Sisterhood

Events of the last few days have me thinking about my sister. Liza and I were not always close. We definitely had our share of fights growing up, but by the time I moved away to college we were well on our way to the relationship we have now. We started out as two individual threads, and now I feel that we have become woven together. She lived in American Fork when Kate and Elise were new babies, and we did so many things together. We leaned on each other a lot to survive those first few years of motherhood. Sunday my mom and I drove to Logan for Liza's father-in-law's funeral. (As a sidebar, Merrilee is no good on a road trip. She drives 62 mph when it is her turn to drive, and when it is your turn to drive, she sleeps like a log so you have no company whatsoever. She cannot dispute this.) My mom and I were singing at the funeral on Monday morning. Ken's funeral was a tough one for me. I barely made it through the song, and all you Judd cousins know that's generally not an issue for me. I just felt so sad, and it was not for my loss, because I only knew Ken a little. I saw the pain in my sister and her husband, and I just hurt for them both, and I realized that I would have done ANYTHING in this whole word to take away the pain she was feeling. We are knit so closely that while my pain was certainly not the same as hers, her pain was felt by me.

I hope my girls develop such a relationship someday. Kiki has been transitioning to a "big girl bed." I have been trying to get her to sleep with Kate in her queen bed. The other night, Kate told me that they were going to sleep in the same bed, and when I checked on them, they were both cuddled up in Kiki's toddler bed. It was such a sweet little moment, and I'll admit it was a nice alternative to the constant antagonizing that they are usually engaged in.
I have also enjoyed some time with my dearest friends. Rose, Brooke, and I had a chat Sunday night that was so enjoyable. It was almost like old times except for we were missing Jenni Tag, and there were a lot of the kids running around. We always knew Brooke would be the biggest procreator of us all, and I mean that as a compliment. We talked parenthood, politics, religion, and how often Brooke is late for church. Apparently it's a lot. As Rose and I drove away, she remarked how good it felt to be validated and listened to, and she was right on the money. I guess we are sisters by choice.

The last sisters I have had on my mind are those in my ward. Most of you know that I am the Enrichment Committee Chair in my ward. I definitely received the calling based on my organization, delegation, and decisiveness, and not my natural adherence to stereotypical Relief Society pursuits like sewing. My Achilles heel is crafting, and in just a few weeks is the biggest craft night of the year. This is shaping up to be a giant wart on my behind. I have delegated all I can delegate and my blood pressure is still through the roof. I have forms to collect, money coming in and out to account for, and millions of other tasks to complete, all the while being a chipper ambassador for a craft night that I wouldn't have planned of my own free will in a MILLION ZILLION years. Pray for me.