So thankful I have a Sister!

From the title you can tell, I'm going to write about this visit I'm having with my sister, LaDonna. She writes a blog, too, Random Thoughts from Raleigh...she's a techy person...she calls herself a geek...I call her smart and funny and hilarious!

Right now, there is so very much I want to write about ...and yet, I'm just not certain that this is the place in which I should share everything I'm thinking! I know, I know, freedom of speech and all that! I have to keep in mind: people read this that don't actually know me well...and so , perspective is important.

This is intended to be a place of encouragement. A bright spot for the day, or maybe a place to find a smile you didn't know you had in ya! :)

During this time with my sister and her family, I've literally traveled down a lot of paths and roads, and streets leading to 'memory lane'...which, for me, isn't always rosy, or should I say it more plainly: pleasant.

I brought my girls, Madison & Mallory with me. With the understanding that they were to act thier age (they haven't disappointed me in that!) My nephew is getting married in a little over 100 days from now. This home is bubbling with excitement--everything is about the wedding...which is completely normal and totally expected!--Go Dane & Jean! (they even have their own wedding web-site--oh how the times have changed!)

Yesterday, LaDonna and I took our daughters to lunch and met one of our cousins. The restaurant actually has fried dill pickles on the menu...and our twins love them! --So, we had to have an order of them!

I had not seen this cousin, Nadine, for about 2 years. As kids we were best friends, together almost all the time! And so, just like when we were kids, we laughed until our stomachs hurt...from the moment we all got out our 'reading glasses' to take a closer look at the menus, to sharing memories about different family members, We were still laughing as we walked to the parking lot to say good bye!

Last night we went to the county fair. I haven't been to this fair since I was about 8...so, it looked a lot different than I remembered! It turned out to be a great place to watch people!

Today, we shopped for LaDonna's wedding outfit, mother of the groom! We drove to Paducah, KY.

In order to give you a glimpse of understanding here, you need to know that my sister and I love each other dearly. But, our personalities are, as most sisters, completely different! The past couple of days, she's called my AnnaBelle, and I've called her Virginia more than a few times!

And, that's pretty much it...these are our grandma's names, and they were two of the funnest women I've ever had the privilege of knowing!

Virginia was our mom's mom. She loved to shop, and she loved people...and, she loved to laugh! AnnaBelle, or in recent years, AB, is our dad's mom. She's still living, but 1,500 miles away from us. She's SO hilarious--loves to laugh!

Anyway, I'm more 'formal thinking' and my sister is more 'casual thinking'...and so, the shopping trip was both challenging and fun! What we found, though, was completely and utterly LaDonna...beautiful...she's going to look fabulous! It's perfect, the color, the style, and the 'flow'!

We ate cat fish at a local BBQ place for dinner, which was completely packed with people! We got back and the girls went fishing...Madison even caught a large fish--and threw it back...the point is, though, she baited the hook, and caught the thing herself!!!--she's a better woman than me!

Tomorrow, we head home. It's been good. LaDonna and I have had some really candid conversations...which lends itself well to my sanity! We shopped, we ate, we talked some more, and we laughed a LOT!

Sisters, I don't know what people do that don't have sisters.