Sometimes we don't say things.
Sometimes it's good that we don't say things.
Other times, there are things that we should say, and we forget to sometimes.
Or don't say them enough. See, Puddin' is the person in our family that has the most interesting stories to tell about. She's always been a force of nature, an unavoidable tempest, a sure sign of trouble. When she was a toddler we called her Destructo. Nobody was more expert at pushing my buttons and driving me up the wall.
Maybe you have somebody like this in your life, who spent a lot of time causing trouble, or making dumb mistakes, or being just plain obnoxious. Sometimes it's fun to tell those stories years later, like Oh man, you gotta hear this story from when we were kids.
But here's the thing about people like that: sometimes they grow up, and get wiser, and turn out to be the most fun, kind, thoughtful AMAZING FREAKING AWESOME person you've ever met, and, if you are lucky, you get to be friends with them.
Puddin' has always been my sister, but I didn't know before I moved near her last year that she was one of my best friends in the world. I can't even express how glad I am that this is the case.
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| Goosey, Boy-O, Puddin', Dolly |
So here's the thing: it's still fun to tell the stories of Puddin' being trouble. There will probably be many Puddin' stories on this blog. HOWEVER I need to remember to also say the good things about her, and you need to say the good things about those people in your lives, because maybe otherwise these AMAZING FREAKING AWESOME people are going about thinking that you still see them as the annoying terror they used to be.
So here I go:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE PUDDIN'EST PUDDIN' THAT EVER PUDDIN'D!
Yeah, I have no idea what I mean by that either. But her birthday was this week! To celebrate, I and some of her friends are going to tell you why we think she's awesome!
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| Li'l baby Puddin' with her Daddy <3 |
Anna:
Puddin', you’re the Rachel to my Monica. The Joey to my Chandler. The Chip to my Dale and the Pooh Bear to my Piglet. I love you like I love paçoquinha and passion fruit anything. Happy Birthday!
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| The family resemblance is real, folks. |
Brenda:
Why Puddin' is incredible:
Puddin' is incredible because she is very self aware. She knows what she likes and what she doesn’t like. She is not constrained by social norms. She loves to laugh and is very spontaneous and tries to be inclusive. She loves to celebrate those she loves.
We have a man in our church congregation who has a swing set that is close to 20 or 30 feet tall. We were meeting in his backyard for a Cub Scout pack meeting for the Boy Scouts of America. Before the meeting she shimmed up one of the poles on the swing set, much like someone climbing a coconut tree. Once at the top she took pictures of not only herself but of all the children who had gathered around to cheer her on. I think that moment displays so many of her talents and personality traits, it makes me smile remembering.
Love you incredible Puddin'!
Gina:
Puddin' is awesome because she's always willing to watch my kids and she organizes the best game nights and she throws a party for EVERYONE's birthday and makes them feel special and she always makes me laugh.
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| #nofilter |
Monique:
- I have observed Puddin' on several occasions where she has noticed others feeling down or have had an unspoken need. She is so intuitive. She knows just what to say and just how to help. She is a fierce defender of loved ones!
- She openly and secretly will give love/thank you notes to those who need a pick me up or could use recognition and praise. I have been the recipient of such a note and it instantly lifted my spirits. Puddin' is a bucket filler!
- I have had a couple events in my life this past year that have left me feeling overwhelmed and unable to get through my day. On those days, Puddin' has contacted me right away to offer support. Dinner, flowers, a shoulder to cry on. You name it and she was there.
- Spends hours upon hours planning and creating fun activities, adventures and lessons for children at church. She is so creative and full of so many fun ideas! She knows how to tie in her fun activities with a spiritual message that is sure to impact those kids for a lifetime.
- Puddin' is so easy going. She focuses on the things that are really important in life like relationships, loving her kids and family and connecting and building a relationship with her Father in Heaven. If something doesn’t go perfectly, it’s okay. She lets it roll off of her shoulders and she keeps on going.
- Have you seen this lady?! I mean yowza! Hottie! Being hot is definitely awesome!😎 Not only is Puddin' a beautiful woman on the outside, she shines even brighter from within.
- It’s fun to sing a song next to Puddin'...or just sit next to Puddin' while she sings. Cause her voice is so purdy!
- Puddin' is inclusive! She is so good at recognizing those who may feel left out and finds ways to make them feel welcome. It was Puddin' who first invited me to be a part of her circle of friends. I am so glad she did. It meant and still means the world to me.
- Puddin' has awesome pink hair and cool nail art! She’s so unique and artistic!
- Puddin' is awesome because I said so, and really, that is all the proof one needs! Happy Birthday Puddin'! You are one AWESOME chica!
Aly:
Puddin' is awesome at planning things. The day of Brenda's bday we decided we should help her do acts of service (She had wanted to do one act of service for each year of her age but had not been able to get it done) and it was Puddin' who made it happen. She came up with so many ideas and pulled together one of the most meaningful bday celebrations ever!
She is always there for you when you are in need. She is the one who came at 2am when I went into labor with Nico!
She is super thoughtful. She put together travel activity binders for my kids before the move (to Nicaragua) and a survival pack for me!
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| Dolly, Puddin', and Twinkie -- all cheerleaders. Not me. I could not do that if my life depended on it. - Goosey |
Goosey:
- Nobody in the world laughs as easily as my sister. I love being with her, because even if I don't think whatever is funny, if she's laughing I HAVE to laugh also, and laughing is good.
- She loves celebrating everything, and wants to help others celebrate too. Every year we lived apart she's have her kids make valentines for me and mail it to me in a package full of chocolate. This year she made sure I had chocolate and also a tiny rose in a ladybug pot, and for Easter she even made me a little Easter basket with chocolates and markers and cute things.
- Also, for Valentine's day, she and her husband offer babysitting to their friends and neighbors for that evening so those couples can get in their dates. This year there were 12 children under the age of 10 in her house that didn't even belong to her. Service!
- She's always looked out for the people around her, celebrating their successes. When I entered the science fair in high school, I was so proud of my music and plants experiment I'd worked so hard on, and didn't even get a mention. Puddin' and Dolly made a prize for me so I'd feel recognized and loved. It worked.
- She is an AMAZING cook. She loves to learn new techniques, and her pasta sauce is molto delizioso! On top of that, she has some food allergies to deal with, and takes it all in stride, modifying recipes, or serving ingredients on the side, so that everyone at her table is not only safe but also satisfied.
- She is inspiring. She regularly seeks self-improvement. Sometimes it's a fitness challenge, sometimes it means finding a scripture study manual that works for her, and she's even been learning more about video editing to make the awesome fun videos for this blog.
- She loves her children to the moon and back. She thinks they are adorable, she videos their mistakes so she can laugh at them later. She also is always seeking the best ways to teach them so they will grow up to be people as awesome as she is. They are obnoxious, loud, troublemaking kids, but all kids are. BUT because of her, they are learning to be honest, accountable, kind, intelligent, and hard-working.
- Her relationship with her husband is one to take note of. They have grown to be a couple who love one another, who consult with each other, and who are willing to learn from each other. They are united, a team, and are each other's best friends. They put the work in, and the results are amazing.
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| They go together like . . . |
I think we all agree.
If we need someone to make us laugh when we are sad, to jump in and save us from ourselves, to rejoice in our successes, to notice us and make us feel loved and important:
Puddin' is our true friend.
Our superhero.
Our giggle in the dark.
Our breath of fresh air.
Love you, Sisto. <3 Happy Birthday!!
-Goosey
