My Sister

Allyson Renae Hemric

March 29th, 1990

9lbs 15oz

Today is my little sister's 23rd birthday. In honor of her and this special day, I thought I would take a minute to share 23 random facts about her that you may not know.

1. For starters, she was a big baby (as you can see above)

2. But, she was a cute baby!

3. She was taking selfies way before selfies were cool.

She was way before her time!

4. The girl loves animals, but there is a special place in her heart for this cute puppy below

 

5. She can sleep better than anyone I know. She works best on 10+ hours of sleep on a regular basis...not just the weekend.

6. She had a stuffed animal and blanket that had to go with her everywhere. Big Bear was his name.

7. She pulls for the Tarheels when she feels like it. Any other time, she could care less about sports

8. She really doesn't like talking on the phone. She's gotten better, but would much rather text or email and if anyone else is there, she'll make them call for her

9. At the mention of humidity or moisture in the air, her hair goes crazy! 

She went through a major awkward bang phase. What kind of older sister would I be if I didn't share these images with you?!?

10. She broke her wrist roller skating

(She's probably going to kill me for posting these)

11. She wasn't so sure of little Andy at first.

JK...she loves that boy. I just think her face there is hilarious!

12. She insisted on following me EVERYWHERE when we were little and doing EVERYTHING I was doing. Mom said I should be flattered by that, but I was just annoyed on a regular basis.

13. We had many awkward moments captured on film when we were younger. This is the least embarrassing of them. We had many baths and potty breaks captured, which now exist as blackmail for our parents.

For example, this picture hangs in the hall bath at our parents' house for any and all guests to admire!

14. The girl had an imagination like nobody's business. I think that contributed to her huge success with design. I'm pretty sure she's in her dream world here...

15. She is a great wedding planner!

16. We refuse to share a bed. She claims I hog the whole bed. I'm still scarred from the night I woke up and she was COMPLETELY on top of me. I'm pretty sure this is the last time we ever slept in the same bed.

17. We've been known to have an argument or two six billion. Our family swore we would NEVER learn to get along because we fought so much.

 

18. But, we proved them wrong and are much more civil and friendly!

19. She and I shared a room together until I was 13 years old. That may or may not have been the source of a few of the arguments mentioned above. I wish I had a picture to show you how messy that room stayed.

20. She HATES wearing closed toe shoes. She will wear flip flops when it's snowing outside and only occasionally put toe socks on

21. She loves family traditions no matter how quirky they may be

22. She HATES candid shots and gets annoyed with them very quickly. We have many pictures like this. 

23. She's not afraid to be silly!

It's crazy to think that she is turning 23 today. I don't even feel like I should be 23 yet. Although we spent much of our childhood arguing and didn't hang out too much when she was in high school, I couldn't be more proud to call her mine. She has transformed into a beautiful follower of Christ in the past 2-3 years. It has been so amazing to watch. There are still days when I do a double take because she is so different. I find myself thinking, "who is this and what has she done with my sister?" (in a very good way) I cannot say that I would have chosen her as a friend several years ago, but I couldn't imagine not having her as a friend now.

Allyson, I am so proud of the person you are becoming. Your walk with the Lord and obedience to His calling on your life is SUCH an encouragement to me and others around you. Never stop seeking Him or following His will! I'm so excited to see where the next 23 years will take you!

Happy Birthday, Ally Poo!

I love you!

PS Please forgive me for all of the embarrassing pictures. I may or may not have raided your dresser for them. :)