Happy Birthday Diana!

(make sure you scroll all the way down - this stupid thing put way too much space between the pictures)
Today is my sister Diana's birthday. She is so much fun and I love spending time with her. Yeah, I'm positive my mom would say we fought like cats and dogs when we were kids, but it's that familiar saying "you don't realize what you have until it's gone". You don't realize how much you are going to miss someone until they are not with you every day. I wish she lived closer. I would like my kids to get to know her better than they have. And I would love to get to know Eric (Diana's son) better too. He grew up so fast.

I started going through some old pictures to put up here of Diana to celebrate her birthday. I was unprepared for the emotions I felt while I was looking through these pictures. Some laughs, and some tears. I got so “into” looking at them, I didn’t get the post up until now! Oh my gosh what memories these pictures bring back! It was so hard to decide what pictures to post.

This picture is of Diana and I when we were quite small. Doesn’t she just look thrilled to have a new sister!!! Me on the other hand….looks like…who the hell is this and why is she squeezing me so tight!!!!

This picture is Diana’s “Little House on the Prairie” look. I don’t think there are any pictures of me in this get up. (hope not!) Ha ha just kidding. It is a cute little outfit, I'm just not sure where they were taking her dressed like this??

I’m not sure where this picture was taken, but it was definitely at the height of Diana’s fashion career! Check out the paisley on those pants!!! Now there’s a challenge for you! Make a card inspired by Diana’s funky pants!!

I'm not sure if that "belt" came with that outfit or if it was one of Poppa's ties!

I’m not sure where we were going when this picture was taken. But aren’t we cute!

Just like now…I’m a little more conservative then Diana – check out the length of that blue dress!!!!

Oh my gosh memories here…..Christmas with Granny and Poppa. That snow man sitting on the hi-fi, that you can see just behind Diana’s head, is at my house. That is my ornament and it still gets set out every Christmas. You turn Santa around and it winds up and then he and the little boy sitting on his shoulder twirl around while the music to Jingle Bells plays.

If you look close on the Christmas tree there are some light teal coloured balls, they go on my tree at Christmas, as well as the Humpty Dumpty ornaments, and the Santa's, and oh my gosh I have those fruit baskets and those angels with the harps too!

I’m not sure where we were going this day either, but I do remember I just loved that little outfit, and my sister! Look how happy I am just standing there beside my big sis!

This picture brought back many a good memory and a few tears too. Here we are in front of Poppa and Granny’s trailer. We used to jump in the car every summer, hook up the trailer and head west. We would drive and stop and camp all the way out to Alberta. We would go to Cold Lake to visit our Aunt and Uncle. Oh my gosh I have so many memories of all the things we did when we were camping and the places we visited. But the best part of all was the quality time we spent with each other and all the great memories we have with our Granny and Poppa.

They were such selfless people. They never went anywhere we could not go. My love for them both is immeasureable.

I like this picture! It totally shows how “fun” Diana is! Check out the pose!! I also like it because it reminds me of the house at Andy and Marion’s that Granny and Poppa used to live in. We used to have so much fun there. Snowmobiling in the winter, getting stuck in the mud in the garden in the spring, making bed sheet tents with chairs in the summer, and baling hay in the fall. Well we didn't actually bale the hay...we ran along beside the stooks of hay and scooped up all the baby mice that would nest in the stooks!

Here is Diana early on in her American Idol career!! Now she is just a critic! I beleve she even has stirrup pants on!! Could it be so?

Check out the dresses and hair on us!!! This picture was taken before we went to our Uncle Bill and Aunt Olive’s 50th wedding anniversary. At least I think that is what we were celebrating. I know it was for Aunt Olive and Uncle Bill anyway!! We both had dolls that had dresses with that same material! Hhhmmm….looks like that corner was “the” place to take pictures!! Half the pictures I posted here are taken in that corner!

here we are about a year and a bit ago. Diana came home when our Granny was quite ill. We went over to a dear friend of mine (hi Jenn!!) and did some stamping. We were exhausted from all the emotional stress dealing with Granny – and well…if you’ve ever been around either of us – tired + stress = goofy!! My good friend Donna said we were the best "sister-sister travelling road show" she had ever seen!

These pictures bring up so many great memories, but they also make me realize how fast life just flies by and how much I miss her and wish she lived closer.

I love you Diana
Happy Birthday.

Chow for now
Jacqui