Happy Birthday Rachel

My sister Rachel, the eldest of the Stanley Sisters, has reached a milestone today: 40 years lived. To honor her 4 decades on this good green earth here are 40 things to love about Rachel Emily Stanley Rodgers.

1 – Rachel is really good at talking to people.
2 – I mean it. In any gathering, she makes everyone in the room feel comfortable. Says just the right thing.
3 – She kept her family as healthy and functioning as possible while her brave husband served two tours in Iraq.
4 – She married a very cool husband whom her siblings love to go to for sound advice.
5 – Rachel makes her marriage a priority.
6 – Rachel is gorgeous.
7 – She has the best hair of the sisters — accepting a flat iron or a curling iron equally well.
8 – And she has the best curves as well, being the only sister that could ever be described as “stacked.”
9 – Rachel loves to read.
10 – And wants to discuss whatever she’s just finished reading with you.

11 – She has dedicated her life to raising happy, hardworking kids:
12 – Her daughter Robin (who was accepted at every college she applied to and will be attending BYU this fall).
13 – Her son Paul.
14 – Her son Joshua.
15 – Her son Daniel.
16 – Her daughter Gloria.
17 – Her daughter Sara.
18 – As a military wife, she made happy homes for her family in Georgia, Kansas, Germany, Texas and other places I’m forgetting…
19 – All those moves means she knows how to make good friends quickly.
20 – And she’s really good at staying in touch with all those friends.

21 – Rachel does her best to embrace the local culture wherever she lives — even making over-the-top giant mums for homecoming in Texas.
22 – She is deeply spiritual.
23 – And enthusiastically patriotic.
24 – She keeps hens in her backyard.
25 – And she tends a large garden.
26 – So her family can live quite self-sufficiently.
27 – She works hard to live by a budget.
28 – Which enables her to give generous gifts.
29 – For example, knowing I collect Caldecott Award books, she once sent me a first edition book by Caldecott himself.
30 – Rachel is a runner.

31 – Rachel is really good at decorating cakes — she even earned money doing so for many years.
32 – And she makes gorgeous quilts.
33 – Rachel is a good cook.
34 – And an excellent hostess.
35 – In high school, she (thankfully) introduced her younger siblings to cool music.
36 – She watches the news and keeps up on what’s going on in the world.
37 – She has smart opinions about what she sees.
38 – Rachel supports the many, varied projects of her children and her siblings in any way she can.
39 – She has good taste.
40 – If you know Rachel, you probably feel like she is your best friend.

Happy Birthday, Rachel! I love you and hope your next 40 years are even more spectacular.