It All Evens Out In the End

I grew up with brothers. Lots of them. I am the firstborn in my family but at the tender age of 14 months, I got a brother. 20 months after that I got another one. Two years after that, I got another one. A handsome bunch I'm sure you will agree. But let me tell you... THREE brothers... That's enough for a tribe. A tribe I did not belong to. Sometimes I felt it was their tribal duty to torture me! Ah, don't get me wrong, I gave as good as I got and I love to tell Doug's kids the stories of the gross things he did as a kid.... And there were times that we got along... honest! But I yearned for a sister. A lot. I prayed and prayed and prayed for a sister. Every night. For years. When Layne (brother #3) was born, I was furious. Okay, turns out he is a great brother. But still...

The prayers began to pay off. I got my first sister just after my 7th birthday. And less than two years later I got another. So here in this picture at 12, I had 2 cute sisters. (and another brother, not shown)

Just before I left home for University, my parents had their 10th child - another sister. Things had finally evened out. There were 5 girls and 5 boys in my family. When I was 18 I had 4 sisters - Katie, age 11, Larua, age 9, Martha age 4 and Sarah who was a newborn. We didn't really get to swap clothes or have girls movie nights or talk about boys together.

Later, when I was almost 21 and 3 months pregnant with my own first daughter, my mom gave birth to twins - the last of our bunch - 2 girls. So the score settled at 7 girls and 5 boys. My younger sisters got to grow up amongst lots of sisters. I think they can thank my years of nightly prayers for that!

Now sometime when I was a 'too-cool' teenager, my mother instituted 'girls week-end' when our father and brothers were all gone for 'father-and-son-campouts'. I don't remember much of these first girls week ends, unfortunately - being so cool and so much older than my sisters. But girls week end went on after I left. Getting better and better, or so I have heard because I haven't been to one since I left home.

So today, I am packing. And my oldest and youngest daughters are packing. There is a frozen chocolate mousse torte that Erin made that we are packing, too. Along with all my knitting and crocheting stuff, and stuff to make lip balm and stuff for wearing to the bird sanctuary. We are heading to a girls week end tomorrow around noon at my mother's house. 5 of my 6 sisters will be there and 3 of my 4 sisters-in-law and many of my nieces and a cousin and aunt or two. Movies, good food and sisters.... I can tell you that it was worth it - all those years of praying! I think I have this coming, don't you?