My Sister, My Best Friend

The Race for the Cure
The First Thank Your Project. I'm sad I don't have pictures of the cookies!

I want you all to know that I have the best sister in the whole world! She is beautiful, talented, creative, funny, kind, thoughtful, faithful, hardworking, friendly, outgoing, and has a real knack for being of down-to-earth, yet sophisticated. She is my best friend and confidant. Time and time again, she serves me and those around her with love and selflessness.
Last week I called her for ideas to make 'thank you gifts' for my friends and family that live close by and have been taking care of us. We made plans to get together this past weekend to put something together. When I got to her house she had already baked 288 gourmet cookies by herself and she was ready to work on assembling the gifts. (For those who don't know, she has 6 kids at home, 5 of whom are in sports, dance, and piano!) I am constantly amazed at the amount of work she fits into her day. She is always on the go, ready to serve. She somehow not only survives, but thrives on less than 5 hours of sleep. (We do not share that gene!)
My sister has always been amazing. For some reason she has always found it in her job description to take care of me. When I was little, she would drag me out of my crib and put me in her bed at night. While our mom was in the work force, Suzette made dinner for our family at a very young age. She was always the peace maker in our family, so she was a great person to find if one of my brothers felt like pummeling me. When I got older (and she wasn't busy with boys), she made herself available to give high school counsel to her middle school sister, which continued while she was in college and I had moved on to high school.
One my funniest memories was when I was trying to decide whether to get married or to go on an LDS mission for 18-months. She was going to help me with wedding plans or with making some jumpers for the hot weather in the Dominican Republic. She helped me with her classic whit when she said something to the effect of, "I don't know what the answer is, but you better go up to your room and don't come down until you've figured it out. Either way, we've got work to do."
One of my most memorable times with my sister was when she left her 6 kids (and was pregnant with #7) in Utah and came to Kansas to help me drive back home to Wisconsin when I was going through my divorce.
In addition to being a rock in daily life and life's tough spots, she has always been my model for all things social, fashionable, beautiful, and tasty. For those who know me, you know that those are not my strong points, but she loves me anyway.
I love my sister very much. She is one of my life's most treasured blessings. She loves me for who I am, she is on my side, and she is cheering for me every day. Last year she ran the St. George Marathon. When she got home she told me that she ran the marathon one mile at a time and gave me her medal to help me fight my cancer one day at a time.
Suzette, I love you with all my heart! God gave me the perfect flower to help me run this race. And we will win the race. We live, laugh, cry, learn, love, and grow together. Whether I live or not, I will survive because of you. Thanks for being my sister and my best friend!
Love, Your Lil Sister