Happy 11th Birthday, Holly!

It's time for another birthday post! I realized tonight that I only have two more of these--for Holly tomorrow, and for Logan on Friday. The only other birthday this year is Annika, but I started these birthday posts with her last year. So, I'm almost done! But I sure have had fun doing them, and they've made me more grateful than ever for my sweet nieces and nephews.

Today's post is devoted to Holly Berry, my oldest niece. Holly was our long awaited baby--my sister-in-law Tiff was so patient with us. Jan and I had wanted a niece or nephew for such a long time, and so when Holly came we were so excited that we were always asking to hold her. She was such a cute baby, and so tiny. We started calling her Holly Berry because she was born close to Christmas time, and was our sweet little holiday baby.

We actually almost lost her the day she was born--it was so scary. They rushed a pediatrician into her room as soon as she was born, and I called Jan (who was at our house laying sod while I waited in the waiting room with Mom and Tiff's Mom) and had her come down right away. Jan was really worried, (she is a nurse and so knew how serious it was). Thankfully Holly got a blessing from her dad, and started doing really well, and Jan and I got to go with Jon into the nursery to see her (since Jan knew some of the nurses). It was such a blessing to have her doing well, and I was so grateful! What a wonderful blessing to have such a sweet little girl in our family--our first little one. (Who knew that 11 years later we would have 19?) Holly has always been a little leader to our other nieces and nephews, and is growing up into such a sweet girl. So, here is my post dedicated to Holly!

This picture below was actually the day after she was born--she wasn't too happy about being unwrapped.

I had this picture up at work for a long time. I love her little smile in this one, and her white hat. She looks so precious!

I've had this picture in my purse forever--I just couldn't take it out because it is so cute. This was taken when we were on a vacation in St. George, and she was in that darling stage where she said cute little words and made little expressions with her hands. I just couldn't get enough of her.

This is also a picture that I had up at work for a long time. I love the expression on her face as she kisses her baby brother Brendan.

This was with Aunt Jan at Emilee's wedding reception. Janice watched Holly at least one day a week for a year after she was born, and they have always had a special relationship. Holly has such a sweet, trusting look in this picture!

I love this picture--it was at the temple at Mike and Janelle's wedding. So cute!

Here's Holly with her dad and brother Brendan at our house in 2002.

And here she is out on the backyard of Mom and Dad's Orem house with Aunts Emilee, Chelle, and Jan. Holly was a much loved and adored little girl--and probably a little spoiled as well. :)

Here she is at our Pleasant Grove house, chilling in her sunglasses.

And here she is on our porch swing, again with Aunt Janice and also with cousin Jenni.

I love this picture. She was six years old, and this was taken with me and cousin Joshy at Dave and Melissa's wedding dinner (lots of wedding pictures here--but she looks so cute in all of them!)

Here she is again with Aunt Jan and cousin Lizzie in September 2004. She looks so beautiful in pink.

This is with cousin Jenni, cousin Ethan, and me at Truman's 1st birthday party in 2005 (my head is cut off because I had a random expression on my face. But the kids all look so cute!)

I love this picture. This is me, Holly, and Jan, on Holly's baptism day in November 2006. It was such a touching thing to have our first niece baptized--I couldn't hold back the tears. I was so proud of her!

And here she is with cousin Emma. Holly has always been so good with the younger kids. She is going to be such a great babysitter in a few years!

Once again, holding another baby, this time cousin Matthew. I love the look on her face. She is getting so old. Where did the time go?!

This was last year with cousins Logan and Ethan when Holly had just turned 10 years old.

This was in January of this year--she looks so old and so cute in her glasses. And her hair is getting so dark. It's so fun to see her growing up into a young woman!

And finally, this picture was from July of this year, with cousins Briana and Ethan.

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I'm so grateful for Holly. I don't get to see her as often as I would like, but I think of her often. She is doing so well in school, and each time I see her, she more mature and grown up--and yet still has her sweet personality. I'm so excited for her to be growing up. Next year she will be in Young Women's, and before I know it she will be grown up and going to college. But I know that she will always be my sweet little girl. Happy Birthday, Holly!