Saturday, January 17, 2015

Happy Birthday Haley!

5 things about Haley:

1. I have one memory of Haley that has always been significant to me. One time when I was in fifth grade my teacher let us go play/hang-out outside to have a little break from our work. I was out there with my friends when Haley walked by with some of her friends. I had seen interactions between some of my friends and their older siblings that made me a little freaked out to see her with her friends. My first thought was that I was about to be shamed in front of my friends somehow. I braced myself, but instead of any negativity she was excited to see me! She saw me, happily said hi, told her friends who I was and they all came over and chatted for a minute before they went on their way. I am sure that was not a significant moment in her life, but she left me there on cloud nine and I have never forgotten it. She treated me like I was her friend and made me feel a couple feet taller than I was, and the truth is she has always treated me that way as far as I can remember. I always tried to keep that memory in my head when I interacted with my siblings who are younger than me. That was just one of the many ways she has been a great example to me.

2. She has amazing hand-eye/hand-brain coordination. It makes me chuckle to write that, but it just has to be why she is so talented in some of the ways she is. She is a great pianist, and a budding organist. She is an awesome volleyball and softball player (good at other sports too but I believe those are her best). When I got to typing class in high school my teacher was excited because I was Haley's sister and she typed like none other. I never could match those incredible speeds. :) She worked at a company where she had to call people and input data into a computer and none of her co-workers ever came close to matching her speeds. Seriously impressive. :)

3. She is always making me and everyone else laugh. She has an amazing sense of humor. I guess this goes along with her quick brain, but I am always amazed at how quickly she can think of a joke or a funny comeback in the middle of a conversation.

4. If I ever need ideas for a party, or a craft, or home project, or church activity, or anything like that I can usually go to Haley for some great ideas. She is so creative. This translates into motherhood for her too. She is such a fun mom and aunt for my kids too. She thinks of ways to make little jobs fun for the kids and comes up with fun games for them to play that I would really never think of.

5. After she got married, Haley spent about eight years wishing for a baby. She had always wanted to be a mother, and if I remember right she even told me at one point she thought she might like to have eight kids. :) She now has two cute little boys, but for those years she struggled with infertility and the broken heart that came along with it. But she never gave up. Instead of losing faith, she turned to her faith. I know she really struggled, but I watched her work through it and saw her learn and grow. Watching her go through this trial, I learned from her again. Now I consider her to be some sort of spiritual giant. When I have gospel questions, she has answers that she got from working through this experience. She let it change her for the better.

Happy happy birthday Haley! I am lucky to have you as a sister!

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