Stolen from Ellie's Blog!
Ellie always post a tribute to us on our birthday and since I print my blogs out I wanted a copy for my book (and quite frankly who doesn't like reading nice things about themselves!!) Thanks Ellie, I had quite forgotten about the piano and the Flete Newby date. I remember prom with him but not any dates other than that. Another plug for journaling I guess! My little round face followed me into my college years! The girls think that Ellie and I look nothing alike, but it was sure nice having someone I loved as my roommate!! We had some fun times. Soon, my girls will be repeating the same adventures together(written by Ellie)
My sister turned 40 today! We are just 16 months apart so we have always been close. Growing up it was so handy having a built in best friend! Brittany has had to import one since her sisters are so much younger but I totally get why she has Shelby over all the time. Girls need girls and I was very fortunate to have Elena in my life.
Elena and I were always quite different in personalities but we got along perfectly. She hated following after me in school. Back in the day we had only one class and one teacher per grade so all of us kids had the same teachers. Elena was always getting in trouble for talking. She claims that she never talked when she wasn't supposed to. I, however, could get away with talking because I looked quiet. Apparently, Elena looked loud!
Elena had a gift for entertaining us with her story telling. She could take a simple experience and by the time she was done telling it we would be laughing our heads off! Some might call her gift "exaggeration" but it was definitely a gift.
Although I am the oldest, Elena was definitely the boss. She loved to clean house and she expected it to be clean. I was the daydreamer of the two and I get side tracked really easily. Elena jumps in and gets things done. I even remember mom saying one time, "Hurry up and get this house cleaned up before Elena gets home!" Elena is still an excellent homemaker. She makes it look so easy and she always has things in control and in order. Her home is beautiful and feels warm and inviting.
It was hard going away to college by myself. My first year was extremely lonely and I couldn't wait for Elena to join me the following year. When she got to Utah we moved to the Monterey Apartments and the two of us were roommates. I found pictures of this first apartment and it was fun to remember all of the good times we had there. The six of us rented a piano and somehow having a piano in the living room made a white cinderblock apartment feel like a home. Eventually we were all too broke to continue making the payments and so when our lease was up we had to let it go--sad day!
Elena is very witty and very pretty and the guys always liked her. My self-esteem struggled during my teen and early college years since the guys didn't quite flock to me like they did to her. But, Elena was always there giving me pep talks or writing me notes telling me some guy wasn't worth thinking another moment about and that I would find a wonderful man some day. In one of her notes she even promised me that he would be good-looking as well! How did she know?!
I wanted to find some journal entries to share but as I look through my journals hardly an entry is written without Elena's name being mentioned! We did so much together and I always valued her opinion. I did find an entry that I thought was pretty funny especially the description of the clothes! I didn't have a camera in those days so there's not a lot of visual proof of our life back then but the written description paints a pretty picture!
April 25, 1987 (which would have been BEFORE you were 16 so I don't know why you were dating but here it is anyways): "Elena is out on her date with Fleet Newby. He looked really sharp. He had red pants (which matched Elena's red sweater), yellow shirt with black triangles and a black leather-type tie. Rachel went out on the porch to see what he looked like and when she came back in she said...(And I quote exactly) "He's Gorgeous!" All of us girls agree. He's very nice looking. I'll fill you in on the details as soon as I find out what they are."
Elena is now the mother of four wonderful children. Morgan and Lexi are six months and a year older than Brittany and then she has twins, Blake and Caden, that are Tanner's age. She has a wonderful hubby who takes very good care of her. Although we've never been able to live by each other we still have been able to get together fairly often--usually at least once a year. I wish it was more often. I do miss having my sisters around me! Elena is teaching her fourth year of early morning seminary and stays very involved with her twins schooling and is a wonderful visiting teacher. She is a great example to me of always striving to do your best in everything you do.
Note: On the back of the picture of Elena's first birthday Mom wrote: "Elena Jo Merrill celebrating on her 1st Birthday, she started to really walk on this day." (There you go...proof that I actually did something BEFORE you! So there!)
