When I first met Tina, she was 10 years old and full of energy.  Everything she did was intense from riding her bike to playing her Game Boy.  And boy, that girl could talk!

Tina was not into “girl” things – The Spice Girls were certainly not her top pick. She had a preference for adventure, like Power Rangers, Star Wars, and swords.  Later on when she had her first car, her stick shift was in the shape of a skull.  Get what I mean?

She has a great interest in movies with a collection bigger than a video store. Maybe because she was a dedicated employee of one for many years? Little T certainly benefited from her Batman collection during our visit back at Easter!

But her passion for books is as equally intense. I have always known Tina to be an avid reader.   Writing is also a passion of hers that she is naturally good at.  She obtained her degree in English and is currently an Editor for a prestigious Publishing company. But her love of reading is still a big part of her life.  And sharing it too:  Little T has received many books from his big sister Tina.

Tina also had an interest in computers; if you saw Tina, you saw her laptop.  She would type her name as Tin@.  Hubby and I would tease her that we would leave the house in the morning while she sat on the couch in hubby’s old housecoat with the laptop on her “lap”, typing at the speed that she could talk, and find her still there when we returned home hours later!  That was when Facebook became the coolest way to interact with friends, but back then I didn’t have a Facebook account and had no idea what it was.   I was just concerned that she was interacting with her friends too much on the computer and not enough “in person”.  I can still see her rolling her eyes at me when I shared this concern.

But, I didn’t need to worry. Tina has formed many good friendships and is in a partnership with a kind, nurturing man that was originally her friend too.  They
are one of these couples that really complement each other through their love and mutual respect.  This love is shared with an adorable pug dog named Denny, and feisty and cute cat named Risotto.  Recently they moved into their second purchased home together.  But their dedication and responsibility is also mixed with a sense of adventure and fun with their recent purchase of motorcycles and countless parties with their large group of friends.

It is hard to believe that this 10 year old girl who loved Pepsi and sweets is turning 26 today.  But, as her Opa lovingly refers to her as “Tinchen”, she still has a very sensitive side to her.  She is a well-rounded woman and should be very proud of all her achievements so far.

Happy Birthday, Tin@!  Keep living life as an adventure.