Happy Birthday, Lezley

I'm back!

We had such a great trip up to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Mother's Day. It meant riding in the van over 20 hours in only 3 days, which my body did not like, but I do love traveling - seeing all the new sights and people. Being with our grandparents was special too. Sunday went by so fast, but we still made memories; singing with Grandpa as we dried the dinner dishes, talking around the table, taking family pictures, and playing our instruments for the church (they always draft us for service when we come - even though they didn't know we were coming this time!).

We made other memories too - like shivering in the hotel rooms each night while we waited for the heaters to warm the rooms. We stayed in a little country hotel that was basic but serviceable, and we sure were thankful for rooms and beds instead of tents and sleeping bags (our normal form of shelter when traveling)! Monday morning, when we woke up to go home, the van had a thick layer of frost over the windows, and we all thought the air smelled like it does when there's snow way up high. ...'Course...it might have been our southern imaginations. :) We sure were glad to leave the 30-something degree weather in exchange for the 50's we found here!

Monday was also Lezley's birthday. She's my youngest sister, and of course when the youngest member of the family starts to get old it makes everybody think "wow! where did the time go?"

I wish you knew my sister Lezley. She's such a bundle of personality! She was a great sport about traveling on her birthday. We had store-bought pizza and cake when we got home that evening, and all during the trip we sang "happy birthday" whenever we had an excuse to do so.

My birthday gift to Lezley was a date. This afternoon I fulfilled that promised date, and we went shopping together - just the two of us. That's the first time we've done that, and it was fun for both of us.

I bought her two new outfits. We went up and down the aisles of Good Will selecting everything that caught her eye, and then we went to the dressing rooms and I let her twirl in front of the mirror and preen a bit, while we discussed in very grown-up tones the virtues and faults of each article of clothing, and whether or not it was a good choice.

I don't mean that I was talking to her in that voice grown up people can easily take on when they're trying to make a child feel grown up. I was in earnest, and so was she. We're sisters after all - we can't really fool one another like that! We both had lots of fun, and it was a good chance to teach a little bit about modesty, price comparison, quality, and looking ahead when making a purchase. Lezley's a great little shopper.

Then we visited the pet store - but only after Lezley promised not to tease for a puppy or any other such thing she knew she couldn't get. She kept her word like a lady and we had such a time exploring the large shop. I hadn't been in the aquarium section before, and was amazed at the selection. With the dim lights and endless rows of lighted fish tanks, each filled with neon-colored specimens, I felt like we were in a beautiful underwater museum.

Half-way through our visit, Lezley somehow managed to get the fish to react to her hands, which she would wave a certain way to get them all in one group near one side of the tank. Then she'd suddenly and quickly put her face close to the glass, and whoosh! all the fish would go flying away. She laughed so hard! I had to practically drag her away from those poor fish. It was quite a sight to see 40 or 50 tiny little fish coming into one big bulging group of orange or yellow, then explode to the far corners of the tank.

The reptile section was fascinating too - though the long boa constrictors just don't have that beauty appeal that fish do. :) And when we walked through the puppy section I felt a lump in my stomach that told me it was a good thing I had warned Lezley against teasing for one - how can an older sister throw a fit for those adorable little things when she's just given a lecture on that topic?

We made it through puppies, birds, snakes, lizards, gerbils, hamsters, ferrets, mice, and turtles safe and sound, without any stowaways, and left the store with a toy for our hamster and a bone for our dog. We made it home almost exactly the time Mom had asked us to return.

As we were driving home, Lezley repeatedly told me "thank you, thank you, thank you!" for the outing, and at each stoplight had me lean over so she could hug me. Such is my sister.

I'm sad to think you're not so little any more, Lezzy, but I'm happy about the young lady you're becoming. Love the Lord earnestly, and don't lose your vibrant enthusiasm for life - ever! Keep your laugh, too. It's so ticklish.

I love you!

This is Lezley after her "Bug Hunt" on Friday. She sure loves critters! I wish I had a video of her laugh to let you watch. It's so....well, it comes from the bottom of her toes! Here she is being very "teacherish," so...no laugh.