Happy birthday, Chelsea!

Today my sister Chels celebrates her 29th birthday! For five sweet months, we are only one year apart :) Growing up that close in age meant that Chelsea was my built-in best friend. We even did the whole dress alike thing, which I never really minded.

Chels and her hubby, the perfect man for her

Chelsea has always been one thing: full of life. As a little girl, she had a great laugh (still does) and had an incredible amount of energy (still does). One of my favorite stories about her is when my mom woke up in the middle of the night to find her wide awake in the living room playing with her Barbies. That captures her so well as a kid: if there was something fun going on (or if there was the possibility of something fun going on), she was in. Although she swears she's settled down in her more mature years, I think she's got quite a bit of that in her, still.

We were stylish kids, rocking the plaid-lace and sweatshirt-turtleneck dresses.

Chels has a ton of great qualities, but one of her best quality is her ability to open a present and make you think you've just given her a million dollars. Seriously, she is the best present-opener around. It kinda makes you want to give her gifts all the time.

Look how happy she is! And that's our cousin Michael, who's getting married this weekend!

She has an incredible sense of humor, and her stories are downright unbelievable. Case in point: she recently helped the SFPD track down a few thugs. That reveals another special thing about her: she is an adventurer. She's taken risks and tried new things and (gasp!) lived outside of the valley. She's our inspiration to see a tiny bit of the world.

Chels exhibits a true love for life and people. She is kind, generous, and one of those rare souls who has a deep concern for others. She's been known to stand up and speak up for those who can't––just ask her about her public transportation stories.

We love you so much, Chels! Hope this year is the best yet!