anne lillian

7:05 AM

i cannot let another may day slip by without acknowledging the birthday of one of our favorite people. last wednesday (may 18) we helped aunt nanny ali celebrate her 22nd birthday. wow...22...she sure is getting up there!

what can i say about al? for those of you who don't know that lil sis of mine...you are missing out! here are the top ten things you need to know about ali:

10.

she is that girl. the one who is blasting christmas music in her car during a wickedly hot st. louis summer. she loves everything and anything about the holiday. for us the season begins around nov 1 and ends well past dec 25..and it's always ali who keeps the spirit alive!

she is an old soul. i swear she should've been born in, say, the 30's rather than the 90's. i am just waiting for her to pack up and move to miami...blanche deveroux style.

she has webbed toes...and is darn proud of them. (although, according to mj, she is not a strong swimmer. go figure)

she is an animal lover through and through. i catch her looking up puppies to adopt on a regular basis. ryan is holding out hope that one day ali will have a cat because ryan never will. (dan & i are both allergic)

she is a savior to my mom. always making sure the house is clean when my mom comes home from work. i swear the girl enjoys cleaning...not sure how we are related?

she knows her way around a head of hair...especially mine. she is the best stylist i have ever had. i get compliments on my hair all the time and it's all ali.

she is loyal. of course to her family, but especially to her friends. she has had the same group of friends since gradeschool.

she is determined. if she sets her mind to something, you better believe she will get it done. her will power astonishes me.

she is the perfect role-model for my girls and i love that they look up to her as much as they do. they light up whenever ali is around.

my parent's called her "ali the finale" when she was born. she may be the baby of our family, but often times i have to remind myself that we are 8 years apart. i cherish the close relationship i have with my sisters...and i know i speak for lisa when i say we couldn't have asked for a better little sis.