HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY BROOKE!!!

A Little Bit of Journaling about one of my favorite people:

My niece Brooke is 18 today. I still remember the day that she was born...and with me being the youngest in my family I was so excited to have her as my niece. One of the reasons why we have such a fun relationship is that we got to live together when I was younger. Her Dad was in school and so her family lived in my parents basement. We would fight like sisters and we loved like sisters too. She would get into my makeup and I remember being so mad when I would get home from school and I could tell she'd been in my room. I remember always seeing her in the bleachers at my basketball games. She was one of my best fans.

Brooke is one of the most talented people I know. She was sewing at the age of 5 and cooking way before that. In college I called her to ask how to make cookies and I think I called her once about making French Toast. She planned and ran craft summer camps for children and made lots of money doing it! She is an excellent Basketball player despite her severe asthma. And I can't not mention her organization skills. Everything in her room is labeled. (When she visits, she always organizes for me...this is a bonus with her moving here). She is also an excellent student, great big sister to 5 brothers/sisters, awesome Niece and Aunt...and much much more.

One of my most vivid memories is of Brooke when she was a baby. I probably remember it so much because it was one of the scariest moments in my life. I was feeding Brooke her first bottle of formula with her parents and unbeknown st to us, she was allergic to milk and had a very serious reaction. The ambulance came and I just remember being so scared. Another scary incident happened while were were at the mall shopping together (she has always been my shopping buddy). We were getting our favorite strawberry slush drinks from Fresh N' Fruity at Tysons Corner Mall (that we had gotten millions of times before) and somehow they gave her the wrong drink and it had milk in it. She started getting really sick again and didn't have her benedryl with her. So luckily, there was a drug store in the mall and I remember sprinting to the store, grabbing the benedryl and throwing the money at the cashier not standing in line or waiting for change. I caught up with her just about as she was throwing up at the Clinique counter in Hecht's. Luckly, she was ok after getting her medicine! Bring allergic to milk hasn't been an easy thing for Brooke and probably one of her biggest trials in life, but she is always so positive about it and just has her special treats that she can have!!

I am so excited for the Fall when Brooke and I will be living close by each other again. (She's moving here for school) We haven't lived near each other in 9 years!!! I just can't wait to go shopping together and watch her mature and enjoy some of the funnest times at College. Happy Birthday Brookie!!! I love you!!!