Janice

Last night Ashley threw a party at our house. At one point, between sips of apple cider, munches on Christmas cookies, and good laughs amongst girlfriends, we all started talking about the chaos that can encompass the Christmas season. Just thinking about the crowds at the malls made my head spin. Shopping for gifts can sometimes be disheartening as I feel so overwhelmed by school and other activities that I just can't find the time to spend on picking out the "perfect" gifts for the many wonderful people in my life. As I started this blog this morning, I thought about what I could do to show each of those special people in my life what they really mean to me that a gift can just not express. I've decided to write a little something about each of these people everyday, in no particular order, so they may know how special they really are. Merry Christmas!
I'm going to begin with my sister Janice. Where do I begin to talk about Janice? My dear little sister and a little cowgirl you don't mess with. As soon as you meet Janice you just love her for her crazy sense of humor. You give her a hard time and she'll have a quick one liner to give right back to you. I'm so proud of my sister for her toughness. I'm sure growing up with me as a big sister wasn't always easy. I can remember one time sitting at the table working on something, maybe homework I don't recall, when Janice started chatting away about one of her many stories. She is such a wonderful storyteller and comedian. I though must have been in one of my typical "I'm too consumed with my own thoughts" mood that I gave my routine, "mmmhm, that's nice." I finally woke up from my daydream to hear Janice tell me so no chalantly, "Do you know that 99.9% of the things I say no one hears?" and then just go right along with her story straightfaced, I couldn't help but laugh. Dear Janice she is just too witty for me. She knows how to grab your attention and keep you entertained. That is Janice's charm when everyone else is too preoccupied she reminds you to kick back and have a good laugh. And she is so passionate by the way. Janice and I grew up in 4-H. By the time she reached high school she became devoted to FFA. Since then her passion has been in agriculture. We were all so proud of her when her ambitions led her to become Siskiyou County's Beef Ambassador. From such activities she decided to develop a career around such pursuits. Recently, Janice wrote a beautiful personal narrative about her experiences in the agriculture field and how much it has meant to her in her life. After reading this entry anyone, city slicker or country kid, would develop a newfound respect for agriculture and the committed people who contribute to its success.
I love my sister so dearly! Merry Christmas, Janice! I look forward to the days we have dreamed of sharing together - being each others' maid-0f-honor at our own weddings, raising children together, planning special events for our parents, and reminiscing about the memories of yester-year - dance recitals, Barbie dolls, and late night talks. I love you!