Sisters, Sisters...

College Woman and Queen KB (me)

last week hanging together on

Thursday nigh

She was nick-named

"Princess Ouch"

on her first missions trip -

very fitting :)

I told her I would go with her

to her missions conference

Thursday night,

and look how she dressed me:

A gypsy!!

She dressed-up like a gypsy too,

but like her professor said,

"this isn't as wild as

I've seen you

before..."

This would be my family of sisters:

College Woman, biological

and sister in Christ.

Laughing Lioness, Alma Mater/ Pax Romama,

mentor and sister in Christ.

Flower, after-ten-years-answered-prayer,

best little sister, play-mate,

main subject of my photography, biological and

in Christ sister.
My guest blogger today is my dd, Miss Elizabeth, also know as KB, Wendy, Boudicca, Draculary and a myriad of others endearing monikers. Check out her blog at: http://www.flowersinthewinter.blogspot.com/

"Sisters, sisters, no one had such devoted sisters...

Many men have tried to split us up...

but no one can!"

~ "White Christmas," 'Sisters' song ~

For the first time in about ten years our entire family took a family vacation. Actually, it was more of a "family road trip." Seven people. One mini van. One of the seven taking back stuff to college. Did I mention we traveled in a mini van?

From South Dakota to Ohio... in one day... fifteen hours of driving, with seven people packed like sardines in a mini van. It was a long fifteen hours!

Mom drove my older sister to the college she's been attending, in Louisville KY, on Sunday evening. We were going to pick her up and take her back to Ohio on Thursday evening. However it ended up that I was dropped off in Louisville with my sister, to spend the day with her at school and drive back to Ohio with her Friday morning.

I had so much fun!

Now, if you knew my sister, College woman, and I, Queen KB, you would know that we are polar opposites in about every sense of the word: if she wears a skirt I am bound to be wearing jeans. If she's drinking tea in the morning, I'm probably drinking coffee. When she wants to talk on the phone (usually in the evening) really, all I want to be doing is snuggling deep under my quilt, on my own bed, with my own pillow. She has traveled overseas since she was about fourteen and I have been out of the country but on one occasion. These being just a few of our differences.

However, there are many things we are very similar in: we've been asked, or told, more than twice now that we look like twins. Our mannerisms and profiles are very similar (to some people exactly the same, apparently). We both love earrings, the more sparkly and dangly the better. Going through photography rehab would probably be a good thing for both of us as we believe in the phrase "hold onto and capture every moment" (true words of wisdom every human being should remember throughout life). And last, but certainly not least, we have both decided that the "fearless leader" Spock, is the man we both want to marry... "the christian version that is" (www.blindlyservinghim.blogspot.com : College Woman's blog)... I'm not sure how we can get both Spock and a the tall, light haird, light blue or green eyed, cute-accent, rock solid Christian, fearless leader type that we have both dreamed about since we were little... But anything is possible... Right?

In all our differences, and many more similarities, there are times when I honestly find it hard to express the sisterly love I have for College Woman. This is due to one of our many differences: our love languages differ greatly ("The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman). Her love language is touch and mine is gifts.. how much more different can you get?
So between the frustration I feel about my situation in life, my big sister (and best friend) leaving for college, again, not knowing what the future holds, and just general under-challenged-ness in life, I was quite frustrated, even angry, and stupidly took it out on my older sister while she was home... well, I suppose it wasn't too stupid, at least on my end: I know I can trust her and that she will love me no matter what kind of idiot I make of myself. However, I also know she knows how to set clear, healthy boundaries, and in this sense it was very stupid of me to take my anger about things that had almost nothing to do with her, out on her.

After a conversation I had with mom, Laughing Lioness, I went through the very humbling life experience of apologizing and then asking for forgiveness (this is not the first time and absolutely not the last I will experience this sort of humility).

Because College Woman reads this blog regularly I can't give too much info about what I have been putting together for her for the past few days, but let it suffice to say that together with the rest of the family, I'm putting together a package to send to College Woman soon.

We went to the fair yesterday with a couple of friends (Cyndi and her daughter Amber). Amber had gone on some rides with Feche-boy, and Cub was looking at the animals with Flower, so mom and Cyndi were talking. I had gone to get something for the package for College Woman, and come back, showing off what I had bought for my sister with total pride and absolutely no humility to mom and Cyndi.

After putting away my "great find" Cyndi told mom "how sweet" College woman and I were to each other. Mom beamed, responding with "they are very sweet and caring with each other..." and said something along the lines of "they are very gentle/ work together very well..."

Okay, I'm just gonna come out and say it: I almost laughed out loud!

It's hysterical how people think think things like this about me and my sister... they have no clue!! We might be "very sweet" with one another... but between being sweet and caring our heritage is very much pronounced in that we express Germanic/ Gaelic wrath to one another when life get frustrating and the "iron sharpens iron" factor begins to work again, which happens when we are both home since we live in very tight quarters and are both strong willed, hard-headed, somewhat defiant girls.

Despite all our differences, the grief we bring each other as we sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron, the different paths of life God leads us down, the diversity of our dreams, and our dissimilar callings in life I must say that the one person whom I consider to be my best friend and comrade in life, being within four years of my age, is my big sister and prayer warrior: College Woman!

God Richly bless you and your family!

Miss Elizabeth