I went on such a great trip to Phoenix few weeks ago—five sisters and my mom, hiking, shopping, cooking, running and laying out together. We even had a little yoga and gymnastics mixed in.
I am so happy to have these wonderful sisters. I look up to each of them. We all are the same, and yet different in so many ways, but when we are all together, we just mix so well.
The best thing about our relationships to me is that I feel completely safe with them. I know that they understand me, and they see my intentions and my heart and they know I love them and if something arises between us, it is easily cleared up.
If one of them accomplishes something, I feel a sense of pride as if I myself have done it. I think it is the same pride parents have in their children. I love my sisters, and I want everyone to know them too—look how smart, beautiful and witty they are! I love that we can brag about our kids to each other, and we’ll all just be so excited that our nieces and nephews are so cute and smart, etc. There is no competition in that arena. There is no playing small for fear someone will be jealous or feel bad.
I feel like I have four heroes to look up to, and to try to emulate. I think of them daily in different situations and they help me to want to be a better person.
Angela is the oldest of the family, and is perfect for that position. She was awesome at pulling everyone together after my parents divorce and helping the siblings to remain close despite the friction that comes with divorces. She is a very thoughtful mom. Some of my favorite books, including my parenting bible “How to talk so your kids will listen and how to listen so your kids will talk” were her suggestions. She is great at fitting everything in, from piano lessons to preparing dinner—sometimes when I am exhausted and tired of all my carpooling, I think of her and realize that I CAN do it, and it will be worth it. Angela is incredibly generous. She has helped out her siblings on numerous occasions, from getting our business up and running, to helping her sisters with tuition when financial aid wasn’t happening. When I was a starving college student, she sent me a check for groceries. That kind of stuff is just normal for her. But I thought it was such a kind gesture!
Michelle gets along with everyone. And it is easy to see why. She once told me before an interview to describe myself as amiable—well, that certainly doesn’t fit me the way it fits her. She is thoughtful with words, and she can navigate an awkward conversation rather adeptly. I love watching her parenting style as well—she is so patient and thoughtful. She speaks so kindly. I try to remember that when my first instinct is to scream. She plans lots of fun trips and parties with her friends, and is very loyal. She is also very generous.
When Jared and I got married, we thought it would be fun to spend our first married night in our apartment to save money. My knowing older sisters Angela and Michelle got us a nice hotel room, and that was in addition to the washing machine and numerous other gifts they bought us. We were both amazed at how thoughtful they were for a 24 and 26 year old!
Michelle’s patience is pretty amazing. I stole her clothes constantly when I was a kid, and she’d write these nice notes about how I could just ask her and she’d let me borrow them—I should have thought of that instead of breaking Bekah’s nose. (sorry Bek! J)
Bekah is very creative. I love her sense of style and am always excited to see her house and how she’s put it all together. It is kind of an eclectic mix of traditional, modern and vintage, and I just love it. She can cook up a tasty little meal with just whatever is in the fridge—no recipe of course. She is fun and is such a sweet mom! And has a really bold humor. It is hilarious—I love especially all the little voices and expressions she can make. She has always been so great with kids. When we were teens, I was always the favorite babysitter—until they had Bekah come over! I am very impressed with her business and planning skills. She is also intensely loyal and a great friend.
I think the sweetest moment I’ve had with Bekah was last summer, after I found out that we weren’t going to be moving into the house I spent months on. She called me to talk to me about it and was crying out of sadness for me. I was totally moved that Bekah loved me that much, and was genuinely that sad for me!
Rachel has always been our lovable youngest sister. She has a great laugh. I love walking into a store with Rach because I instantly see all these heads turn. It is pretty fun! I love her style too. I am often the beneficiary of her cast offs. She is very calm and easygoing. One skill I’d love to learn from her is how she can disagree with someone with a laugh and a funny and innocent sounding sarcastic comment. The sarcasm isn’t biting at all, and the humor really diffuses the tension, but she gets her point across. Rachel is methodical in many ways which combined with her relaxed demeanor makes her a perfect fit for her career in nursing. She is a labor and delivery nurse which is very fun for a birth junkie like myself.
Here we all are about 17 years ago: Michelle, Rachel, Angela, Bekah and Sheree in December 1991. Love those braces I've got--not to mention the perms.
Here we are now! In Bekah's cute house: Michelle, Angela, Sheree, Rachel, Bekah
We had a "healthy trip" meaning no treats. It was kinda weird. Usually vacations are an excuse to just eat to my hearts content. I have to admit, I was really wanting some Cherry Garcia at Trader Joe's. But instead, we got some greek yogurt and frozen cherries. It was a satisfactory substitute. We had the best food!
We went shopping at a great mall, and we all especially loved the Lucy store. Cute workout stuff! 
