HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIJOLES!!!!

Reeta and my mom.

Reeta helping me get ready for Prom.

She'll hate that I put this on here, but I loves this one!!!!

Reeta and Claire

The Ricks'

I just wanted to say, Happy Birthday, to my oldest sister, Reeta! I am an extremely lucky person to have a very close relationship with both of my sisters and my brother. Any childhood memory I have, includes Reeta and Beth. Especially the one where they would always be bossing me around because I was the youngest and I was always a tag-along or when they would tell me I said and bad word but they couldn't tell me what I said because it was so bad and they were going to tell Mom on me. And they could get me to do anything for them. Their motto was, "Get Summer to do it!" Good times.

Reeta has many talents and qualities that any sister would be fortunate to have. Because of her, my bangs always looked great in the '80's. I knew who The Cure, Depeche Mode, Heart, and Inxs were when I was in 4th grade. She could drive our parents Oldsmobile with 12 other teenagers in it home, after a church dance. Because of her I was introduced to my crush of '89, Corey Haim.

One of my favorite memories with her was last summer when she and my niece, Claire, came up to Seattle to help me drive all they way across the country to Michigan. Brent was already there and working at his new job. The day before we left I realized I had not packed a whole closet in our house and we had to fit that, plus 3 girls luggage, a dog and his "accessories", and one of our t.v.s in my Jeep. Let's just say Claire and Duke got very close on that trip and he got one too many french fries. Reeta is an "expert" packer and we got everything in or out smoothly.

I loved that I had Reeta on that trip and it made it go so much faster. We talk, laughed, cried and got annoyed with Claire in the back saying, " Are we there yet?" on the first day of our 4-day trip. And then the second day, and then the third.........

Reeta is an amazing cook and she and her husband, Zach, always have a vast knowledge of food, movies, books, and politics. If I don't understand something going on in this world, I can always ask Reeta and she can tell me every side's opinion. She also is scholar when it comes to the History of the English Monarchy. She just happened to start reading about it and couldn't get enough. (Me, I love Confessions of a Shopaholic series.)

She is the kindest person you'll ever meet and she will always laugh at a joke. She is the best mother and Beth and I always comment on what characteristics we would like to take from her to be better mothers ourselves. And because of my dear, sweet sister, I am alive today. She has saved my life 3 times before I had turned 6. She has taught me what families are for and to cherish what we have.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REETA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovin' you!!!