The Big Sister I Never Had...

Happy Birthday, Julie!!

I never knew I wanted/needed a big sister until you married Erik.  I don't know that you realize how much I've always admired and looked up to you.  You were a cool College Girl, and I was a Sophomore in High School when we met- and you treated me as an equal.  I'll always love you for that! We had so much fun at Raintree when you'd let me come and crash for the week-end and "go to class" with you. :)  You and Heidi were the greatest babysitters ever.  You taught me the true purpose of "reading days" at BYU-- Hee, hee!  We were fast friends and now sisters- but we didn't have to grow-up together, so we've always gotten along- it's be best! :)

I'll always remember that you were such a great help and support on my wedding day- helping with getting just the right photos and talking me through some anxiety...  Some of my favorite memories are talking on the phone when I was pregnant with Matthew and you with Ashley.  It was such a comfort to me to have you to commiserate with and help me through the different stages.  I have loved watching our kids grow-up and have relationships together.  You have amazing kids-- because you are an amazing woman and mother!  (Erik, you're not too shabby either-- but this isn't about you...)  ;)

This is the best picture I could find of us together.  I have looked for *HOURS*.  I scanned every scrapbook I own, went through all 340+ pages of images on the family website, and even looked through facebook.  I have a few of me and Erik together- and lots with our kids- me with your kids- you with my kids- but none of us together!  Good thing you'll be here this weekend- we'll have a photo shoot together!  :)

I love you, Julie!  You are my big sister that I didn't know I needed, but do!  Thanks for being such an amazing woman, sister, wife, mother, example to me and to everyone who knows you!!

Love you, Sis!!  ~Em

Happy, Happy Birthday Dearest Julie!!!

Happy 40th Birthday (are we seriously that old????) Julie!!!  We were 'put' together as roommates our freshman year at BYU - we were 18, tan from our summers life-guarding and thinking we were quite cool being from the East Coast!  We were very fast friends and I knew I was extremely lucky to be 'put' with you.  I sure didn't know we'd be roommates for ALL 4 years at BYU - I had no idea what an incredible blessing that would be in my life! 

 

Here are some words to describe Julie:

 

Fun - You always have a smile and were just so fun to be around.  You were always up for an adventure and always saw the good in any situation.

 

Loyal - You were a very loyal friend.  You always kept a secret and never put down other people.  I learned a lot from your example and loyalty to all people.  You were a good friend to everyone.

 

Smart - We were a pretty good combination - I held my own in math and you were the english girl!  Thank you for editing oh, so many papers.  How many gigantic anthology books did you have?  I loved that we both loved reading.  I wish we could still be in book clubs together!  We always tried to take our religion classes together and some other class so we could meet up during the day.  I believe we took a family history class and told the teacher we went by our middle names - Annie, right???

 

Faithful - You were a very faithful LDS girl and I just loved that we were experiencing the extreme immersion in mormon-dome together.  I remember that our freshman year you would always walk to church early with me, since I had to play the piano in RS.  You did that even in the snow (we'd stop on the heating vents to warm up) as we trapsed across campus to the Eyring Science Center - where we tried to memorize the Periodic Table during Sacrament Meeting - don't think we got too far on that one...  You lived the gospel in word and action.  We went to various temples to do baptisms and I'm just so glad that the first temple sealing I could witness was you and Erik!!  (Remember our road trip to Twin Falls for Krissy and Randy's wedding???  We've made many taffeta memories together.)

 

I appreciate so much about you, but especially that you were an easy-going and nice person.  We were also very blessed with amazingly wonderful roommates in our apartments.  We were always part of a carfull of people going off to do something crazy.  Didn't we put couches in the back of a truck to go to a drive-in?  I love how you were a night person like me!

 

Remember our many trips together?  First, we drove across-country after our freshman year!  (Would we let our girls do that?!)  We had the Jarvis family Acclaim and it took us 3 days, I believe, to make it to Charleston, WV to Julie's home.  (Note:  I got the ONE and ONLY speeding ticket ever on that trip home!)  That summer Julie came to Maryland for our camping beach trip.  We had a BLAST.  The weekend I turned 21, we took a road trip to Las Vegas!  (I've never been back, that trip was enough...)  We made several trips up to Sandy to visit the wonderful Egan family.  One bus ride, we were sitting across the aisle from each other and could tell people were listening to us talk - so we started peppering our conversation with hilarious ("didn't you dad just get out of jail?") antecdotes for the eavesdroppers!

 

We had lots of 'borrowed' things in our apartments - from Wendy's trash cans, to Insight news stands to Elsie Carroll's picture!  I won't tip our hand to the authorities any more than that...

