Sisters

Today was my Lil' Sis's Birthday. We are now the same age for 6 whole weeks. Figure that out! Yes, we have the same Mom & Dad! Grins! I called her today and sang Happy Birthday on her voicemail. I also spoke to her briefly. But sometimes I don't think enough is said.

I love her dearly. Growing up we shared a room. We spent many nights chatting as we fell asleep. I can't remember what we talked about but I can remember Mom yelling at us to get quiet.

A few funny stories - at least funny now but not at the time it happened.

1. Dad told me to get on one side of the backyard and Kristy on the other side. He put a kick ball in the middle of the yard. He told us to run and see who could kick it first. We took off running with our eyes on that ball... Then boom! We bumped heads and fell down crying. Mom was livid.

2. Mom was taking a bath and Kristy and I decided to play baseball in the livingroom. I pitched the ball and Kristy reared back with the bat. The bat went through the glass of a 10 gallon fish tank. That fish tank was on top of another fish tank (It was a double stand). You get the picture. The livingroom was flooded, glass was everywhere, and fish were flopping, grasping for air. Mom was out of the bath fast. It was not a pretty sight.

There are a few more stories when we were older but they are still secretive to this day. Smiles!

Even though we are close in age we didn't have much in common. Kristy is the youngest but the tallest. She was very athletic and musical. I remember her teaching her own self the keyboard. Kristy played the clarinet in the band and she could pick up our brother's trumpet and play it, too. Me, I struggled in choir just trying to learn the notes. I can say FACE and Every Good Boy Does Fine but that's as far as my musical talent goes. Later, I got into Drill Team but since I'm not musically inclined, I sat out on many games and I had to work extra hard to be able to dance. Kristy could try out for any sport and make the start up. I practiced all summer one year, hitting the dumb volleyball on the side of the house and didn't even make the team! Don't get me wrong - I was never jealous of her but proud. (An award I received in elementary during Field Day - Smiles!)

Most afternoons Kristy could be found in the woods behind our neighborhood riding her dirt bike. I, on the other hand, would be somewhere inside cozied up with a good book in my hand. I loved school and could ace almost any test. I am very creative and excelled in Art. I'm not even sure that my sister has ever tried to draw a stick figure. I loved crafts. I usually have several projects going on at one time. It's funny how later in life we aren't living anywhere near each other but we are starting to enjoy the other's talents more. I'm trying to get into walking/running and Kristy has picked up quilting. Who would have ever thought?

Today, when I sang her the birthday song, I replaced Kristy with Lil' Sis. It got me to thinking how she used to always sign anything she was giving to me with Lil Sis, Kris. We had rough teen years and sometimes we forget what we once had.

Don't get me wrong, we had our fights! Remembering back, I can mainly recall the arguments where I was the guilty one. The time we had bunk beds - Kristy slept on the top bunks - I got mad at something and pushed her mattress up with my feet. The bed frame got stuck and I had to hold the bed and her up with my feet until my parents came in to help. There was the time where we were arguing in the car and I scratched her arm and made it bleed. We frequently fought over who's turn it was to listen to the radio. If I liked rock then she liked country. If she decided she wanted to listen to rock then all of a sudden I was more in the mood for country. Of course she would do the same. (Sorry about the pajamas, but this is the only pic I found of our stereo - Remember the cool strobe light on top!)We rarely shared the same friends and we never liked the same boys! That was probably a blessing. However we both had a childhood friend that we all got along with and those were the fun times. We would stay up all night giggling. Since our birthdays were close we shared parties. We had the best slumber parties in all Sheldon! They were awesome.
I miss those times with my Sis! Now we live apart, have busy lives, and so much has changed. Every once in a while we get the time to have a long, interesting discussion but not often enough.

I just hope she knows how much I love her! Happy Birthday Lil Sis!