Grateful: Day 16: Stephanie

Thinking back now,  I have a hard time comprehending how my sister and I had a love/hate relationship growing up. Being six years apart meant that at the age when when she started having friends over, she also had an annoying and persistent little sister banging at her door to be let in..or worse yet, doing things to embarrass her ( I recall pantsing and murfs being attempted). I was a brat. I admit it.

Circa 1979

Even back then, my sister had a soft spot for her little sis. She would yell and scream at me like the best of them, but I usually ended up getting my way. My sister likes to make people happy-even her annoying little sister. 

And now, a few decades later, I can see that even at the worst of times of sibling rivalry, she was then , the same person that she is now. She's a protector, a peace keeper and a hell of a great big sister.

It wasn't until I was a freshman in college and she was in her twenties that we really saw each other eye to eye. You know how they say out of something bad, comes something good? Well, that's what happened to us when my parents divorced. My sister and I became inseparable after their split.

She's been by my side through thick and thin ever since that day.

I love her for that.

See what we do to him?

And now with the arrival of Sal into our family, she's even more a part of my life. During the month of March, she spent over $400 on gasoline coming to and from my house...sometimes even twice a week to visit us before I took her nephew half way across the world.

She's a proud auntie, with so much love for our son. And I know without doubt, when we return from the states, that I will be inundated with "can I go to auntie stephs?" from Sal because she will spoil the crap out of him....and he will quickly learn that auntie Steph makes the best cookies and cupcakes  in Santa Barbara.

Behind ( literally) the scenes for one of our "photo shoots" of the boy

We share a love of family (obviously), crafting and baking. Our latest venture has been doing photo shoots inspired by Pinterest. Some of them work, others do not, but we had a lot of fun trying. Many laughs, lots of tears (from Sal, not us) and so many great pictures that capture the moment. 

Photoshoot fail. Wagons and babies don't mix. At least not this particular day.

Nuzzling his auntie. The baby whisperer.

Sissy, I am grateful for you not only today, but every day of my life.