Happy Birthday, Tanya and Terah Rice

I'd like to wish a very special happy quarter-century birthday to my cousins, Tanya and Terah!

(yep, they're twins)

Tanya, Terah, Evan (my brother) and I spent nearly every day of our childhood together, usually in teams (Tanya and I against Terah and Evan, but sometimes we would gang up on each other in a different order). Eventhough we are all getting older and beginning our own families and traditions, the time we spent together and all of the great, sometimes crazy things we did growing up and even now....are ones I'll never forget!

I thought it would be fun to share my top 11 favorite times together - I remembered #4 when I was finished, so now there are 11 (remember these?):

11. Realizing that you two really were farm girls - and seeing you grow out of it!
Two of my farm girl favorites: Terah shamelessly relieving herself in the woods and laughing at the events that followed.... and Tanya's incredible tolerance for pain when her leg was punctured by a fairly large stick (and didn't wimper) and when she stepped on a nail walking to the beach (she was like 8) and walked across the sand and put it in the salt water.

10. The hundreds of hours we spent on walks...to Kennedy, around the neighborhood (and in the shady areas we weren't supposed to be), through the little woods and in the overgrown field (before it was cut down for Buck Craig's house)

9. The "cabin" in the woods, that we built behind grandma's. Do we now realize how the old pot we found with no bottom (and rusty rims) was not a safe makeshift toilet?

8. The countless numbers of weekly outings and picnics with your mom or mine, or both

7. As kids, hanging out together at the "adult's" parties, passing the time by making fun of our parents and grandparents as they drank themselves into tanning beds and prayed to the porcelin gods. ("pant like a puppy grandma")

6. Every single moment of all the vacations we've spent together - particularly the dozens of trips to the Outer Banks and the very memorable hot tub overflowing with bubbles!

5. Every holiday, birthday, donut after church, and Sunday dinner we got together with all the Rices

4. Screaming, I mean singing, at the top of our lungs out the windows of my mom's car to a very popular Guns and Roses song....

3. Christmas Caroling (2002) in the sleet while Nick pouted as he stayed behind, embarrassed to come - I'm glad you've lightened up a bit, Nick...you're joining the Rice family soon and I know you can handle it :-)

2. Hearing the excitement in Tanya's voice when she called to tell me Nick finally proposed

1. Seeing Terah for the first time on Christmas Eve, as an amazing new mom with her beautiful new baby boy, Logan


I'm so excited for you both, as you are just now living the greatest gifts life has to offer. I can't wait to spend more vacations and holidays with you both, and your families...watching our little ones "ganging up on each other."

I hope you both had a wonderful birthday!

I love you guys!

~ Erin