Birthday sisters!

So, I know I told you all about my youngest sister.

But I don't know if I told you that I have THREE sisters.
Yep, I'm that lucky.

And these two BOTH had birthdays this week!

Who us?

Birthdays? Are you kidding me?

Oh, ok, maybe we did!

That's right. We're birthday girls. Eat your heart out.

This is Marissa.
She's 3rd of the 4, and she just turned 25 TODAY.
She has the most random skills of all of us.
Like fitting a whole peach in her mouth.
And being really good at bowling.
And catching food in her mouth.
It's pretty great.
She's a one-woman party trick.

If you'll notice her above tshirt and below couple of outfits,
she has a fine appreciation for the biker/redneck culture/style.
She's been to NASCAR.
She's been to Sturgis Bike Rally (where she purchased pictured leather chaps).
And I heart her.
She is more up for fun than anyone I have ever met.
We all like to dress up,
but I didn't even have to look to find 3 pictures of her dressed up as a pirate.
They found me.
That's how often she dresses up.

She even made a living for a while off of her love of fun and eyepatches.
She moved to New Zealand right after college and
bartended in a ski town at a bar that had a theme party pretty much every night.

She's fearless, adventurous and loves soaking up life.

Case and point:
Last year for Christmas she gave all of us sisters envelopes and inside were pictures of people skydiving.
"We're going skydiving?!?"
"Yep! Tomorrow!"
NBD, it was her 3rd time.

She has the most serene, uncomplicated spirit of anyone I know.
She just flows with what life gives her.
And is always smiling.

She's still pretty fierce too.
She ran a half marathon without training.
She climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro (also without training).
And I know from personal experience not to take up too much of her side of the car or she will break your nose with your own hiking boot.

My friends and I talk a lot about 'spiritual ages'.
I'm pretty sure Marissa's is 6.

She's so chill, she will fall through a chair and just stay there.

Again with the pirating...

She's also a superstar athlete.
She is the only one of us who can legitimately play tennis.
Oh, and she played Division I soccer.
NBD.

She does amazing things:
Business major, Division I soccer player, moved to New Zealand for a year, and is currently working for Grassroots Soccer in Zambia.
She never does so in a controlling, hyperorganized, type A way,
but some how it all gets done.
Probably with a lot more smiling than most of us manage.

This is her 6 hours before her 6am flight to move to Africa for a year.

And somehow she made it!
And is doing great things!
(p.s. I don't know if you can see, but that folder in her purse...it's a Pirate folder.)

Love you Marissa!
Miss you lots, but we're super proud of you.
Happy birthday!!



And THIS is Kara!
My oldest sister.
Who turned 25 + something or other.

She's the oldest, so she started that whole love of dressing up thing.
And she taught us well!

Home girl can tear up a dance floor!
We went dancing when our family went to Ireland when she was 16 and I was 13.
We were coming up with the most ridiculous dance moves we could think of,
and some girls came up to us and were like 'you guys are amazing dancers!'.
I knew then that I should always follow her moves on the dance floor.
Always.

She set the bar for being a superstar athlete.
She ran on the high school CC team when she was in jr. high.
She had the 300 hurdles record in high school.
She has run 2 marathons. Both without training.
She (also) climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
(Yes, I'm the only one of my sisters who hasn't climbed Kili. Yes, that is weird.)

She's pretty stunning.
Sometimes she even looks like Miss America.
Or even Barbie.

She's the best sister supporter.
She makes us Valentines.
She goes to our games.
She forged a pretty awesome path for us to follow and does everything she can to make sure we're successful too.

She has a propensity to 'Vanna White' things in photos.
But she's not just a pretty face folks!
She's got her MBA and is a kickass, super brilliant businesswoman.
She can even get businesswoman specials.

She fun.
My best friend likes hanging out with me,
but she really likes hanging out with me when Kara is there,
because everything is more fun with Kara.

Oh, she's also adventurous too.
She moved to Australia after college for 3 months.
She is a rockstar skier, who lived in Vail for 2 ski seasons.
She moved to Costa Rica for 3 months to learn to surf.
She could probably be the next Danica Patrick if she wanted.
(Except she wouldn't do those annoying Go Daddy commercials, because she's cooler than that.)

She's mastered that whole professional yet cute look, which totally eludes me!

She is a PRO at the Kinect dance central game. PRO, I tell you, and it's not just because of her awesome outfit.

She's an amazing big sister!

I'm so glad she came first because she did a pretty great job of showing us what to do.
Following your heart to adventures all over the world.
Working hard to follow your passions.
Not taking yourself to seriously.
And dressing up and celebrating at every possible occasion.

Happy birthday big didder! You's all growed up!