It's Her Birthday

Today is my sister Sarah's birthday!

Sarah is my younger sister.  She loves Jesus.  She enjoys playing the piano and is incredibly talented.  She's super healthy and buys real milk from a real farm but she also loves to eat potato chips.  She chose to be home schooled for the last few years of high school and is really smart.  She was an adorably chubby baby, but now is one of the tiniest people I know.  When she is pregnant, which is somewhat often, she is the kind of person who gets the most adorably cute, and somewhat unfairly tiny pregnant bellies (unlike others of us, who instead of looking like we swallowed a basketball, look like we swallowed a whale... and I'm totally talking about myself here :)  All in all, my sister is pretty amazing.

Looking back, she was a pretty happy baby.  When she joined our family, we were finally complete.

I remember growing up, how she always loved to "play school" and told us that she wanted to be a mom and have ten kids.  She had a fun personality and always made us laugh.

When she was in high school, she had a major heart surgery to correct a condition that she had somehow had unknowingly since birth.  It was a very serious surgery, but thanks to the amazing doctors at the University of Michigan hospital, and my Mom's faithful prayers, she did wonderfully.

After I got married and moved out to New York, Sarah took many trips to come and see us.

She was there to share in the births of both Christian...

and Ellee.

She's visited the duck farms of Eastport,

and the streets of Time's Square.

Sarah always has had such a special place in her heart for her nephews and nieces.

And they, in turn, have always had such a special place for her.

One of the things that I have always loved most about my sister, is her love for the Lord.  

Her favorite verse is Psalm 37:4, which says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

It was such a joy when God gave her one of the greatest desires of her heart

when she married her husband Don on April 26th, 2008.

God continued to graciously bless my sister, by giving her a beautiful daughter, Lydia Grace.

It's been such a joy to see my sister become an amazing mom.

Soon after Lydia, she gave birth to a son, Josiah.  

And I remember the day, when Josiah was around 6 months, that she called to tell me that God had blessed her with yet another baby!  Naomi Lynn was born this past September, and for the life of me, I am so amazed to think that my little sister, who always told us that she would have 10 kids, is well on her way, with three kids, ages two and under.

Happy Birthday, to my amazing sister!  Sarah, I hope that you have an incredible day.  You are such a blessing to me and I am so thankful for you and the wonderful wife, mother, sister and friend that you've been.  I love you and wish you a very happy day!