I'm NOT 30.....I'm $29.99 plus tax!

Finally the day has arrived where I can tease my best friend & niece Candace about hitting a birthday milestone. Candace has reached that awesome time in her life where she is almost to the top of that "hill" where she is turning 30!!!!

I think she is really 18...with 12 years of experience. She's the oldest person I know...that is younger than me.

Candace and I have been great friends since we were small children. I have so many memories of her throughout my whole life. We would always get the same Christmas presents (in different colors) every year, we had the same dolls, and as we grew up over the years we found we had many many other things in common. Candace was the cutest little girl with white blonde hair, a quick smile, and outgoing personality. She grew up loving animals, babies, movies, drawing / art, and at one time was obsessed with the New Kids on the Block. She loved to play outside with her friends and idolized her older brother Dustin. We were always friends & family but as we got older our friendship grew......

As we became teenagers we found more & more things that we both loved to do. We loved going to movies, listening to music, reading, going on vacations, and eating out. We both developed a love for the band 'NSYNC & boybands, and were annoying girls that were obsessed with them. We loved (and still love) to quote stupid / funny lines from movies to each other and make fun of embarrassing moments we each had....she always had more than me. I have many to share with you all, so ask me next time you see me.

But here's one in particular that I especially like: We went on a cruise and on our layover in Atlanta, Candace walks into the bathroom. She looked around and wondered what all these men were doing in the womens bathroom, then she realized she was actually in the MENS bathroom. She comes walking out with a red face and I laughed my butt off. I could have stopped her before she went in...but I didn't! That's how our relationship works. And that's the great thing about being friends with someone over many years...you have tons of dirt on each other.

We love goofing off when the opportunity presents itself and you will always find us laughing our heads off over something. We have tons of private jokes and team up against people to tease them mercilessly (sorry family). There are so many things that I love about my friend Candace: she is funny, caring, smart, has a great laugh, is witty, has a beautiful smile, pretty eyes, is outgoing, loves chocolate, and likes to hang out with me (go figure). I hope that she always stays such a strong independent silly awesome woman!!!

When Candace met Brett I was so happy for her. She truly fell in love at first sight with him and they are so great for each other. I love that he loves her for what a fantastic woman she is.

Before we knew it they were starting a family and Candace's life would become even better. She became a mom to little Ryker Bean. She is the best mom in the world! She loves that kid to death and is raising him to be such a great & funny kid. He definitly gets his silliness from her.

Pretty soon they will be adding to their little family with baby Smallz (in December). I'm so happy for her that she found a man to love, who loves her so much. And will be sharing all her talents and awesome traits with her children. She is a great wife and mother and I know she loves it.

I love that Candace is my best friend! I love that I can call her anytime and we always have things to talk about. We can see each other and call a half hour later and still manage to talk for another hour about random dumb stuff. I know that she always has my back and wants the best for me. She is honest with me when I need it, and sometimes tell me what I want to hear, when I need that too. Only best friends tell each other useless information and don't care. She is the one I can tell secrets to and I know the best time she can make me cry...is when she makes me laugh so hard. A true friend is the person who no matter how you treated them the day before, still keeps their promise to stand beside you the next. She truly is one of the best people I know and am privileged to have in my life!

I love ya Soupie!

Happy "not quite old yet" Birthday!

P.S. Stop being younger than me already!!!