25 YEARS YOUNG!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister, you know the one....the.one.and.only. JESSICA SIMPSON!

And in honor of her 25 years on earth, here's my 25 reasons I love my sister bear!

1. She follows her dreams.

2. She wears her heart on her sleeve.

3. She has cool necklaces.

4. I can call her Jessie Messie and she doesn't get mad.

5. She keeps good secrets.

6. She leans on me.

7. I lean on her.

8. She has a tender heart.

9. Her Auburn Tigers decal will always be on top of the Florida State one.

10. She hosts one heckuva a party.

11. She loves Jesus.

12. She makes me proud.

13. Her feet are bigger than mine.

14. She sings like a rockstar.

15. She loves her family.

16. She's the baby, and she knows it. (wait, maybe I don't love that about her....)

17. She'll "wear you out", but she's worth it.

18. You won't find a better sister.

19. She puts everyone else before herself (to a fault!).

20. She's ambitious.

21. She's an Alabama girl, no matter where her life takes her.

22. She still calls me JennJenn.

23. She's a sucker for old movies.

24. She's the best to fight, and make up, with.

25. And I love her most today because it's her birthday, and that means today it's all about her, and everyday this week she should be celebrating, and I wish I could be there with her!!!

I LOVE YOU JESSIE MESSIE!

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**Now, in other exciting news, this past Sunday my parents, God love 'em, celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary!! I am excited to say I've been around for nearly 30 of those years, and I can account for the beauty, honesty, and love that they pour into their marriage. It is hard work. I can also account to that personally. Which makes me so very proud of parents for being where they are, so extremely happy they found each other, fell in love, and have made the amazing team they did. Congratulations, and here's to another 34!

I LOVE YOU MAMA AND DADDY!

Surprise!

Surprises are the best! And birthdays are even better than that! So we threw the two together and surprised our friend Rigsby (AKA Catherine Wile, Rigsby is her maiden name...and she'll always be Rigsby to us!) for her 30th birthday this weekend on Kiawah Island, and had so much fun!

It started with a rendevous at 61's (or "Tara"--turns out no one is called by their real name....) house in ATL Thursday night, where we got to play with Baby Blair, who I want to claim as my own. She's rediculously cute.Bright and early we hit the road Friday for a LONG (just 5 hours, but we were very anxious to get there!) roadtrip to Kiawah, SC. Armed with cupcakes, balloons, gifts, wine, etc.....we were the most prepared (and crammed!!) anyone could get! (Yes, sweet Ginny rode in the waaaay back in her very own car!)

We finally arrived thanks to our fine and very patient only-male-in-a-car-full-of-women-with-too-many-potty-breaks-and-lots-of-female-talks pilot Hunter! And Chip and Rigsby's house on Kiawah was beautiful! I only had a second to take it in before we were darting upstairs to light candles (they were only ten minutes behind us!)

So we lit the candles.....

And we practiced our "Surprise!" faces.....

Then she finally came in! SURPRISE!!!

So there were lots of hugs and kisses, and playing around before a fun dinner at at Red Sky Grill Friday night. Delish!

Jess and Jenn

Katie from NC, Rigsby, 61, Jess, jenn

Jenn, Jess, & Rigsby Group shot before dinner!

Saturday morning the girls got up and went to Sasanqua, and spa resort for pedis and a good long soak in the hottub! Just what I needed!

The view of the water from our hot tub!

After being spoiled, it was time for lunch and some shopping at this precious little town square type area with little shops and boutiques. The boys went grocery shopping for the night....salmon, filets, tuna tartar, some creamy potatoey-something, homemade ceasar salad, deviled egg appies. It was all quite rediculously good.

But before we fire up the grills and skillets, we walked out the back door and down to the beach, and snapped a few more pictures. The sunset was breathtaking. So was the chill. But it was worth it.

After our toes were frozen, and camera men were burnt out, it was back to the house for more gossip, Bobby Flay-quality food!, and more laughing and GAMES (oh the games!) into the night! Well, until us grannies called it bedtime, ha! It was such a fun weekend, for such a special friend! Now, I'll hardly have time to miss them before we're back together with the rest of the girls we missed this weekend, for our OOC reunion in just a few weeks!! I love yall, and had a blast! And happy early birthday, Rigsby!!

I think I found a KEEPER, Yall!

My Oh My. He will "peer die" when he sees this. And believe me it took some bribing. But I needed help, yall. And he's a good helper. I was suprised. Just sayin.

But he did grunt and burp a lot while he did it to make himself feel better. (whatever)

Gimme a break. Yall are laughing. I owe him, I know I know.

And for his efforts he got a pork loin, homemade potatoes au gratin, oh, and cheese biscuits. A regular Betty, I am. AND. Apple Dumplings. I so earned a hair dye-job. He is sooo a keeper. (But asking him to watch Fried Green Tomatoes with me was a little much he said.) So I'm destined to be stuck watching that stupid hunting channel or Fox News the rest of the night now. But at least the pesty grays are gone.

It's A Wonderful Life.

And it was a wonderful Christmas. See for yourself. It began with my beautiful sister and I engaging in what turned out to be a pajama portrait session while baking cookies. With our baby brother Marshmellow.

(I still thought we were saying cheese at this point.)

I caught on quick.

This is what a zoom does. (and a 5-year age difference) Seriously? Please note the lack of wrinkles and blemishes and worry spots on that innocent little (almost) 25 year old face. Can someone please recommend a cream for the wrinkly girl on the bottom?? She needs to face the facts.

Candlelight service. Singing Silent Night. I could feel the presence of the Lord in that place.

(Don't tell my preacher I was taking pictures please.)

Christmas Eve. Home with my beautiful family. (Take 4 with the self-timer).

This used to gross me (and my friends) out. Now it makes me smile.

That's 35 years worth of lovin'.

My sister is one of my favorite things.

We tend to be dramatic. This is us singing (and acting out) the song "Sisters" from White Christmas. It's tradition. Live with it.

My best friend. The source of our drama. And love. And laughter. And goofiness. And tenderheartedness. And compassion. And creativeness. And I think Jessie might have gotten organization from her.

My first love, to whom all men are compared, but never matched. The source of our height And wisdom. And devotion. And unconditional love. And I think Jessie got some of Daddy's patience. Oh, and his toes, sheesh, we got his toes.

Christmas Day at the Nick's.

Oh PawPaw. You just won't do sometimes.

And I'm pretty sure Mimi just disowned you. Lose the wig.

Jessie and I, after a long night helping Santa.

My "special friend" as Mimi titled him. He thinks I'm cool even with antlers. ;)

Enjoying their new swing. Checking out the mechanics of it all. Let's look up.....

And now straight ahead.....

I love my Mimi and PawPaw.

Cheesy family shot. Jazz hands.

Christmas Day at the Parker's. Not sure how Wes felt about the antlers.....

My beautiful cousin Lindsey. Soon to be a married woman.

Oh, Grandmother. You are my heart.

Uncle Pat and Jeff hamming it up. Love it.

Shelby. Stopping growing up please. You should be seven still.

Oh cousins. And this is just a precious sample.

Christmas in a really long, polaroid-captured nutshell.

Makes me smile to look at pictures of it. Makes me smile to remember.

Happy New Year.

Cheers, to a new decade. I am anxiously awaiting what my future holds.