Happy Birthday Kandice

For those of you who are keeping up with the blog..... no, I am not making these birthdays up.

Troy's is the 10th.

Matthew's the 15th.

Kandice's the 16th.

It's insane.

Today Kandice turns 30!

Most of the photos I'm including are from my wedding because it's one of my favorite memories of Kandice.

Bare with me while I head down memory lane.... these are things I've never journaled about and would like to jot down.

You see.... Kandice thought my wedding was the biggest, most ridiculous hoopla she had ever seen. She would beg.....BEG... me to elope so that we could just have fun and not have to put on itchy dresses ;)

She teased my mom and I all the way through the wedding planning/process, telling us to enjoy ourselves while we could, because we'd be heading to Vegas if she ever married.

I had several bridal showers or events and with each one she would fuss.

"Why are we doing this again? I don't understand- you already had a shower. I've never seen such commotion in my life." Keep in mind that Kandice does not have a jealous bone in her body. She wants more for me then you could imagine. She just honestly thought we were all a bunch of high strung, stressed out, nuts! Bridezillas at their worst. She was probably right.

But then.... she'd show up at the event with her "Maid of Honor" sash on and everybody better just MOVE aside because SHE was sitting next to the bride, and you best not forget that SHE was the Maid of Honor.

She was usually the life of the party at the events. She kept my bridesmaids entertained with her funny, stress free, easy going way of handling...... all-things-wedding. We would joke that there had to be an assistant to the "Maid of Honor," because Kandice was too calm for our liking. She would never notice if a linen was wrinkled or a flower was out of place. And what if my veil needed to be straightened?

And then the wedding day arrived.

And my sweet sister proved us all wrong.

She needed no assistance, no help- she had in all under control. She was calm, assuring, and she was there to make sure everything was going just the way I wanted it to.

She never left my side.

She gave the most beautiful toast at my wedding. She said she was proud of me, she looked up to me, and that she already loved Troy like a brother. It was a moment I'll always cherish.

That's something else that I love about Kandice...... she thinks my Troy hung the moon. From the beginning, she has loved him dearly. They have always had a special bond. There can be a room full of people and Kandice will look at Troy... and Troy only.. and say "are you comfortable? You look hot- do you want me to turn the air on?" Or... "Kristin- stop buying Diet Coke and flavored water for Troy- he works hard and he can have real Mountain Dew if he wants!!" She caters to Troy....always has. Likewise, Troy protects her. He sticks up for Kandice when I'm picking on her and thinks her honesty and laid back attitude is so funny.

I think Kandice's best quality is that she sees the good in everyone. She trust everyone, thinks everyone is good and is never judgemental. She is the one handing money to the homeless guy on the street corner. When we tell her not to give to the lazy bums- she reminds us that we haven't walked a day in their shoes and not to judge.

That's Kandice.

I love you sister! Happy 30th Birthday!

Love,

Kristin