to aunt bonnie

cecily assists aunt bonnie in blowing out her candles

tonight was aunt bonnie's birthday dinner:  pork tenderloin, purple slaw, cucumber, garden tomato & feta salad (thanks for the tomatoes, janell!) sour cream & chive mashed potatoes, rolls, corn & pies from grandma beth, peach crisp & homemade ice cream. it was almost like a little house on the prairie dinner.

but i digress. the important thing tonight is to tell you a few things about my amazing aunt:

1) she is one of the foxiest and most stylish women i know.

2) she started and ran her own business for thirty years, a beautiful flower shop and boutique that brought an extra dash of class to provo.  she did wedding flowers for redford, covey, & osmond(s).  she was named provo chamber of commerce business woman of the year in the early 2000's.  my first job was "working" for her, when she would let me make "corsages", etc.

3) she adopted a beautiful son from honduras when he was four, as a single mother, and raised him by herself.  upon his death, she started a foundation in his name in tegucigalpa to help honduran kids get an education.  recently, a young man she helped got language for the first time at age fifteen.  he was deaf, and had never been able to go to school to learn signing or reading.  because of my aunt, he now has massively increased communication.  as long as i can remember, she has been helping a lot of different people, friends and strangers alike.

4) she loves adventure:  hiking, traveling, being on the move.  she's pretty darn fearless.

5) she has been a great friend, helper and companion to me for my whole life.  and now to my children.  i'm very grateful to have her in my life and to get to live near her.  she is a great strength to our family and community.