Sisters

My 2 sisters and I were able to get together and spend Father's Day with our Dad. I think he was glad to have us. He doesn't like anyone to fuss over him or spend money on him. So, on these occasions when it comes to present-opening time it makes him feel better if we explain "Oh I just found that in the closet or at D.I." We had to laugh this time when Mom said that and Rayanne was with us because for her, just the opposite is true. When you give Rayanne a gift you say, "This was full price at Nordstroms."



I love having sisters. We all live far apart but we try to get together at least once a year for some bonding. We are all very different in age, personality, and looks but we have a lot of fun together...when we're not strangling each other's necks.

Rayanne is the oldest. She was engaged when I was born so I was always a little kid to her and forever will be. Rayanne is classy, artistic and beautiful. She enjoys the fine things of life...fine clothes, fine food, fine... ironically she hasn't had such fine taste in men and that has led to some challenges over the years.

She's the one that introduced me to pedicures and brow waxes. She is very fun to be with and loves a good party. One time when I was in High School we went to the mall together and I saw a shirt that I thought was so cute but quickly dismissed it (because it was full price at Nordstroms.) The next day that shirt was hanging in my closet. She is so generous and loves to surprise people like that.

Rayanne remembers everyone's birthday. She has a great sense of humor and creativity and she uses both of them to make fun family scrapbooks. She is up for almost any activity--minus thrift store shopping and Latin dancing--she didn't like being oggled the last time we went--we warned her not to wear that hot pink cocktail dress--she spent the evening in the car. Anyway, she is a fabulous dancer and really ripped up the floor at her daughter's wedding. For her 50th birthday she went skydiving.

Shannon is 15 yrs. older than me . She is the talkative health-nut practical one, event planner. We have her to thank for pulling off my parents big 50th anniversary. She is also beautiful and she knows how to accessorize every outfit. Can you believe she doesn't even have to wear makeup to look like that. She attributes her great skin to her healthy diet of non-preservatives.

Growing up, she was the one that threw her body in front of the scissors when my mom threatened to give me that short boy hair cut that was not cool in elementary school. She was the one that begged my mom to let me get my ears pierced so I wouldn't look like a little boy with my thin whispy hair. She thought I should be named Amanda and that is what she called me as a baby. She liked to stroll through the mall with me and pretend I was hers just to shock the old ladies.


I used to visit her every weekend when she was newly married and in college. How many newlyweds would let their little sisters do that? It seems like I got sick and threw up every time--still not sure why that was??? Anyway, like Rayanne, we would go shopping together and she would also buy me the shirt I admired but unlike Rayanne, she made me WORK for it. I'm not sure it was worth scrubbing her entire bathroom for those stylin' stirrup pants.


Shannon has also had her share of challenges. She is amazing because she always overcomes them and becomes stronger. She is a great mom to her 5 children. She has no fear of standing up for what she believes and she's very spiritual. It is uncanny that every time I have a problem or need to talk the phone rings and it's Shannon. It never ceases to amaze me that she has that connection.
Travel is her drug of choice. All of us seem to have inherited the travel bug from our adventuresome mom.


So, what am I? The baby, the spoiled rotten youngest child that never got punished and got everything I wanted? Maybe so but I think my older sisters could be to blame for that.

I'm glad my girls have each other. They are also very different from each other and they too have lots of fun together... when they're not strangling each other's necks.