happy birthday allison.

i am not sure how many of you have a sister, but if you don't i feel very bad for you. 

while ours hasn't always been the perfect relationship + is still far from that, it is a special one. 

i know she can attest that i have not always been the easiest person to grow up with. i am a very emotional + stubborn person, those personality traits don't always mix well.

 every joke + comment i took straight to heart in my younger years.  while im being honest there are still some days i am a little more sensitive than others. only now my sister doesn't have to deal with those days. instead she helps me move through those days quickly + with grace. 

allison is beautiful, smart, + driven. she is passionate about her friends + family.  she is trust worthy + caring. i am very proud of her. i don't always tell her that, instead i think i sometimes give her greif for being so far away (NYC),  but i am very proud of all the drive she has in what she does.  she has worked very hard to get where she is + deserves the wonderful life she is living. we just miss her. 

we hope you had an unbelievable thirtieth birthday on saturday. i sure wish we could have been there celebrating along side you. keep celebrating, we will be there in the fall.

al, thank you for always being there when i've needed you lately. when mom is gone or impossible to get a hold of, you are my fill in mom.  thank you for making special trips to dallas just because you miss us or for nathan's birthday. thank you for being there the most through one of the hardest/ scariest times of my life three years ago. you talked to me every night until you got here and helped calm me down and told me everything was going to be okay. thank you for being my family in that moment, thank you for no judgement, thank you for keeping everyone calm around me. i hope i can pay you back for that week in some way, someday.

so maybe we don't have the picture perfect sister relationship, but i love how we are + wouldn't change having you as a sister for the world.  i love you.