Last week my younger brother and his wife visited us for the weekend. We LOVE having guests, and are over-joyed anytime family wants to come. It’s always a lot of fun when Uncle Johnny and Aunt Elizabeth are around.

Today is John Mark’s birthday, which he shares with our sister-in-law, Trisha. Birthday Buddies! Some years their birthday falls on Thanksgiving, which is completely appropriate. I can’t think of two more deserving people to celebrate on a day centered around gratefulness.

Trisha married into our family, but I’ve known her since I was 11 so she feels like a real sister. She bosses me around, embarrasses me in public (one time she told a cashier I was being stood up by a guy that night), and barges into the bathroom no matter what I’m doing- yep, that’s a sister! Trisha and I laugh so much and so hard when we’re together! Often times we are reduced to tears because of our laughter. She has been a mentor to me, someone I have admired for decades. I’m thankful for her, my SISTA.

John Mark was probably my first best friend, though I didn’t know it back then. We were inseparable as kids. We played together for hours every day. I always wanted to sleep in his room at night, and we would giggle a lot. There wasn’t much fighting between us because JM was kind, even-natured, and let me boss him around. He grew to be exactly the same as a man (minus the me-bossing-him-around). I’m so thankful for my little brother!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY you two! I love you both to pieces!

#thankfultoday