My Sister, Megan

This is a picture of the very first time I saw and held my new baby sister, Megan Ruth. I was 10 years old at the time, so I remember her coming around very clearly. I was so excited to have a new baby! I was so excited, in fact, that I remember sneaking into her room when she was a baby to poke her while she was asleep...she was much more fun and interesting when she was awake, and I wanted to play with her! Sorry, Mom and Dad....I really had no idea what an awful thing I was doing at the time.

This is Megan when she was about 13 months old (according to the back of the picture). We were living in North Dakota at the time. How cute is she?!



This is one of my favorite pictures of Megan. I can remember her doing this bead thing on the floor! I also love this picture for the couch...yes, the couch. Look at that thing! That couch was great. It followed me all the way to college, and then into my (then) new hubby's and my first apartment! I didn't think that couch would ever die. But it did. And I can't talk about it...it's just too traumatic.

Here's Meg with the two dogs we had while we were growing up. The little dog's name was Punky (I know), and the bigger dog's name was Willie (after Williston, the town we were living in at the time). And look at those cute little pig-tails. I mean really, does it get any cuter?




This is how I remember Christmas mornings. We'd all wake up, go wake up Mom and Dad, go check out the tree and all the goodies, dash to get Dad his mandatory cup of coffee before we got to opening, and then snuggle up on a chair with little Megan while we waited for Dad to start handing out the gifts.

I can tell from this picture that I got up early to at least put my contacts in before we did the Christmas thing...otherwise I'd be wearing very bad and big 80's glasses. But I don't here...which leads me to believe that I also probably also did my hair. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without doing my hair first. And YES, this was my hair done.

But notice Megan...still doing the terribly cute thing :)



1992. This was the year that I graduated from high school...the year I went away to college. This time was an important time in my relationship with Megan. I suddenly realized that I would me MOVING OUT. I realized that Megan was younger than I was when she was born. Would she really even remember me?

So I made it my mission to make sure she remembered me. I made a point of sitting and snuggling with her big 8 year old self again. We talked and snacked and watched "Sisters" on TV together. I tried to impart all of my 18 year old young woman wisdom on her little self...including the boy thing. I remember telling her "make sure he treats you like a queen, and if he doesn't...dump him!". I know, I was so wise.

I eventually left, and she remembered me. In fact she wrote adorable letters to me almost weekly. I missed the little brat terribly!



This is me and Megan during one of my visits home from college. How do I know? It was approximately that long ago that I was skinny enough to actually tuck in my shirts. Megan and I were good buddies.

We still kept in touch via letter and phone call. In fact, it was during one of those sisterly exchanges that Megan saved my butt. I had written to her to tell her of a new boyfriend. She responded with something like "glad you found a boyfriend...remember to make sure he treats you like a queen!" I folded up that letter, thought about what she'd written, and then dumped that guy! Who knows where I'd be today without that reminder from a 9 year old...



As time went by, we both got wrapped up in our self-absorbed little worlds. She went through middle and high school. I went through college. We kept in touch, though not like we once had.

And then, in my senior year of college, my Mom and Dad and Megan moved from Idaho to Wisconsin. I graduated college, married a native Idahoan, and settled in Idaho.

And then...


This guy happened:




Tony. Or, as I lovingly call him, Tony Baloney. I'm pretty sure he'd never been called that before I rolled around. Tony is a great guy. He's good for Megan. He makes her happy. And he can bowl...perfect game after perfect game...amazing! But Tony...you're on the hook to treat her like a queen, ya know! And if I ever hear you aren't, then I'm going to come to Wisconsin, and personally pull every single hair from your head. Wait...

Here's Me, Thomas, Megan, and my other sister, Tiffany on Megan and Tony's wedding day (I was 20 weeks prego with my little Thomas, and had a heck of a time keeping that dress up!).



And here's the most recent picture of Megan that I have. She's hugging my Mom...the most beautiful woman I've ever known. This must have been taken at some sort of party, because I cropped this picture to remove HUGE volumes of beer in the background! Gotta love good ol' Wisconsin!

So that's a limited story of my baby sister, Megan. Why do I write about her today? Because...

Happy Birthday, Megan!

She's good, and kind, and smart. I wish I had her gorgeous hair and perky little nose. She has a knack for making and keeping friends...a skill I was never very talented at. She's fun. She's compassionate. She's my baby sister. She made my life more complete, just by being here.

Megan...I for one am very glad that you were born...I love you!