We are Family!

I am so excited right now that I can hardly be still enough to type. I just got a text from my youngest sister, Kim, asking if I'm still awake. Strange. Well, I never have slept much, so I sent a quick "Yep" text back to her. The next text I get says simply, "See you Tuesday". Moments later, my cell phone rings and it's Kim calling to confirm that she's flying in to Ft. Myers airport on Tuesday at 11:59 AM, and will I please pick her up. DUH!

Dennis and I have been having such a nice time together, and we get along so well, however... When you grow up with four sisters, and stay really close to those four sisters all your life, you need a sister fix quite frequently. And I am in dire need of a sister fix! (or four)

Kim told me Friday that she was thinking about coming down to visit while we're here, so what did I do? Saturday morning, I made Dennis take me shopping so I could get some things we would need for her to stay with us. Our 5th wheel has a sofa in the living room that makes into a bed, but I didn't bring sheets, blankets or a pillow for it, not really thinking anyone would come visit us. So, we now have new sheets, a blanket, a soft comfy pillow as well as a beach towel and a floaty thingy for Kim. (Good thing she actually did decide to come, hu?)

So, tomorrow I'm going to run my little sweeper, dust the furniture and cook something yummy for her first day here. She said she just got home from Akron this evening, (Kim lives in Troy, Ohio, which is near Dayton) so she just got unpacked from that trip. Tomorrow she will have to pack for her trip to Florida, so she's thinking she may be exhausted by the time she gets here. I told her it's okay. I'll put her on the floaty thingy so she can rest in the pool but not drown. I have a plan for everything!

God has blessed me so abundantly, and I am so very thankful for each and every one of those blessings. My sisters are four of those blessings. Don't get me wrong, we have had our differences over the years...boy have we had our differences! It's hard to imagine five girls being raised in the same house, by the same parents, being so very different, but each of us is unique from the others.

When Kim was a very little girl, one day she announced to the family that we were the Seven Dwarfs. We all just looked at her questioningly and she proceeded to explain how she came up with THAT. My Dad's given name was Dock. Really. Growing up, everyone thought my Dad was a doctor...My Dad was a truck driver. My Grandmother named my Dad after his Grandfather, Doctor Kilpatrick...and HE wasn't a Doctor either! (She just shortened it to Dock) HIS mother named him after the man who delivered him...the DOCTOR! I could not make this stuff up!

Anyway...Kim said  Dad was the dwarf, "Doc". Okay, but the rest? Well, she said, Mom always falls asleep when she sits down, so she's "Sleepy". Mom worked non stop at home; making us a wonderful home. So, if she ever did sit down, she promptly fell asleep.  Okay, that one makes sense too. The rest? Linda, my second to the oldest sister has always been very shy. Most people think she's stuck-up. Nope. She is just really shy. So, Kim named her "Bashful". Makes sense! Kaye (that's me) is the cut-up of the family. (I'm not sure if she was that nice about it, but it WAS a long time ago, and I'm telling the story...) so, Kaye is "Dopey". Thanks, Kim! Kathy, the sister right after me in birth order, was, hmmm, how to be nice about this? Grouchy. Always. Sometimes just plain, downright nasty to Kim, the youngest sister, HER younger sister! Nicer way to put it was "Grumpy". We'll leave it at that. (Love you Kathy!!!) And Kim has sneezed her whole life! It was actually annoying growing up listening to it non stop! She finally had surgery on her poor nose to help it. Guess who she is?" Yep," she said! "I'm Sneezy."

She skipped over Jeannie! The oldest sister. So, we asked, what about Jeannie?  The one who always got stuck taking care of four younger sisters. The one who bossed us around like a Nazi. Well, Kim decided that there was no "Bossy" dwarf, but Jeannie was happiest when she was bossing us around, so she was "Happy". Good thinking! And there you have it! And we take those titles very seriously. Until they became indecently expensive, we all had license plates on our cars that proclaimed our "Dwarf" status. (Kim still has hers. The rest of us are too cheap) I have a "Dopey" tattoo. (Mom, no I don't!) Serious business.

We really are five very different personalities, but we are the closest of sisters, the best of friends, and so very blessed to have each other. And Kim is coming to visit me here in my little paradise for one whole week! I can hardly wait until Tuesday. We will have so much fun! Girl talk!!! Singing together!!! Laughing!!!

Oh! Did I mention we are REALLY LOUD???? Just ask Dennis....