DEAR KATY

HUSBEN'S DAY

HOPE YOU CAN SEE THIS FROM GUATEMALA

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING BIRTHDAY!

HOPE YOU HAD THE BEST DAY TODAY

BEST BELATED TO RYAN!

*Sorry, Ryan, the 5 asterisks or 70's-looking daisies are not to represent your character/interest,
but your 5 darling daughters.

HAPPY 26TH!

...click for clarity...


* FORGIVE ME FOR POSTING THIS AS YOUR DAY OF BIRTH IS WANING. I'VE HAD SOME COMPUTER CHALLENGES THIS WEEK. BUT I PROMISE I'VE BEEN THINKING OF YOU ALL DAY! ;)

TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW

*sorry I'm a tad late on this!

And PS! People say great things about you all the time because you are great all the time.
Even today, my mom sent me an email with the following lines
(and I don't think she even knew it was your special day):

Becky is really the most amazing person in the world. You can feel HER love for ALL right away, and it warms me all over... and I don't want to leave her presence when I'm around her!
She is absolutely the coolest Mother-in-Law on the planet—(2nd only to Mama Jose, of course :)

HAPPY 29

Master Hostess,
Decor Prima Donna,
Style Extraordinaire,
Whiz of Words,
& Graceful Mama:

(*click on those titles for proof thereof)

You can see I have a long way to go before I can live up to this role model,
but thankfully she's still young (so I can catch up?)—a modest 32 today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN!

(HERE'S TO NC STATE FOR BEN'S GRAD SCHOOL 2010?)

*if i'm wrong on either of those "i thinks" please correct me, ben or jordan...

ON CHRISTMAS EVE EVE

*also scroll down to december 20th to read about who turned 22

TO MY BROTHER

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY TO:

BIRTHDAY CATCH-UP #2

Photo taken on 8 October, 2005. What? It's been four years?
Devin is still that photogenic.

---

I used to love saying that "Devin and I have been friends since we were born."
For our growing-up years, we'd only see each other every several months.
I remember it always took us a bit to warm up to each other,
but by the time it was time to go, we'd never be ready to separate.

Then after high school, we never really had to seperate. We were together at DT (RIP),
where she introduced me to her friends as her "fake cousin."
Appropriate, I thought. Her family is basically part of my Mom's family,
not to mention several other life-long significant connections.
The next three years of living together turned fake-cousin-ship to deeper friendship.

Happy 25th Birthday | a month ago | Devin Ann!
Thanks for your constant initiative to keep that friendship going! You're ever o-so on top of it!

BIRTHDAY CATCH-UP #1

WOW. ABOUT ONE WHOLE MONTH LATE. AWESOME.

MY LITTLEST SISTER MAYA TURNED 13 ON 8 OCTOBER 2009.
BUT REALLY, WE ALL KNOW SHE'S 13 GOING ON 23.

WHEN SHE COULD BARELY SEE OVER THE COUNTER,
SHE WAS ALREADY THE MOST RESPONSIBLE IN THE HOUSE
(BESIDES MY PARENTS & I, OF COURSE).
WE COULD WALK IN THE DOOR AND HAVE A FULL ACCOUNT
OF WHO CALLED AND WHAT THEY NEEDED
AND IF WE NEEDED TO CALL THEM BACK.
(SHE STILL DOES IT BY SECOND-NATURE).

SHE KNEW ALL MY FRIENDS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE KNEW WHO WAS DATING WHO;
WHO HAD A CRUSH ON WHO;
WHO DIDN'T LIKE WHO;
WHO DUMPED WHO;
WHO WAS RELATED TO WHO;
(SHOULD ALL THOSE LAST WHO'S BE WHOM'S?)

SHE KNOWS HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM.
ANY SYSTEM—SCHOOL, THE FAMILY, TRENDS, MONEY...

SHE'S EVERYONE'S FAVORITE BABYSITTER.

MATURE MAYA HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY GOOD FRIEND.
I LOVE WATCHING HER GROW.

HAPPY TEENS TO GABRIELA ISABEL!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

I love this song but not as much as I love you!

DEAR ASHLEY KNUDSEN BAKER,

please forgive the bluriness; i tried FOREVER to fix it. click to enlarge for clarity.

KATY

KATY

is the Knudsen sibling I've been around the least,
and I think we've not said more than a few sentences to each other.
But considering the distance, she is probably the sibling
that has shown me the most love possible
from across the country,
and so I feel I know her character.
Thanks for blogs, letters and gifts!

(Mad Libs for our long drive of a honeymoon, (see above) PERFECT-for-me green earings in the most 'me' post-approved wrap, (see 'birthday gift wraped and sent') and a cookbook for hard-to-shop-for Ben that he uses almost everyday.)

I love you Katy!
Happy Birthday 26 July 2009

BRENDON

when I think of

BRENDON,

I think of the word

RIGHTEOUS.

I might have said this before,

but it still rings true.

He is sincere and loving.

He is strong and unwaivering.

He does what is right and true under God.

He might as well just be a righteous Nephite warrior!

I’m glad Ann got him!

Love to you Brendon and happy (belated) birthday July 19?20?!

ASHTON IS AMAZINGLY AWESOMELY NINE

ASHTON MALCOM JUAREZ
This is the last known photo of Ashton when he was still 8.
It is a blurry snapshot - but kind of captures a classic Ashton expression!

Today he is nine!

I am so glad Ashton was born.
In fact, his birth was an answer to prayer.
After 3 little sisters I remember saying "it's just been so long since I've had a baby brother!"
He has been an excellent brother to have in our family.
He AMAZES me.
He speaks Spanish, he's got skating skills (see here), he spins without getting dizzy, he knows more about WWII fighter jets and planes than any kid I know, he has an excellent singing voice and an incredible memorizing brain.
(Perhaps soon I can post his 3-year-old reciting of
The Polar Express--one of my favorite Ashton classics).

But for now, I will charm you with his birthday gift to me--
a book he illustrated and bound himself!

These are just a few detail shots:

I LOVE YOU ASHTON!