The Sisters
Sally Holloway
Sally’s uncommon intelligence shines in her choice of residence—she hails from South Carolina so as not to ever be too far from the beach. She is a lover of all things visual art. When she’s not making a huge contribution at her work, she’s running around the country loving on her kids and grandson. She’s as strong as she is kind and thoughtful. She loves Phil Collins and owes the brilliance of her air drum solos to his tutelage. She makes a Thanksgiving sausage stuffing every year that involves the largest stainless steel bowl on earth that has come to be known as “Texas” (as in “I’m making a cruise ship-sized vat of stuffing. Can you go grab Texas for me?”) Sally holds the distinction of having attended more Air Force Band concerts than any other sister.
Julie Anderson
Julie is a wise Texan woman. She is a woman of heart and beautifully chosen words. She is an ASL interpreter for high school students and as such has had more years of schooling than all of us combined. We call her Einstein behind her back, and when you’re around her and her children, you’re suddenly inclined to use the largest words you have at your small-minded disposal. It just seems entirely and wholly appropriate. She paved a love of vocal music trail for us little sisters to follow and we’re beyond appreciative.
Jenny Packard
Jenny. (or “Jon”, pronounced “Joan”) is. Funny. She started a dialect in which every vowel you speak in English is pronounced as a long “o” sound. We call her MacGyver because she can build anything, fix anything, and make stuff happen with whatever we have. When she’s not selling her paintings, making crazy yummy healthy versions of chocolate treats, and editing pictures for her photography business, she’s been raising 4 amazing kids, writing songs, and performing around Texas (her home state, NOT Sally’s bowl).
Karen Stanley
Karen comes from Arizona and sports a gorgeous tan and elevated vitamin D levels year-round. When she’s not doing marketing for her husband’s car dealership, or raising funds for veterans, she is hosting her podcast called Create Today, helping clients in her hypnotherapy practice, helping raise a flock of young adult children, and has unofficially adopted all of her children’s people and their people’s people in the process. (Their “family reunions” are more like “block parties”) Karen tries to live by her credo, “When faced with a choice, the answer is yes.” Her giant thinking, sky-scraper goals, and generous heart have blessed our family over and over again.
MariLyn Bazinet
Marilyn is a beach-loving girl growing up in the mountains of Utah where she is focused on raising the kids at home and traveling to visit the adult ones where their lives have taken them. If this bio reads like the one that her older sisters made for her when she was just entering Young Women’s as a 12-year-old, it would say something like “Marilyn adores mayonnaise and being around snakes of all sizes and venom levels.” (I already mentioned how Jenny is funny.) She loves a handsome Canadian, 4 surprisingly well-adjusted children, berries, traveling, outside adventures, and Costco (not necessarily in that order).
Liz Simmons
Liz (Lizzy, Lizard…) spends her time near the Tetons in Idaho where she grows raspberries, gorgeous pumpkins, and a giant garden—all while studying for a master’s in Social Work and taking clients. When she’s not teaching group exercise classes, she loves buying books, reading books, talking about books, “borrowing” my books on the sly (and fessing up weeks later), accompanying herself on guitar, and making incredible food (think perfect consistency chocolate molten lava cake with homemade berry nitrogen ice cream, fresh salsa, pies—it’s all so unreal). Liz prays like Jesus is kneeling with us in the circle. Back in the day when she had a sweet tooth, she used to like those orange, squishy styrofoam consistency circus peanut candies, but would never talk about that fact at parties.
Rachel Aaron
Rachel hangs her hat in Atlanta where she uses her early childhood education ninja skills to wrangle 5 children under 9 who have brilliant red hair, brilliant minds, and equally brilliant manners. She teaches them to read by age 4 with her hands tied behind her back, as she gracefully navigates diapers and potty training, naps, snacks, and Spanish immersion at home. While her vocal range is the envy of many a tenor, her grit wins her the trophy of “Most Likely to Successfully Cross the Plains” in any set of circumstances—be it handcart or minivan. Rachel has a giant, tender heart and we’re lucky she shares it with us.
Kristen Clark
Kristen gets serious props for surviving as the youngest member of our crazy tribe. She’s thrilled to be welcoming her first child—a gorgeous baby girl—into her family and add “Mom” to her long list of honors. She loves the visual and performing arts and lately can be found working on her first solo album, a collection of original songs and covers. She loves to decorate and design pretty spaces. She is adored by her husband and her pet cats who enjoy sleeping on Kristen’s shoulders and face. Kristen is grounded in the present in her new home in Indiana and thrives where she is planted. She has been making us laugh from day one.