So many of you have said to me over time that you feel like you know Jerilee, just based on reading posts. I like to think the vibe is pretty accurate 😉 Today is Jerilee’s birthday! Its s significant one *cough* 30 *cough* and I’m sure she’d vastly prefer that I gloss over it, buuuuut she probably also knows that I won’t, and she’ll still be friends with me. Let’s make that first one the list! (This list has been compiled by myself, my husband, my mom, and my kids, aka Jerilee’s biggest fans!)
- Nothing even comes between she and I for very long before all is right with the world again. We do disagree from time to time, though not too often, and it never gets too awkward for very long.
- Jerilee’s sense of humor is wonderfully dry and sarcastic. It has some good shock value thrown in there, also, complete wiiiiith…
- Her beautiful laugh! 😂
- She is a wonderful listener, even if the subject isn’t something she directly relates to or would normally need to know about. She makes the speaker feel valuable.
- I’m trying not to make the whole thing about this one, but I LOVE that she loves my kids so well! 💖 She’ll play hide and seek, help Dekker with his homework, and will read and play games on the floor with them for longer than I even do!
- Jerilee is trustworthy with secrets! Its possible she’s known this baby’s name long before anyone else! 🤫
- She keeps us fuddy duddies in the loop with what the cool kids are saying 😉 Brady even says “totes” now, haha!
- When Jerilee is in a bad mood or has had a rough day, she still manages to pull it together to be around people. To be clear, she’s MORE than allowed to be grumpy with us, and doesn’t sugarcoat it, but she has a nice way of still being super lovely to be around, even when she’s sad. What a wonderful quality!
- Once upon a time, years ago, I was pregnant with Rowan, and we couldn’t find his heartbeat at an appointment. I had to wait TWO DAYS before I could get checked, and in those days, Jerilee brought me a party. 🎉 She brought my favorite soup, freshly made, a cake, hats, and something to do, and she distracted me for the entire day in between appointments. It. Was. Awesome. THAT is what friends are for!
- She supports my unreasonable obsession with pineapples even though she is deathly allergic to them.
- She is someone you can visit with, or be quiet with. Both are equally comfortable and enjoyable.
- She has great taste in music! I think we agree on almost all of it!
- Jerilee sees needs, and fulfills them. When we moved to our home two years ago, once everyone was done for the day, she went to the kitchen and shifted things off countertops and chairs, and got the room actually solidly useable, rather than just littered with boxes that would likely have been there for the next several days. She just knew how much easier that would make life.
- She makes sacrifices for those around her, all the time. For instance, she’s skipping an important event in order to make it to the baby party, and thats only ONE example.
- Of ALL the salespeople in the world, she is one of the few that is NOT pushy and overpowering! This is an amazing quality when it comes to sales, I find. She is the girl to go to!
- I love her bangs!!
- She encourages those around her and brings them value. I know I’ve felt it, and I’ve watched my kids puff up when she compliments their great pictures, abilities, etc.
- Road trips are the BEST with Jerilee! She rolls with the punches if plans change, but is reliable when they don’t.
- She is an involved friend and auntie to my kids. She makes the drive our way for birthdays, Christmas concerts, whatever she can get to. Even if they’re lame and disorganized. Last year, when Laela turned 4, we went and played at the playground. That was the “event.” And she came, just to be present! It was WONDERFUL.
- Jerilee is ferociously strong, and can handle a LOT. But, on the days that she can’t, she will let herself be vulnerable, and I’m so thrilled to be her safe place to fall 🤗
- I really appreciate that she will go outside of her comfort zone to bless her friends. She even braved the hospital and came to visit me when I was waiting for Jamin to be born. Anything could’ve happened in those hours, we both knew it, and she was up for the task! It was such a blessing to have some normalcy, and some laughs with my best friend, while I went through something super hard.
- She is one of the few humans on earth who appreciate eating tuna on a regular basis. 🐟
- Solly loves to scale his Aunty Jerry like a building and wrestle her 🤼
- I love her itty bitty princess sneeze 🤧
- Jerilee has wonderful taste in shoes, but poor judgement on when to bring which shoes where 😉
- Laela LOVES that Aunty always has videos of her puppy videos on her phone 🐶🐶
- Rowan says he loves sharing his stuffed toys with Aunty, very likely because she always lovingly accepts them. 🐻🦊🦊
- Dekker loves that she reads stories very clearly, lol!
- We all love Jerilee’s gentle spirit.
- Laela keeps telling me she likes doing all kinds of things with Jerilee that they’ve never actually done together, so I’m taking that to mean that Laela loves having Jerilee in our lives, and hopes to have her around for much, much longer.
I know my dear Jerilee, my best friend, has not been eagerly anticipating this birthday, but I am thrilled and honoured to have known her for this second half of her life. Fifteen years have been great, and I hope there are many, many more. In talking with Dekker about birthdays today, he commented that, when he turns 100, he will be SO STRONG. I love that he associates aging with strength rather than weakness, and I agree 100%. Jerilee, girl, you are STRONGER than you were a year ago, and I am PROUD of where you are in your life, what you’re doing, and who you have become! I hope you keep me around to see how you keep growing and changing, because I’ve so enjoyed it thus far. Anyone who is a friend of yours is a lucky one.
I am SO lucky!! 💞