I loved going to your house when I was little. You always made us feel at home.
I remember that you were always on some health kick. You seemed to always be at the gym or eating healthy stuff. I remember stories about you going on a cleansing diet where you only ate strawberries and whipping cream. That made me laugh!
You are my dad’s little brother. You two get so crazy when you are together. I love watching you and my dad get together. You always crack jokes and laugh non-stop.
I know that you have moved around a lot for jobs and I have no idea what you are doing now. I hope that you and the family are doing great. Soon you’ll finally have another guy in the immediate family!
You are such a funny gal! I love that you and Patti always made those crazy home videos. I couldn’t stop laughing when you showed us your video diary that you kept up for a year. Only you would think of something like that and actually keep it up. I wish that we lived closer so that I could go to your Hawaiian parties and be able to chill with ya! Every time we’re together you always make me smile (even if that hasn’t been in years!)
You are my only cousin on my dad’s side that is my age. We don’t get togethere all that often which is really too bad. It seemed that every time we were in Winnipeg or you were here that we would be awkward with eachother until the day we went our seperate ways. It wasn’t really on purpose, but we never see each other so that initiall getting to know each other again is awkward. We’d finally hit it off the day when one of us were leaving and by that time it was too late to build any kind of deeper connection.
I remember always talking about how our 2 families are the ones that seem to get along the best at family reunions (that’s probably because us cousins had the most in common). I remember the funny videos that you and Emily used to create and the skits that we’d put on together. I’m sorry I can’t be there for your wedding, but I have a thing called school to go to in October. Maybe if you’d pay for my flight I’d be there!
I can’t believe it has been a year. Time goes by so fast.
I remember your laughter and hugs and passion for life. You seemed to have a never ending energy (even when you were sick). I loved the few times that I could be around you. I only wish that we could have lived closer and seen more of each other.
From when I was little you reminded me of my mom. I remember the day when your family came and visited us and you called from the front of the house while we were in the backyard. You sounded just like my mom so I went running only to find a lady who looked a lot like my mom and sounded just like her, but was not her. I think it scared me at first, but that very quickly changed.
I remember your passion for kids. You loved teaching and as this year has gone by, I have come to realize that you were a large part in why I am sticking with the teaching thing. When we talked you would tell stories about your students and how much they meant to you. I want to be a teacher that loves their kids just like you did. You were and are an inspiration to me Auntie Ruthie.
You always had a smile on your face, even when I know it was hard. I was so happy that I was able to go to Jake and Kathleen’s wedding to see you. I loved painting your nails for the wedding and just sitting beside you at the dinner table. The day we went to Santa Barbara with you is one that I will not forget. We had lunch at a cute cafe and walked along the beach. You and uncle Greg talked with those hippies for a long time and you just seemed care free.
I love that you said that singing is only choir practice for Heaven. I can’t wait to sing in that choir with you!
I’m at school sitting in the very quite library at my school and although I should be reading the many textbooks I brought along, I’m on the computer. I got this from my cousin and will fill it out for the enjoyment of those that are also procrastinating.
Today is my parents 24th wedding anniversary.
Their relationship is truly what I want when I get married. After all these years they love each other like the day they got married. I love to see them walk hand-in-hand in the park and snuggle on the couch while watching movies and laugh uncontrollably at the stupidest things. God has always been the center of their relationship and I know that is what holds them together. I love that they focus on Him through every situation and the way that they instilled that into the lives of their children.
I love you guys and hope you have a wonderful day and so many more God-Blessed years.
Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. What can I say. You kept me sane this summer.
During the slow days we would just talk when there was no work to do. I valued the friendship that we built. It was funny to see you at the zoo when I was there for a wedding. You asked me if I always wore fancy dresses on the weekends and why I didn’t for work.
You always asked me to do stuff for you so you could sit on your butt and do nothing. Now what will you do when I’m not around to look files up for you?
You were my boss for the summer. At my interview we just sat down and talked about what I did for school. You didn’t ask me many questions that other interviewers had in the past and that made me nervous. At the end of the interview you said for me to call you if I was interested in the job. I told you I was and you didn’t even offer me the position. It wasn’t until a week later and I was looking for other places to work that you phoned me and offered me the position.
You were a good boss and you always let me leave for an afternoon if I needed to. I had to laugh when you gave me a schedule for a Chinese Festival you were hosting. I had to make up the schedule in Excel and you gave them to all the Chinese dignitaries. The next day you told me they loved what I made up but that you had to take the credit. I then had to teach you how to change the spreadsheet because you had no idea how to use the program.
You were the accountant that I worked with this summer. From the very beginning I was scared of you. Victoria told me you were nice enough, but that you could be quite intimidating. I was quite and didn’t want to ask you any questions. Then one day we went out for lunch and you were the only one who talked to me and you changed from being scary to the one in the office that I felt comfortable around. Weird!
You are very health conscious and won’t put anything in or on your body that you don’t know the ingredients to. You would frequently come to my desk and let me know the latest news about commonly used products and how bad they were for you. You were concerned with the electric rays coming at you through the lights and your computer, so you had a glowing crystal on your desk that kept them away from you. I don’t think it works . . .
Finding Joy Everyday 