Hey, Soul Sister.

Today I am grateful for my sisters.

Do you have any sisters? I have way too many four. They are hilarious, amazing, frustrating and ridiculous. They make me laugh and help me when I cry. And because I have so many, it seams so much easier to say that I am grateful for all of them at once. So here goes, This is all my sisters and yours truly.

The only thing this picture is missing is me holding a sign that says

"Sisters for sale. Some cheaper than others."



We'll start with the Lady Bug. Sister #1. That's my older sister Stephanie, or steph, or Teffy as I like to call her. She and I have been causing trouble together since I was four. See, while Stephanie may be technically my step-sister, I believe we are closer than even the closest of "blood" sisters. At 9 months apart, it's hard not to be. She makes me laugh, she drives me crazy, and she can make even something as simple as going to the store a freaking adventure. If I had to choose a partner in crime, it would be her with The Marsh driving the getaway car. She completes a part of my life that is just too hard to explain.

And one of the pieces of really awful news I got in January came from her...there were some questions about her health. And while I know she doesn't really want it OUT THERE in cyber space, I will say it was scary. and something NO ONE ever wants to be a possibility. especially when you're 25. especially when you have a beautiful 3 year old daughter like she does.

This picture was actually taken in June of 2011. Please ignore my stupid camera.

So I am grateful today because last night she called to say that things seem to be ok. That the doctors think that she is going to be ok. She goes back in 3 months for a re-check, but for now its good news. And I am soo grateful.

Next up? Mickey Mouse. Sister #2. a.k.a. Emily. NOT Em. Emily. Little Miss Emily is not ACTUALLY my sister. She is my younger sister's (we'll get to her next) best friend. And my family kind of adopted her. not in the literal sense, but in the "nobody ever questions the fact that Emily basically lives at Mom and Dad's house and comes on all of our family vacations" sense. Why? Cause she's Emily. She's cute. and a Democrat. So we'll keep her. I also drove over 10 hours to Vermont to take her on a collge visit. I wouldn't do that for someone unless I REALLY loved them.

I'm grateful today because on most Wednesdays Emily comes over and we work out together. Then we eat. and laugh. and laugh. And while today we were both not really feeling at 100% and we skipped the shred, we still had coffee. and laughed. Emily is that person for me that when I see something super funny on TV and NO ONE ELSE IS LAUGHING, I know that Emily will be. She understands the humor behind jokes about cake. or camping. She understands that it's completely normal to pretend to act out a scene from Pocahontas. (Don't judge. It's completely normal.) So I'm grateful for her. and all the laughter she brings to my life.

"You got any cake back there?"



Sister #3. Creepy Sally..or Jasmine. or Jazzy. or Jaz. The baby of the group. or lets call her "The Smart One". She thinks Algebra is awesome. Sometimes I think maybe we adopted her instead. Sometimes I feel bad for her. Like she's just looking at the rest of us and thinking "how in the hell is this my family?" Ever see The Office? You know Dwight? Thats Jasmine, only better looking. She tries to ground us with her freaking LOGIC. I'm pretty sure she can rationalize anything, especially when it comes to chocolate. Because this girl takes being a chocoholic to a whole new level. But she's always nice enough to offer some of her chocolate to me. We both know that this is because I personally am not a huge fan of chocolate so I generally decline, satisfying her need to be polite and selfish all at once, but that's ok. It works for us.

I'm grateful for Jasmine because she's my baby sister. She can be an easy target to pick on but takes it well. She can also insult all the rest of us without us even realizing it. It keeps me on my toes.



"The more the merrier."
"False. China"



And Finally, The Gangster. Sister #4. My sister-in-law Kristin, with an I. Kristin is The Marsh's sister. The Marsh and I have been married for almost 5 years now, so I have decided to claim Kristin as my own. Kristin is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She's sweet, caring, and soo much more kind than I am. (or her brother is) It may have taken a little while for Kristin and I to really get to know one another, but now I can easily say that she is one of my favorite people.

plus none of my other sisters enjoy tequila quite as much as we do <3

Why I am grateful for Kristin? Well, she may look sweet and innocent but this chick will drink you under the table. and then possibly the floor. After my family's big Halloween Party this year that had everyone incredibly hungover or full of some sort of drama or vowing to never drink again (short lived that promise was) Kristin's response was "So is your family having a Christmas party?" She's just awesome like that. She is fun and funny and never judges anyone for anything. (most of the time) I wish more people could be like her. or know her how I know her. See Kristin doesn't really open up to people. No, she isn't shy. No, she isn't stuck up. She just doesn't particularly care for people. And because I don't either I can't really blame her for that. Still, people don't know what they're missing. Friday nights with some drinks and Jeopardy and Kristin is the coolest kid in town.

So that's them. I love them and they make this crazy thing called life a little bit better.

I don't plan on having all my posts be this long, but I make no promises.

Oh and if you are feeling bad about yourself and need someone else to feel bad for? I have one more sibling. My older brother. He gets to deal with all of us!

Thanks for reading!

Lana