Sisters of Mine

I have finally taken time to scrap one of my favorite pictures from last summer's family gathering. In light of some recent family news I have been thinking a lot about how important these relationships are. I am so blessed with 2 amazing sisters.

Brandie, the amazing mother of 5, is 18 months older than me. I shamefully admit that we haven't always gotten along. I was the bratty little sister that was always trying to keep up with her. It wasn't until her senior year that we finally started enjoying each others company. When she left the Stott house to go to college I was sad! She was my best friend. She came home her sophomore year of college and we were sharing a room again. I enjoyed sharing my secrets with my big sister once again. We had bunk beds and we'd talk late into the night. It was during one of those late night chats that she told me that she was falling in love. I wanted to be happy for her but that meant that she'd be leaving and our relationship wouldn't ever be the same. I had just graduated from high school and my family was moving to Idaho. A few months later she did get married and thankfully her husband was attending RICKS College and I was going to be too. That made it all bearable. I saw her quit a bit and Jere and I worked together for a semester before he graduated and they left for northern Idaho. I headed back home to prepare for a mission and was only 2 hours away from them. I was there when she had her first baby. I stayed with them most weekends and loved on my nephew. Several months later I too found myself falling in love and was going to get married and moving to Arizona. That was the furthest I'd even been from home and my sister. A few years later Steve and I packed up and moved to Kuna, Idaho. That is were my sister was of course. My dreams of being close to here and raising our children was a reality for at least half a year. It was awesome to be close to Brandie again. Then she told me that Jere was taking a job transfer to Virginia. I cried, cried some more and then said goodbye to my big sister once again. She's been in Virginia for years and I've seen her a hand full of times. I adore my sister and I am sad that I have to see her move again-and now it's even further away. I will miss her much, but I might actually see her more often, not because I will be visiting Taiwan but because she'll get to come to the states at least once a year-more that I see her now.

And then there is the other sister of mine-Long legged Hailey. She is the baby of 8 and knows it! When I was 15 she was born and she was the coolest "doll" ever! We all adored her-we still do. When she was about 3 years old the Disney movie Pocahontas came out and she-very white, very blond girl-was convinced that she was Pocahontas! She'd tell people with conviction that she was not Hailey but that she was Pocahontas and that my dad was John Smith. She made us all laugh and has always been a cute, loving girl. She was sad when Brandie got married, but mostly b/c she wanted to marry Jere. She shared my bed with me sometimes when she'd get scared and when I got married she was upset too. She was angry that her sister's were leaving her. It was hard to leave her too- she was a good friend to me. She is so good to my girls and I am so glad that she is  home still. I knew that when Brandie and I left that Dad was a bit crushed. I knew that Hailey being at home would give him joy in at least having one of his girls with him. She gets the sweet kisses, the tender hugs and the whisker rubs-that I have missed so much.
I hope that my girls will be able to love each other as much as I love sisters and that they will realize that they can be a worst enemy at times, but mostly the best friend that they will ever have!
I love you my sweet sweet sisters!!!