I’ve spoken often about my sister Bethany in this space and it’s fitting that I close my month of holidays by celebrating her birthday today.

Isn’t she beautiful?

We took a road trip down Chuckanut Drive into La Conner, WA, driving through green trees overlooking the hazy blue bay:

We wandered through antique stores:

Ate at the La Conner Brewing Company:

Sat by the water:

Took pictures for future album covers:

Bet’s new acoustic album:

Jasper’s new album of KD Lang covers:

Alterno-gurl band:

And enjoyed her company for a couple of kid-free hours.

If I were to write an essay about the person that I admire most, I’d pick my sister, Bethany. I admire the way she greets every new situation with a sense of adventure, the way she peppers people with questions because she’s perpetually interested in everything, her bottomless patience and love for her kids, her cooking skills, the way she opens her heart, her kitchen and her home to anyone in need and the door to her house that she always opens to me. I love her family and her sense of humor. I love cooking with her, eating with her, running with her, doing yoga with her and getting a chance to be involved in her life. She’s amazing and everyone should be so lucky as to have a sister like her.

Happy birthday, lovely girl. May this next year bring you your heart’s desire and more happiness than you can possibly imagine. I love you.