23 Years of Rachel

1986 was a great year. That was the year the sweetest little person came in to my life forever. I have learned more from Rachel than I am sure I could have ever taught her. She taught me the true meaning of love. Patience, (no wait, i'm still working on that one). Happiness. Optimism. Integrity. Common Sense. Don't sweat the small stuff. Never give up. You can do anything you set your mind to.
Whenever Rachel would call my office, my co-workers would say "Terry, your happy child is on the phone". That is the best way to describe her. Her personality is infectious. Everyone likes her, it's hard not to. She is smart, talented, knows who she is and what she wants out of life, and she accomplishes what she sets out to do. (Rachel graduated from college in 3 years...me = 28 years), I rest my case. In so many ways I wish I was more like her.
I won't be here on her birthday, which is Saturday, but I will be thinking about her and how much I love and appreciate her. She had to grow up faster than I would've liked and I don't know that I can ever make that up to her, but I know she was sent to me for several reasons, all of the above and many more. Thank you Rachel for coming in to my life. Crap! Do you know how old this makes me??

Finishing a Popsicle - One of my all time favorite pictures

Easter Sunday 1992

She loved dolphins....

Beautiful Bride

Never to be seen alone in a picture again....

See what I mean?

Anxiously waiting to hold a lion cub in Cancun.....still not alone....

Inseparable