Elena is showing my gift to her in the bottom picture. Elena gave me a necklace for my birthday showcasing all of the members of my family. I LOVE it and wear it all the time! I wanted to do something for her to showcase all of the members of her family. Elena is a jewelry girl and I am a picture girl so I guess we both depicted the same concept in our own way and now we both have a part of each other as well!
Elena and I were always quite different in personalities but we got along perfectly. She hated following after me in school. Back in the day we had only one class and one teacher per grade so all of us kids had the same teachers. Elena was always getting in trouble for talking. She claims that she never talked when she wasn't supposed to. I, however, could get away with talking because I looked quiet. Apparently, Elena looked loud!
Elena had a gift for entertaining us with her story telling. She could take a simple experience and by the time she was done telling it we would be laughing our heads off! Some might call her gift "exaggeration" but it was definitely a gift.
Although I am the oldest, Elena was definitely the boss. She loved to clean house and she expected it to be clean. I was the daydreamer of the two and I get side tracked really easily. Elena jumps in and gets things done. I even remember mom saying one time, "Hurry up and get this house cleaned up before Elena gets home!" Elena is still an excellent homemaker. She makes it look so easy and she always has things in control and in order. Her home is beautiful and feels warm and inviting.
It was hard going away to college by myself. My first year was extremely lonely and I couldn't wait for Elena to join me the following year. When she got to Utah we moved to the Monterey Apartments and the two of us were roommates. I found pictures of this first apartment and it was fun to remember all of the good times we had there. The six of us rented a piano and somehow having a piano in the living room made a white cinderblock apartment feel like a home. Eventually we were all too broke to continue making the payments and so when our lease was up we had to let it go--sad day!
Elena is very witty and very pretty and the guys always liked her. My self-esteem struggled during my teen and early college years since the guys didn't quite flock to me like they did to her. But, Elena was always there giving me pep talks or writing me notes telling me some guy wasn't worth thinking another moment about and that I would find a wonderful man some day. In one of her notes she even promised me that he would be good-looking as well! How did she know?!
I wanted to find some journal entries to share but as I look through my journals hardly an entry is written without Elena's name being mentioned! We did so much together and I always valued her opinion. I did find an entry that I thought was pretty funny especially the description of the clothes! I didn't have a camera in those days so there's not a lot of visual proof of our life back then but the written description paints a pretty picture!
April 25, 1987 (which would have been BEFORE you were 16 so I don't know why you were dating but here it is anyways): "Elena is out on her date with Fleet Newby. He looked really sharp. He had red pants (which matched Elena's red sweater), yellow shirt with black triangles and a black leather-type tie. Rachel went out on the porch to see what he looked like and when she came back in she said...(And I quote exactly) "He's Gorgeous!" All of us girls agree. He's very nice looking. I'll fill you in on the details as soon as I find out what they are."
Elena is now the mother of four wonderful children. Morgan and Lexi are six months and a year older than Brittany and then she has twins, Blake and Caden, that are Tanner's age. She has a wonderful hubby who takes very good care of her. Although we've never been able to live by each other we still have been able to get together fairly often--usually at least once a year. I wish it was more often. I do miss having my sisters around me! Elena is teaching her fourth year of early morning seminary and stays very involved with her twins schooling and is a wonderful visiting teacher. She is a great example to me of always striving to do your best in everything you do.
Note: On the back of the picture of Elena's first birthday Mom wrote: "Elena Jo Merrill celebrating on her 1st Birthday, she started to really walk on this day." (There you go...proof that I actually did something BEFORE you! So there!)
Elena is showing my gift to her in the bottom picture. Elena gave me a necklace for my birthday showcasing all of the members of my family. I LOVE it and wear it all the time! I wanted to do something for her to showcase all of the members of her family. Elena is a jewelry girl and I am a picture girl so I guess we both depicted the same concept in our own way and now we both have a part of each other as well!
(Man this Elena sounds AMAZING!!) Ha! Thanks Ellie , love ya
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