Michelle ~

This (photo below) is my sister, Michelle. She's four years my junior, a taurus, and likes texting. Michelle has three kids: Kayla, Katie, and Christian. About 3 months ago, Michelle quit her job here (she, our mom, and I all worked at the same company) and moved to Alabama where our dad lives. It is so weird not having her here because we've all lived so close all these years, but she's happy, and we'll make the sacrifice. Not too long ago, her family and Maman'nem lived next door to each other on the same street me and my family lived on. I was across the street and about 4 houses down from them. Our family is pretty tight. Michelle is very funny but a little more reserved than I am. She has a great head for money and budgets and saving. I don't, as I've revealed in the past. She has tried to develop a budget for me on more than one occasion, but to no avail.

This a picture of us taken at one of our June Saturday parties. Her husband told us it looked like 4 tree trunks in a flooded lake bottom - family love abounds!



Here is one of us right-side up. Ain't we cute? Like two peas in a pod - NOT. We have never favored in the least. However, sometimes, our hair is the same color or close to it :)

When we were kids, we always shared a room. That was a disaster because we fussed and fought all the time. When our mom would hear us fighting, she made us actually kiss - uugghhh! It is hilarious now. Her girls like to fuss a lot too, and we always tell them they need to shut up and kiss! One of my fondest (now - not then) memories of us as kids was when Michelle was a baby and just learning to walk. She was the fattest thing and just waddled around. I was one of these kids who never lost or tore up anything and I would hide my toys if other kids were coming to the house. Some things I never took the wrapper off of so it wouldn't get messed up - yea, I was messed up myself. Anyhoo, I was sitting in our room playing with my Barbies and I had this great Barbie house. Here comes Michelle, waddling toward that house and it was like slow motion - she came in like the Stay Pufft Marshmallow Man from 'Ghost Busters' and just as she got to my Barbie house, she teetered, she tottered, and sat her butt right down in the middle of it! It was horrific for me then, but is hilarious now. Recently, when I moved into the townhouse I live in now, I found a letter that she wrote me on her dotted-line tablet paper when she was in 1st grade I'm guessing. I wish now I had scanned it so you could see it but it said:

Denise I Love you for a Sistr.

Frume Michelle Johnson

Dear

and

that

Will

awas

be.

I love this and will treasure it forever. I have it prominently displayed on my refrigerator door. I see it everyday and it always makes me smile :)



This is Michelle's oldest child, 17 year old Kayla.

This is 15 year old Katie.

And 12 year old Christian.

This is ex-husband, Darrin.

I love my sister with my whole heart and am so glad we are as close as we are. She is the smartest person I know, and I have a great admiration for her. I hear of people all the time who aren't close to their families, especially siblings. It is very sad to me because I cannot imagine what that would be like for me. I am very blessed and will never forget it. Thank you, Michelle, for being such a great sister. I love you!

"Sisters are the blossoms in the garden of life." ~ Author Unknown