the Garden of Eden.

this is not about a garden---altho she does have one....3 pots----2 peas and one tomato---but its not about a garden.....

i have a sister----okay----i have two sisters...eden & pyper (my parents were AMAZING at name choices)....but, sorry pyper....this is not about pyper---someday----but not today....

eden and i are 16 months apart---doesnt matter who is older (she is).....we were #3 & #4 of 5 and eventually 6 kids---(pyper is #6 and came along 10 years after #5....so she was nearly an only child as a kid at home).....okay---back to eden.....

i hated eden.....

...eden & i shared a room----so close in age we did everything together---dance classes, piano lessons, church classes----we shared everything---my mom dressed us alike---eden always got the pink outfit and i always got the blue one----and i hated that.....and we argued...fought...battled....she was cute and talented and charming---she could play the piano so well it would make you cry (should have added that to my 'jerks' post)----she had cool friends and was independent and REBELLIOUS (this is not news to her---so i'm assuming she wont be offended).....she fought my parents in everything----so----i decided to not....i would be the good daughter....so eden formed much of my behavior......i couldnt compete with eden in the piano---so i would sing----i couldnt compete with eden in the looks department---so i would be smart (not that she's dumb---but she's no meredith)....i was not the risk-taker/independent kid----i was the obedient one....and it served me well.....she was neater than i---so i was a slob! we would have physical fights and caused HORRIBLE contention in the family---saturday mornings we were 'locked' in our room and couldnt come out til it was clean----screaming occurred. eden got along with dad----so i got along with mom.

let's see---how do i say this delicately? eden made me look REALLY good during our late teens and twenties---there----thats good.

but its not about eden 30 years ago....its about eden today.

things changed when i got married.

we lived in los angeles---eden lived in san francisco and we started to visit each other.....every place we moved, eden would come and visit. we had totally different life styles---but that didnt matter---we agreed to disagree on religion, politics, life-styles....but there was a mutual respect and even a mutual liking!

eden met her future husband one year before i met david---but i got married first---and she was thrilled for me....she got married to Bill (bill deserves---and i am sure will get----his own blogpost) 10 years later---and i was thrilled. eden & bill are two of the happiest people together---just the two of them---they are a family in every sense of the word----i am jealous of that! bill has been good for eden---and eden is good for bill (hmmmm----let me think how to say this---early on, bill wouldnt go easily to a big raucous family gathering without eden's reassurance---but now he is truly Uncle Bill (Mrs beasley reference folks!)...he loves Eden's---no, not eden's---he loves HIS family!
(love this picture of them----that is TRULY a BILL facial expression)

eden & bill lived in san francisco until 2002 (2003?)---then he retired and they moved to Lago Vista (northwest of austin)---YAY! eden & i spent a fun weekend together looking at houses---having them in texas has been AWESOME and a huge blessing to our relationship. (this is the view out Eden's back windows---they live on a golf course---deer everywhere!)

eden calls me to see how i am....she calls on her way home from work.

she tells me about their plans, her frustrations, discouragements and successes.
she cries when I cry----this was at the opening of Mrs Beasley at Christmas 2009

(previous post---if you havent read it already---you'll want to)

she gives me encouragement and tells me i am right when i feel wronged.
she comes to see my shows and claps! she laughs at the funny stuff in my life and is rightly indignant when i need that.
this is eden holding Jonas at Christmas---she gives each new baby a Harley Davidson ensemble!
eden holding ben---what a great smile she has----never wore braces! (so, of course---I did!)
eden loves my kids----and now she loves my grandkids....
eden loves dogs---well, animals....but its about dogs----after we took a 2 year break from pets---eden presented us with our Chloe as a family for Thanksgiving 5 years ago. We have shared the joy, frustration, aging and death of many beloved pets together.
the family gathered in Arlington for Cannon's blessing at Christmas 2008.
eden (and now insert bill's name) comes up for holidays and events---and not just to be hosted---they come up to work! and happily! (this is an AMAZING PICTURE of bill! yay for big smiles! even while he is working in my kitchen (notice the crowded counter around them!)-they work in my kitchen for weddings, showers, blessings----they are family in the best sense of the word.
..more than that they are friends.
david, ace, jasmine, david, ben & i all went to eden's house for Easter dinner. Eden did easter baskets for each of us....bill grilled outside....it was all about our comfort and enjoyment. We went to the InnerSpace Caverns in Georgetown---that was fun....but walking around Ikea with her is just as fun....or just around Walmart...altho Central Market is more fun than Walmart.
back to this past weekened.....she had her menu planned out---on paper an hour by hour schedule of when to cook what (yeah---we got that from our parents)----i mocked her a bit---but just enough to reassure her that i would do the SAME thing! we laughed when ben got chocolate all over her carpet (yes--there's a blog w/pictures coming about that!)...she even smiled when Ace set a paper towel on fire in her microwave (showing how a grape catches fire in a microwave---but the paper towel was a MUCH bigger flame---and her smile was NOT totally sincere!)---we watched 1963's Cinderella with jasmine and sang all the songs out loud.

'and by their fruits, ye shall know them'----the garden of THIS eden is full of service to others and love for her family. i am blessed to benefit from her good fruits!
i like Eden