Belated birthday wishes are in order

On Monday, my "little" sister turned... Well, since I'm always unclear of the rules on such things, I'll just tell you that she is two years younger than me. Practically a spring chicken. *snort* Anyway, in all my busy doings this week, I forgot to post something special for her birthday so I've decided to do it today.

For starters, LOOK AT HER! Gor.ge.ous. She doesn't even look like she had a baby only a year ago. She is obviously far more stylish than me and a natural when it comes to home decorating. Sis, you missed your calling as an interior designer, but it's okay because you're great with kids.

Also, if you didn't notice, she made the most adorable baby ever (with the help of her prince charming, of course.) Nephew's round face and happy cheeks remind me of my dad, but he has his momma's squinty-eyed grin and his daddy's expressions. Not to mention, he'll always be the most stylish kid on the block.

T R O U B L E in the making. Lurve.

Sis is an inspiration to me because she has self-control like nobody I know. When she said, I'm going to exercise and eat right and look like a million dollars in a bikini by summer, she wasn't kidding. Goodbye, baby weight. Smokin'.

She is also one of the most organized momma's I've ever met, though she may not agree. Her house seems clean and tidy every.single.time. I walk through the front door. Amazing. Sparkly. Color-coordinated. Makes me sick, in a good way.

(If you ever want a weekend job, Sis, I could use a professional organizer/decorator soon. Not kidding. I pay in fat-free meatless spaghetti... or something like that.)

When sis and I were kids, we were friendly siblings for the most part, but we had our wars too. Sis often reminds me that I was an evil big sister. Apparently, I tattled on her sometimes and when she refused to go to Mom or Dad for punishment I would say, Dad has a surprise for you, which of course he didn't. Sorry, Sis. Please don't hate me forever. I'm pretty sure these things are part of the "big sister training packet."

I also remember many dance parties in our bedrooms late at night and even into the morning hours. Just the two of us, trying on each other's clothes and sharing CDs. Since we lived in a small(ish) town, we made regular trips to Wal-Mart when we were bored. We spent many hours browsing the electronics department for music, movies, and new microphones for our karaoke machine. Yes, we had a karaoke machine and it was awesome. Of the two of us, Sis was blessed with vocals; I was not.

I always felt like the protector to my sis. The wise one. The experienced sister. As we grew into adults and especially after marriage, our roles began to flip flop. In recent years, I've gone to her for advice as much or more than she's come to me. It's a nice feeling to know that we can rely on each other anytime for anything. Sis has been my best friend (besides Hub) for a long, long time, even when I didn't realize it. God knew exactly what He was doing when He brought her into our lives.

Amen.

HAPPY {belated} BIRTHDAY, SIS.

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART.