My big sister...

It's really funny how time has changed the nature of my relationship with my sister. Growing up we never really got along. I think the main reason was we were so different. My sister was the girlie girl type who was popular with her friends and boys. I, on the other hand was the tomboyish awkward type who was more interested in playing basketball or football with the boys. As a result of our extreme differences, it wasn't until recent years that we have forged a close bond.

I can tell that within the past year our relationship has grown closer and even more so since we have started working on my wedding plans. My sister will serve as my maid of honor and I am really impressed with her zeal and level of excitement she has displayed thus far. I am convinced that we will become even closer as we tackle the issues and challenges that will arise as August 8, 2009 draws closer. The coolest part of all of this is that not only do I get to share this experience with my sister, my niece (who I share a birthday with...we are 20 years apart) is also enjoying every moment of the planning process.

Today we enjoyed lunch and a "dress up" session at a local bridal shop. My niece, Meya, has been really excited about the wedding since she heard about it. She even went as far to let me know that she "had first dibs on being the flower girl". I found that quite amusing considering she will be 9 when the actual wedding takes place. I showed her a picture of me in a wedding dress from the other day and she exclaimed, "that's exactly how I imagined you would look!".

I am very happy and fortunate to be able to share this experience with my big sister and my niece.