Bragging about Birthday Becca

If there's someone with an unlimited amount of energy, it's my sister Becca. She's a very good athlete with high rankings and placings and PRs and whatever other things you call them in all of the following activites: high jump, hurdles, track and cross-country, basketball, ultimate, marathons, triathalons, and more.

She's also an exceptional oboe player, the finest at BYU. She has perfect pitch and can maintain a note for well over a minute without breathing.

I once thought, "Once she hits puberty she'll slow down." Didn't happen. So I amended to "Once she's pregnant she'll slow down." Nope. "Once she has a newborn she'll slow down." In the last month she's proven me totally wrong on that, as well. I could say "Once she turns 90 she'll slow down, but from the way she's proven me wrong in the past, I don't dare. She is truly amazing.

I like to brag about Becca's sports and musical accomplishments, and I could tell you all about her flower arranging and hilarious sense of humor, but I want to highlight something else today on her almost 23rd birthday.


Becca is one of the most selfless people I know. She is constantly serving. She put school and work and her life on hold to fly out to help me when my most collicky baby, Eliza, was born and I was a total wreck. She has so much love for my kids, and has taken them on outing after outing. When she watches them she never sets them in front of a movie and works on her own things. She prints off pictures on the internet and they sit side-by-side and color them while Becca tells stories, provides snacks, and plays games to their hearts' content. My kids have Becca's number memorized and regularly call to leave "messages." They refuse to call marshmallows by their real name, because Becca calls them "marshey-o's." They always want to spend the night at Becca's house. She is a dang cool aunt. And an amazing sister. And really one of the neatest people you could ever know.

Here are a few pictures that capture Becca's service and love to my family and always make me feel so grateful to know Becca.

Becca and Sage feed the ducks at Notre Dame

Becca and Sage share some pool time

Becca and Sage at Lake Michigan

Becca and Sage picking blueberries

Four-wheeling. (Obviously.)

Jordan is a pretty big Dora fan, but it wasn't for him that he and Becca carved their Halloween pumpkin, but rather their 1- and 3-year old nieces that lived next door.

I think the scooter might have blown a tire after this ride.

Pregnant Becca reading to Sage

Mommy took this picture in her PJs before running back inside to be warm while Becca and Jordan made this first snow the best day of the season for Sage and Eliza.

Happy Birthday Becca (aka Commander Keen, Unis, Beevs, Becca-Beeka, Rebs, Rebie, Hot Mama, Big Nicey, etc.).