Birthdays

Gayla Moore, 2010

MyGayla made birthdays extra special. She knew that the day you were born was the day her life was blessed because you were important to her. She came by this honestly because in our family birthdays are celebrated for weeks at a time. This week is going to be one of the hardest to live through because we should be celebrating her in the way she celebrated each of us. I have been posting to her facebook what I wanted to be sending her everyday this week in return for the special week she gave me back in November.


November 15: "Good morning. I love you. Happy Birthday Week!!!!!" and then we chatted about birthday cakes...she had two chocolate chip cookie cakes with sunflowers in icing.
November 16: "Happy second day of your birthday week!!!!!!!" and then we chatted about our book club reading.
November 17: "Happy third day of the week of your birthday!!!!" and then we wished for the next day to hurry and get there so we could see Harry Potter.

Mama and Gayla, 1972

November 18: "Happy fourth day of your birthday week!!! See you soon. I love you!" and then we spent the day coming up with a plan for meeting for the midnight showing. Sister waited with Sarah and the gang holding our places in line from 5 p.m. until midnight.
November 19: "Happy Birthday and day #5 of your birthday week. Have a wonderful day and I will see you tomorrow."
November 20:  I beat her to it and told her I loved her to infinity. She wrote, "I love you too. Happy 6th day of your birthday week." And then Gayla threw me a birthday party and made sure surprize guests from T-town were there too.
November 21: "Happy 7th day of your birthday week. I love you. I hope it's been the best yet."

Mama, Daddy, and Gayla, 1973

My life was always the best because of Gayla. She was a better sister than I deserved. She was my playmate growing up, my roommate as an adult, my workout partner, my maid of honor, and my best friend. Gayla made my husband feel like he had been her brother for his whole life, and she took up being Darby's aunt like she had been there since day one. In Gayla's eyes we were all the best that we could be and we could do no wrong.

Daddy, Mama, Gayla and Jaimee, 1975

Dana, James II, Gayla, Chad, Darby, Jaimee, Daddy, and Mama, 2007

Darby and Aunt Gayla,
Phantom of the Opera Night, 2010

Gayla and James III, 2009

Gayla, Mike and Jeremy, 2009

Sarah, Annie and Gayla, 2008

For this week of her birthday, I would love to hear about your favorite memories and thoughts of our Gayla.