drove you around for two weeks until you could re-take your test.  Damn blind alley-ways.

Varsity Cheer.  The infamous "tree" shots the photographer insisted upon.  He was a perve.

Cheer Camp senior year...We look thoroughly sleep deprived, probably because we were.

Senior year homecoming rally.  This, too, is a classic.  You handled the homecoming princess defeat gracefully. ;)  I don't think Dad knew what to say to us.

Our Senior Ball.  Only we would beg mom to chaperone.

Freshman year dorm room.  It was next door to the police station and the Catholic Church, which offered mom some peace of mind.

The parade field at West Point over Ring Weekend 2001.

Army/Navy game in Philly in 2001.  Sadly, it was the last time Army has been victorious.

Living it up in New York City over Nick and JP's West Point graduation weekend in 2002.  It also happened to be our 20th birthday weekend. Such luck!

"Life styles of the Rich and Famous" sorority date dash.  We went as Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Our 21st birthday! We closed down all the bars in Danville at 9PM.

That green shirt got us some serious attention over your Vegas Bachelorette weekend.

Nursing school graduation, you knew what a big deal that was for me...I have no doubt you were sitting next to me in preschool when I made the decision to become one and promptly started coloring a picture to hold myself accountable.  You met your life goal of becoming a cheerleader in high school. Overachiever.

College grads :)

Celebrating our new degrees.  The Elementary School teacher and the Nurse.

Your newsworthy wedding...Still have to chuckle over the preposterous story they came up with about JP losing one of his would-be groomsmen at war.  We learned that you can't trust the media, and that you look gorgeous on TV.

I still don't like my hair-do.

You, the glowing newlywed, came home to visit me while I still lived at home with Mom and Dad.

The idea of you and I piloting a helicopter is just plain scary.

Pretty sure I won.

Was this our 22nd birthday or 23rd? Hmmm...

Rubbing the lucky shoe at Harvard.

Dinner out in NYC before going to see Hairspray!

Clean Plate Ranger at Serendipity!!

I finally got my ring!!!!  Last one standing in the stadium at West Point where the boys got their class rings.

We walked about five miles around Philly to get to Jim's and it was worth it!

Deep in thought at the President's podium in the White House press room.

Us with Peej at Nick and my engagement party. :)

My beautiful bridal shower, we were trying to decide the winning team of the toilet paper bridal gown contest.

Our last photo with Grandma Hagg. :(

You dressing me for my wedding...

Sharing a laugh while you were laboring with Andy.  Poor thing, you decided to induce after you "made the call" in early labor and everyone flew/drove in, only to find your contractions were easing up.

The early years...One human child and three furbabies.

Cuddling with my sweet nephew.  HEAVEN.

The night before you had Clairey.  I was a few months pregnant with Emmy girl.

Clairey Beary's birthday :)

Our co-matron-of-honor speech at Taylor and Danny's wedding.  I was nine months preggo and nearly busting out of my dress. :-P

Emmy's birthday!

Baby girl swap!

Us with our babies as of April 2010. :)

Us with the girls at Andy's preschool bike rally.

28th birthday!

Our first high-tea adventure with the girls!

Introducing Grandma Odell to the babies!

Our last photo with Grandma :(

Taking the kids to visit the USS Hornet with Grandpa Hagg as our tour guide.

You with Emmy on her 1st birthday...

You showered her with love because I couldn't be there.  I am forever indebted to you for that.

You drove through near white-out conditions to surprise me at the "thank you" party my FRG arranged...

You got me good, those were some UGLY tears!

Messing around with the timer on the camera.  Missing all of the boys, but still grateful that we all could be together.

Bedtime chaos during our visits is out of control.

All five of our angels...

All five of our angels...