Happy Birthday Sis!

Today is Renie's birthday and since I forgot to get a card in the mail, I thought I would write a little tribute to her. No girl ever had a better sister! She's the best because:

1. She is patient. I can't count how many times she saved me in the middle of the night when I got up (in my sleep) looking for the bathroom and got lost in our closet. She always got me untangled and pointed me in the direction of the toilet!

2. She has always been a great example. Growing up, Renie was a hard act to follow but I tried. I wanted to do all the "neat" things she had done. School choirs, Seminary Choir, Pep Club, good grades, working the summer at a state park, serving a mission....the works! Obviously, I was no carbon copy!

3. She wanted me to be the best I could be. Sometimes that meant teaching me a hard lesson like the time she hid my clothes in mom's old "Ironright" because I couldn't seem to keep my part of our bedroom clean!

4. She is forgiving. Proof: She didn't even try to get even when I took advantage of the fact that our voices were identical and pretended to be her when her boyfriend called. That was an interesting conversation as I recall!

5. She is adventurous. She showed me the ropes when it came to exploring apple orchards in Price and the gulley and river at the end of Hannibal St. in Salt Lake, and sneaking upstairs to raid the refrigerator in the middle of the night. Too bad there was never much in it worth stealing!

6. She is generous. Renie includes Aubrey in lots of fun things with her family. That means so much to me. She included me as well when they went to a Hawaiian Leu-ow (I have no idea how to spell that so I resorted to phonics) when I was there on a visit. What a great memory!

7. She is the best cheerleader! Anytime I need encouragement I call my big sister and she sings my praises, doing her best to convince me that I'm doing MY best and it really is good enough!

8. She really listens and then uses her God-given gift to listen to The Spirit so she will know just the right thing to say when comforting me.

9 She is non-judgmental and always looks for the good in people and situations. Example: Last week when I finally got on a scale and discovered that my weight is the highest it has been in quite awhile she sincerely said, "I saw a picture of you on your blog and your legs are really skinny!" (I guess I am lucky to have such long legs. They are hiding some of those extra pounds!)

10. She understands me. She makes me laugh when I want to scream or cry, but only after she has listened to my detailed description of same traumatic event, and assures me that she would have felt or reacted exactly the same way. She doesn't know it, but the ultimate complement she pays me is when she says, "We are so much a like!" In many ways we are, but I know I have a long way to go in measuring up to her. She has set the bar high but is too humble to even know it!

I am SO thankful for my sister. She really is the best! I love you Renie. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Kaity's Big Day! (Last Sunday June 8 2008)

Kaity practiced and practiced in our friend's pool. Putting her head under water was a frightening prospect but necessary in order to be baptised! She finally overcame the fear and we gathered at the ward last Sunday afternoon. Many ward family members came to support her and she even gave the talk on baptism. What a wonderful job she did!

Bishop Blackwelder conducted the meeting and told Kaitlyn how proud he was of her! She only had to be dunked ONE time. (Daddy made sure EVERYTHING went under water on the first try!) We are so happy that she made the right choice and has now become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints! What a special girl! What an important day!

My computer is driving me nuts!

My dumb computer only works for Travis! I'm not kidding! I have written down step by step instructions that work beautifully when he is here watching me and I'm able to post pictures just fine. The minute he leaves my luck walks out the door with him. I have some pictures from this past week but who knows if I'll be able to post before he returns with my good luck! My bet is........No, probably not! Sooooo, in the meantime, I will just tell you about the phone call we got this morning at 8:30. The phone rings, I pick it up as Gary is still asleep. (Church doesn't start until 10:00) I hear some confusion on the other end and then a male voice says, "Diane, this is Bob Bigler." My response, "I heard you were in Jerusalem."
"No, at the moment I'm on the Sea of Gallilee in Israel."
"Are you kidding me?!"
"No, really, I'm on a fishing boat on the Sea of Gallilee with Gerry Kirkland and we were just thinking about Gary. Is he available?"
"Sure."
I wake him up, hand him the phone with a curious explanation: "Bob Bigler calling from a fishing boat on the Sea of Gallilee."
Those two characters weren't kidding. I heard Gary yell, "You Hot Dogs! Living my Dream. Deep Sea fishing on the Sabbath."
Bob's reply, "Yea, and the sun is shining, there's not a cloud in the sky and the fish are biting! We just wanted you to know!" In the next breath he did admit that in the Holy Land, yesterday was the sabbath. Actually, this is an inside joke. Bob is a former bishop and Gerry is the second counselor in the bishopric. A few months ago Gary got called up out of the congregation to bear his testimony when a speaker didn't show up. His first comment into the microphone was, "Diane I told you I should have gone fishing today!"
I don't think there is a soul in the ward who doesn't know where Gary would rather be on any given Sunday!