Three of my Most Favorite People: My Sisters

I'm in the middle. Kim is on my right and our cute mom is on my left. DeNae is in the front on the left and next to her is Jill.

I'm the youngest of 6 kids. (My mom actually had 7 kids (yes, we're Mormon) but the middle child, a boy, died when he was four days old.) I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. I love my brothers and I love their wives. I really do consider my sisters-in-law to be my sisters, too. My sister-in-law, Alison, is one of my best friends. But this post is dedicated to my blood sisters.

DeNae:

She's the oldest in our family. (Should I have said "eldest"? I never know when that word is appropriate.) I was barely 9 when DeNae got married and moved out. I literally only have 2 memories of her before she got married. And of them is when she told me she'd gotten engaged the night before. I remember going in her room that was next to mine and Kim's and her showing me her ring.

I stood in her reception line in that mauve, satin dress with the puffy sleeves that EVERYONE who walked past me had to pat down because I was at the end of said line for THREE HOURS. I sat down once. When I went to the restroom. Apparently, her wedding cake was in the back of the family car and I smashed it on the way home. Oops. I really don't remember that.

She and I had once described ourselves as "bookends" to our family. We have a lot in common. We're both funny. What? We are! We're witty. We're smart. (No question she's smarter than I am, but still.) We're outspoken. We're out-going. We both love music. (I didn't make a career out of it like she did. She scarred me. lol) She taught me to play the piano. (Hence the scarring) Her son, David, was the first person in my life that was younger than me. I loved him instantly. And he loved me! I learned a lot about motherhood from her, through David. And sometimes, when I'm feeling especially "little sister-ish" I like to remind her that I'm closer in age to David than I am to her. Hee Hee.

I really wish I would have heeded her...um...we'll call it advice (although it was more like commands) to go to college. She always told me I was so smart. I should get an education "just in case". Just in case what? Just in case I ended up divorced and forced to go to work? Oh. That. Ya, that would have been helpful.



Jill:

We sisters are all four years apart from the one just older than us. Jill is the coolest of all the sisters. No question. She's always been the pretty one. She's so much fun. She's the secret keeper of our family. We all confide in Jill. She's spicy. She's the smallest of our family but she's definitely not one you'd want to tangle with. Do you remember that one girl that everyone wanted to be friends with? The one that completed any group activity? The one you always wanted to have around? That's Jill.

Jill and I are a lot alike, too. Mostly because I've always wanted to be just like Jill. We both have a thirst for fun. We crave it.

Jill taught me so much about boys. About dating. About eyebrow plucking and make-up application. If ever I needed a "make over" Jill was the one to give it to me. She took good care of me. DeNae was gone before I knew it and Kim and I were too close in age for her to want to nurture me. I was so sad the day she moved to St. George to go to college. I cried and cried. I remember one time when she came home from school I ran out of my room so fast I scraped my back on the door frame. I had a huge bruise but I couldn't help it. I was so excited to see her! I still get so excited to see Jill.



Kim:

Kim is four years younger than Jill (exactly, actually) and four years older than me. Most of my childhood memories include Kim. We shared a room and a bed for the first part of my life. I think it was when she turned 12 that we got our own beds. But not our own rooms. We became "pinkie sisters" because of those separate beds. We'd try to hold pinkies all night long. (She'd last about 14 seconds and then say she was bored of that and roll over and go to sleep.) She LOVED to torture me. Jill? Nurture. Kim? Torture. One night before we got our own beds she told me there was a man under our bed with a knife. He kept sticking it up through the mattress but would somehow pull in back down before I had a chance to see it. I kept telling her that I was going to go get dad but she insisted that the man would grab my legs and pull me under. It never occurred to me that her "scream" was not a scream at all. Rather, someone who was pretending to scream. As not to wake their parents.

One time she burned my leg with her curling iron. On purpose. And when I threatened to go tell dad (I was the little sister. I was required to tell on her.) she burned her own leg. On purpose.

In spite of all this, Kim and I are very, very close. Thank goodness for time!

Kim's the one in our family that gets along with everyone. She's so mellow and easy going. We have this in common. We're "come-with-guys". We'll do whatever, whenever. It's so relaxing to be with Kim. She's a great hostess. She makes you feel so welcome in her home. I love being at her house. Well, except for the fact that I HATE my house when I get back from a weekend at Kim's.

Kim got married at 17 and moved out (and to California!) when she was 18. I missed her so much. I feel like I got ripped off from my big-sister-time. I still needed her! Kim's the one who taught me about...um...that special time in a girl's life. Our mom was in the hospital having a hysterectomy, ironically enough.



Well, this post passed the point of "to make a long story short" about twelve paragraphs ago. Thanks for reading to the end. Even if the only ones left are DeNae, Jill and Kim. I sure do love you guys! Thanks for all you taught me. I can't imagine my life without any of you.