My Gracie Girl. (Yes, I'm quoting Ben Folds again.)

This is a love note to my sister Grace.

Here is Being from a big family has always been important to me. I love ALL ten of us, although and the youngest ones have felt like my "kids" from time to time during my stint as the 2nd eldest child. The babies of the family hold a special place in my heart.

So, stop being so adult and human and grown up all of the sudden.

(That is for ALL OF US, not just Miss Grace.)

Let's just stay little and go make a snowman.

Better yet, let's pull out the kiddie pool and march around the house with beach towels over our shoulders, pretending to be fancy lady cows, yes cows, chanting "We're fresh from the dairy, we're fresh from the dairy, we're fresh, we're fresh, we're fresh from the dairy." 

Yes, this happened.

Though Grace wasn't born yet for this type of childishness.

(Sorry, love.) 

(Whitney, Bonnie, Cousin Jeremy? Anyone remember this?)

There is something so delicate and fragile about this girl in front of a camera. I feel as if she has a way with conveying emotion that is beyond what normal mortals can do. She has such depth and then such beauty in that depth, that your breath catches and you wonder what happened to the little girl you used to chase around the yard in fancy fairy wings (who am I kidding, either of you could have had those one at any time).

 I adore my Grace, and I will always push her to do every thing.

Because I like making her live better than I did and am.

Amen and amen.

So... thank you for letting my push you into photo shoots, time and time again. You are just too good a this to not use time and time and time and time again.