January 18

My 25th birthday is a few days away, and thinking about this made me remember someone else's birthday was a couple of weeks ago.  Now, I didn't forget this person's birthday, but I did forget that for some time I had been planning on blogging about some special people in my life and had decided their birthdays would be a good time to share.  And so, since I really want to do that I'm going to pretend today is...

January 18, 2010
Today is my sister-in-law Kristina's 30th birthday.  I have known her for 14 years- more than half my life, and almost half of hers.  When she and I first met, I wasn't really a fan.  I chalk this up to the fact that I was 11 years old and kind of a brat to anyone my brothers dated, because even then, she was pretty special. 

I know this because even though I was not always kind, and not always welcoming to her, she was to me.  She and Cory would invite me to do things with them, and she even invited just me to do things with her.  Even more so than that, as the years went by and I started becoming less of a brat, she didn't hold it against me.  As years went by we became friends.  And when she and my brother got married in August 2003 she asked me to be a bridesmaid.  Their wedding day, and my other brother and sister-in-laws wedding day, were two of the happiest of my life.  I finally had sisters.

When I went away to college in the fall of 2003, Kristina and Cory lived in Springfield.  I always felt welcome in their home, even though they were newlyweds, and many weekends I would spend the whole weekend with them.  I don't know if I have ever told her or my brother how thankful I was and am that I had family so close, and so willing to be there when I needed them.  To take it a step further, I lived with them for part of my time in college.  And I was welcomed.  Never made to feel like an imposition or a third wheel (even though I'm sure there were times I was).   When I would go through an especially bad week at school, or was having trouble with friends, or guys, Kristina and Cory were the first people I would call.  Even if it was 2 am (sorry about that).  Their constant support got me through some really difficult times.  Thank you for your friendship.

While I was figuring things out at school, Kristina was working full time, getting her masters, and still being an amazing wife to my crazy brother.  When Blake and I got married in September of 2007, Kristina was my matron on honor.  She walked me through wedding planning, she helped me understand how to be an encouraging spouse to someone applying to and attending a medical graduate program.  Thank you for your example.

There is no better wife for my brother, Cory.  There is no better mother to my precious niece, Briley.  There is no better sister to Carrie and I. 

Happy 30th, Kristina.  I love you.

*Non- embarrassing pictures have been chosen based on the fact that birthday girl has enough dirt on me to constitute a small mountain.