HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOELS

It is Noelene's birthday today so I want to wish her a very happy birthday! Here are some of my favorite things about Noelene (and of course there are a bizillion more, but this is just a sample).

1. She is so thoughtful when it comes to other people. Remember my post of the flowers she sent me when I was sick back in May or June. She is always thinking of others in that way.

2. She has great ideas of new things to try and do. For example, she bought a snow mobile and braves the cold of the north on it. She made the most amazing christmas cards last year using pictures that she had taken herself. She partakes in all the fun events that are going on in her community - winter golf, etc...

3. She is a pilot and wants to fly twin otters and dash 7's for Tindi so has worked her butt off for more than two years on the ramp and as a flight attendant and load master for the company while she waits for her number to come up. She does this even though there are other jobs that she could easily get, but she is holding out for her dream job - very impressive.

4. She has an amazing memory. She remembers things that you tell her, even months/years even later. I'm lucky to remember what someone told me yesterday. I guess that makes her very attentive to people and what they say. She can also tell you a story about a place or an event with great detail - she pays close attention to things and is always interested to learn more.

5. She is independent. Noelene moved to Canada from South Africa, oh probably 7 or 8 years ago now. She lived in Calgary for most of them but moved to Yellowknife a few years ago and has loved it there ever since. What a difference in lifestyle coming from SA where it is so very opposite to the great white north of Canada. Her family is spread all over the world: SA, Japan, and England, yet she manages to remain close to them all.

6. She is very good at staying in touch. Since she has moved to Yellowknife, there has not been a week go by that I havn't spoken to or been in touch by email with Noelene. Even though we live quite a distance apart, I know all about her life and her friends and what she has been up to each week. It's like we are neighbors and not separated by a provincial border.

7. She is my sister. Several years ago, my brother and I decided that we would adopt Noels as our sister and we would be her Canadian family. Of course we are no substitute for her real family, we do consider her part of ours and always will.

Happy Birthday Noelene!