 

 

 

Here are a few other memories (being old myself, I had to dig into my brain for these and I know I can't quite recall all of them - and maybe that's for the better...):

• Dressing up as old ladies with Jenn and going to Frontier Pies for the senior discount
• Refills at Tanks for 32 cents...
• You were the only one to graduate from BYU ever without taking a social dance class!
• Borrowing Revo's car - how did the ceiling get that way??
• Camping trips up the canyons
• SOOOO many awesome football games!!!  We had sooo much fun!!!  We were ultimate cougar fans!
• Firesides and devotionals at the Marriott Center.
• Me waiting up for you to return from dates to give me the details!
• Staying at school for summers - they were so much fun.  We were so happy our parents let us stay there.
• Way too many practical jokes to even mention (trying not to remember so I don't give my kids any ideas!)
• Skiing (oh I mean Reading) Days

 

I sure wish Kim, Richelle and I could take you to Denny's for breakfast - like we did at school!

Julie - you are wonderful and I wish you the best 40th birthday.  I hope our lives pass again.  Didn't we have plans to be in retirement homes together???

Lots and lots of Love,

Heidi

(P.S. I hope to post more pictures - but they are buried in a garage prepared for winter - but I'm going to find a way!!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful big sister! Most of my favorite "Julie" memories are of the "wow- she's soooo cool" type! I loved watching you go to proms (very 80's satin prom dress with a large bow in the back- but oh, so hip at the time), track meets, learning to drive (into our garage door), your fabulous use of hair spray to achieve the best bangs around.... the list goes on! You are so creative and crafty, a great cook and a fabulous Mom! I can still say "wow, she's soooo cool!" Happy 40th Birthday!
Love,
Margo, Kevin, Sophia & Ali

Happy Birthday Julie!!

Julie,
I am so fortunate to call you my friend!  Hard to believe it's been 10 years since we both moved here!  It's been so much fun seeing our kids grow up together.  I have so many fond memories of you and your family.  Here's what comes to mind:  Sarah and Ashley going to preschool together, swimming at your (Stone Hill Farms) pool because we didn't have one (Megan still asks when we are going to go to that pool again), trading babysitting with Ryan/Megan and Jacob/Emily (Jacob was quite the snugglebug), Megan and Ryan going to preschool together, Emily and Jacob going to preschool together (my kids still love the YMCA song), many birthday parties, both of us talked at Sarah's and Ashley's baptism, me teaching your kids piano lessons (I am so glad you found someone better!), me naming my kid Connor and you naming your kid Mason (and we both wanted the other but couldn't because of nephews), you throwing me a baby shower for Connor (that was awesome), and serving as Visiting Teaching partners.  Visiting Teaching together was especially memorable for me.  I enjoyed listening to your lessons and feeling of your spirit.  You are such an example to me!  Hope you enjoy your 40th!
Love,
Karissa

"The Good Ole Days"

Julie....Happy Birthday my friend!!  40 is quite the mile stone....take it from me....unfortunately I've been there...but let's not dwell on the negative!  :)  When I think about you, and Erik....it takes me back to some very good times.  First at KBYU where we met.  Ah....yes....the wonderful "FUNdrives"....didn't we love those??  Actually working there and meeting such wonderful people was a great experience.  Even with all the work we always found time to laugh and joke around.   I've always thought the world of you and have loved keeping up with you and your family through facebook and Christmas Cards.  You were seriously one of the sweetest people I knew while in Provo.  You were so easy to talk to and we could always laugh....and laugh...a lot.  It was doubly fun after Mike and I got married and ended up in the same ward as you and Erik.  I think we did ok....both of us marrying guys from the Milwaukee, WI mission! (Go Packers!)  Anyway....just want you to know that even though the years and miles have separated us that I still think you are an amazingly awesome woman, mother and wife.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!  May it be the best yet!

Love ya!
Jamie Jones

Forty and FABULOUS!!

Dear Julie,

It has been my privilege to have you as a friend these past five and a half years! I think you and Ashley were the first members of the ward to come and greet us when my family first moved in. I remember how welcoming and helpful you were; and thinking you would be a great friend. I'm pleased I was right ;-) 


I have enjoyed eating lunches with you, commiserating about some of life's challenges, trying to mimic your yummy recipes, and serving with you in nursery. I'm so glad we live close enough to share those missing ingredients we need when making last-minute Sunday dinners! I love your laid-back personality, your generous nature, and your strong testimony.


You are a great wife and mother, and I have learned from your example. I hope you know how many lives you have touched for good!!

I hope you have an amazing birthday and get all the pampering you deserve!

With love,
Tamara

Celebrating You

Julie,

Life is full of challenges, but it also holds the most amazing treasures.  Getting to be around wonderful people like you and your family is one of the things that brings joy to my heart!  I appreciate  your sense of fun and creativity, your terrific organization and top notch homemaking skills.  I enjoy  your practical approach to life and I love being around your daughters that I have the blessing to see frequently!  I look forward to having more opportunities to spend time together and getting to soak up some of all that you have to offer!  Forget all the teasing about forty...I know you'll have a blast moving forward! 
All my best!
Susan Paulson