i know you guys don't know my baby girl, but here is her letter. i don't
think it turned out too badly, actually. tell me what you think.

it's being read from the perspective of her 15 yr old sister...

Jessica,

As you probably know, I'm being forced to read this letter because Mom
thinks she'd just cry all the way through it if she had to get up here and
read it. I just think she's too scared to stand up here. :-)

Mom says that when she was pregnant with you, she was hoping she'd have a
sweet little baby girl. (Actually, she had hoped the same thing with me,
and we see how THAT turned out!) She says you were ALWAYS cute and sweet,
but very independent. You didn't have time to stop for long hugs because
you were always too busy planning what you were going to do next. Sort of
like now. :-)

From a very young age, you decided that you wanted to be a school teacher.
I'll never forget how many times you made me sit there in my room and
pretend to be a student just so you could stand up and play "teacher."
Personally, I think it was just another opportunity for you to boss me
around. You've always been really good at that! Mom and Dad say that you
should be a lawyer because of how you always argued everything to death

you were little, and how you always had that superior look on your face

you thought you were right about something. Which was pretty much all of
the time. Funny how some things don't change. :-)

We asked Erin what her fondest memory of you is, and she said that she

it when you drive her around in your truck. She's still young enough not

be afraid. She just thinks you are practicing to be a NASCAR driver. :-)
You always did like to go fast. Dad says he remembers when you were

you always liked to ride around with him in that little red Honda CRX he
used to have. He says you'd squeal every time he'd take a corner really
fast and that you would laugh and call him a "fast daddy." Now, when you
leave the house to go on a date with Ilya, we picture you driving around
town in his sports car, taking corners really fast, and still squealing
really loudly. :-)

Well, it sure is going to be hard to see you move out in July, but the

that I'm getting your room when you go makes it a little easier to handle.
Are you sure you don't want to go ahead and move out in June? Or maybe

week? I'd be happy to help you pack! :-)

But seriously, we are so very proud of you, and we will be sad to see you
go. The house just won't be the same without you running around like a
crazy person trying not to be late to wherever you are going. And you are
always going, going, going. You are like the energizer bunny sometimes!

get exhausted just watching you.

As you move on to the next stage in your life, always remember this:
"Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So...live like there's no
tomorrow, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody's
watching." WE LOVE YOU!!!!

~u2b

ps...okay...i'm off to the dance. wish me luck!

i know you guys don't know my baby girl, but here is her letter. i don't
think it turned out too badly, actually. tell me what you think. remember,
it's being read from the perspective of her 15 yr old sister...

Jessica,

As you probably know, I'm being forced to read this letter because Mom
thinks she'd just cry all the way through it if she had to get up here and
read it. I just think she's too scared to stand up here. :-)

Mom says that when she was pregnant with you, she was hoping she'd have a
sweet little baby girl. (Actually, she had hoped the same thing with me,
and we see how THAT turned out!) She says you were ALWAYS cute and sweet,
but very independent. You didn't have time to stop for long hugs because
you were always too busy planning what you were going to do next. Sort of
like now. :-)

From a very young age, you decided that you wanted to be a school teacher.
I'll never forget how many times you made me sit there in my room and
pretend to be a student just so you could stand up and play "teacher."
Personally, I think it was just another opportunity for you to boss me
around. You've always been really good at that! Mom and Dad say that you
should be a lawyer because of how you always argued everything to death when
you were little, and how you always had that superior look on your face when
you thought you were right about something. Which was pretty much all of
the time. Funny how some things don't change. :-)

We asked Erin what her fondest memory of you is, and she said that she likes
it when you drive her around in your truck. She's still young enough not to
be afraid. She just thinks you are practicing to be a NASCAR driver. :-)
You always did like to go fast. Dad says he remembers when you were little,
you always liked to ride around with him in that little red Honda CRX he
used to have. He says you'd squeal every time he'd take a corner really
fast and that you would laugh and call him a "fast daddy." Now, when you
leave the house to go on a date with Ilya, we picture you driving around
town in his sports car, taking corners really fast, and still squealing
really loudly. :-)

Well, it sure is going to be hard to see you move out in July, but the fact
that I'm getting your room when you go makes it a little easier to handle.
Are you sure you don't want to go ahead and move out in June? Or maybe next
week? I'd be happy to help you pack! :-)

But seriously, we are so very proud of you, and we will be sad to see you
go. The house just won't be the same without you running around like a
crazy person trying not to be late to wherever you are going. And you are
always going, going, going. You are like the energizer bunny sometimes! We
get exhausted just watching you.

As you move on to the next stage in your life, always remember this:
"Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So...live like there's no
tomorrow, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody's
watching." WE LOVE YOU!!!!

~u2b

ps...okay...i'm off to the dance. wish me luck!

i know you guys don't know my baby girl, but here is her letter. i don't
think it turned out too badly, actually. tell me what you think. remember,
it's being read from the perspective of her 15 yr old sister...

Jessica,

As you probably know, I'm being forced to read this letter because Mom
thinks she'd just cry all the way through it if she had to get up here and
read it. I just think she's too scared to stand up here. :-)

Mom says that when she was pregnant with you, she was hoping she'd have a
sweet little baby girl. (Actually, she had hoped the same thing with me,
and we see how THAT turned out!) She says you were ALWAYS cute and sweet,
but very independent. You didn't have time to stop for long hugs because
you were always too busy planning what you were going to do next. Sort of
like now. :-)

From a very young age, you decided that you wanted to be a school teacher.
I'll never forget how many times you made me sit there in my room and
pretend to be a student just so you could stand up and play "teacher."
Personally, I think it was just another opportunity for you to boss me
around. You've always been really good at that! Mom and Dad say that you
should be a lawyer because of how you always argued everything to death when
you were little, and how you always had that superior look on your face when
you thought you were right about something. Which was pretty much all of
the time. Funny how some things don't change. :-)

We asked Erin what her fondest memory of you is, and she said that she likes
it when you drive her around in your truck. She's still young enough not to
be afraid. She just thinks you are practicing to be a NASCAR driver. :-)
You always did like to go fast. Dad says he remembers when you were little,
you always liked to ride around with him in that little red Honda CRX he
used to have. He says you'd squeal every time he'd take a corner really
fast and that you would laugh and call him a "fast daddy." Now, when you
leave the house to go on a date with Ilya, we picture you driving around
town in his sports car, taking corners really fast, and still squealing
really loudly. :-)

Well, it sure is going to be hard to see you move out in July, but the fact
that I'm getting your room when you go makes it a little easier to handle.
Are you sure you don't want to go ahead and move out in June? Or maybe next
week? I'd be happy to help you pack! :-)

But seriously, we are so very proud of you, and we will be sad to see you
go. The house just won't be the same without you running around like a
crazy person trying not to be late to wherever you are going. And you are
always going, going, going. You are like the energizer bunny sometimes! We
get exhausted just watching you.

As you move on to the next stage in your life, always remember this:
"Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So...live like there's no
tomorrow, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody's
watching." WE LOVE YOU!!!!

~u2b

ps...okay...i'm off to the dance. wish me luck!