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Humans of Oxford | Ashley and Courtney Kemper: Sharing birthdays

By Kelly Burns, For The Miami Student

Ashley Kemper slides into the booth at Western Dining Commons, putting her nearly empty plate down. Courtney, her sister, plops down next to her with a full plate.

"I'm not going to eat that much today," Ashley says. "I'm saving room for ribs and cheesecake this weekend."

Courtney laughs and starts to eat her pizza. Though it might not be as obvious, she's excited too.

The twins will turn 19 this weekend, on April 30.

Every year they get their favorite home-cooked meal for dinner, matching presents and two cakes.

One year, when they were eight, the twins decided to make their own cakes.

They each made a Funfetti cake, then dropped them out of the pan and onto the floor.

Their mom left the two girls alone in the kitchen and went to tell their dad. When she returned, Ashley and Courtney were sitting there, shoving fistfuls of the ruined cake into their mouths.

Ashley and Courtney almost always get the same presents. Every year, their parents will buy them the same gift, but in a different color. The best present they've ever received was a toy horse farm.

"We played horses for hours. Literally for hours," Ashley says with a smile.

"We were basically the coolest kids ever," Courtney laughs.

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This year the twins got each other T-shirts.

"They're squad goals T-shirts," Ashley explains. "Mine's 'Grey's Anatomy' because that's my favorite show. Courtney's is --"

"I've seen 'Friends' three times," Courtney interjects.

"It's all the characters from 'Friends,'" Ashley finishes.

This year -- their first birthday away from home -- the twins' family is coming to them. They're going to Montgomery Inn to have the famous ribs, and their mom will bring each of them their own slice of cheesecake.

They'll sit next to each other and celebrate their 19th birthday together.

"I don't know how to have your own birthday," Ashley says. "I don't think I could handle having a whole day all about just me."