happy birthday, gracie!

my sister dropped a hint that i was supposed to do a birthday post.

so here it is.

it's her birthday. she's turning twenty-two.

when i was nine, i couldn't imagine anything worse than having two older brothers. we had grown beyond the years when we could all share a room peacefully. when my barbies and their gi joes could share a play world peacefully. all i wanted was a sister. i just knew she'd be my ally. however, my parents assured me that after nine years, this was obviously not happening. i insisted that for Christmas, i wanted a baby sister. apparently, i nagged my mother so much that, in desperation, she told me to pray for a miracle.

i did. i prayed and prayed for a sister for Christmas.

and my mother found out she was pregnant a week before Christmas.

they gave us all pacifiers for Christmas Eve to announce it.

i still remember when mom took us all to the ultrasound, the doctor knew that i was desperate for a sister, so she whispered it to me first. i thought i'd won the lottery.

i definitely have.

despite the fact that we proved that you could have years of sibling rivalry even with a ten year gap (mom, she's looking at me!!!) we survived and she is one of my very best friends.

she has endured years of me calling on my way home from work because i just need someone to talk to.

she has loved my baby girls like her own.

she has finally started following my book recommendations. :)

she cries too easily, but it is that sensitivity that makes her so loving to everyone, a great listener, and a patient aunt and teacher.

i love singing near her when she visits and is at church. there is something about blending voices that are from the gene pool that is just magical!

the only parts i like about her living far away is that 1) i can call her and complain to her about the rest of the family :) and 2) whenever she comes to visit, life shuts down and everyday is a vacation!

i love her. happy birthday, baby sister!