Sisters by choice

I have three ladies in my life that are sisters by choice. Taylr, Nicole and Jaina.

Taylr is my sister by paper but ultimately my sister by choice. She was adopted into our family when she was just a baby. Our parents had a serious  talk with my older brother and I before we did this. Taylr had been living with us for 6 months at the time (she came to us at 12 days old). Our parents said "We can adopt her, you two get a say in it, do you want to adopt her?" Travis, my brother and I both said  "YES!!".  I consider her my sister by choice. We choose her. We said YES, smiled, laughed and she has been my sister by choice ever since. I have such found memories of curling her hair, dressing her up, taking her on walks....all things fun when you are the much older sister (11 yr difference). I remember rocking her when she was just a baby. I remember her eating watermelon and being the cutest thing when she was a toddler. I remember her sitting our our neighbors tractor with an attitude bigger than her little body. I remember kindergarten graduation, I was such a proud big sister. I remember being so amazed at how smart she was in school- great reader. I remember when she suddenly was taller than me! Now she is 19 and I am not sure how that happened. I still feel like I am 19. She is my sister by choice.....what a good choice we made. I am so thankful for my sister, Taylr.

Nicole is my cousin. She is a few years younger than me. I have dark hair, brown eyes and adored my older brother so much that as I was growing up I was often more dirty than cute, as I was always just trying to be Just. Like. Him. Nicole and I could not have been more opposite growing up. She with blond hair, big blue eyes, bows in her pretty hair, never dirty (that I ever saw), prissy, pretty, sassy, girls girl. Growing up neither of us liked each other. I think she thought I was a savage child who ate more dirt and worms then real food and I always thought she was a preppy, snotty girlie girl. We fell asleep more than once while fighting. I remember one night it played out like this: "Shut Up!", "You shut up!", "No, YOU shut up!", "You shut up first", "Nooooo, YOU shut up!".......and on it went until we both were whispering "No, you shut up" as we feel asleep.  Our family moved from Oregon to Washington the years Nicole and I went through Jr. High and High school. We never stayed in touch and we didn't mind! We moved back to Oregon years later and when I was ready to go to college in Portland (hours away from my parents) guess whose home I was able to stay at rent free??? You guessed it, My Uncle Brian and Aunt Shelley- also knows as- Nicole's parents. I remember having a talk with my Mom saying, I am excited to move to Portland, go to school, live with Aunt Shelley and Uncle Brian......But NICOLE.....I guess we will just keep our distance? Cut to Nicole and I realizing we are two freaking peas in a pod- couldn't be more alike, couldn't love each other more. Often annoying those around us. We are FAR more close than cousins, we are sisters by choice. I am so thankful I moved into my arch enemies house- turned out to be such a gift- I was given another sister by choice. So thankful for my sister, Nicole.

Jaina. Oh Jaina. I am not totally sure where to begin. Really, I don't know where to begin. My courser has been blinking for far too long. Late night drives over a mountain pass with old, very old deli food and coffee. Annoying fellow passengers on airplanes (multiple times), Embarrassing my Dad in public(multiple times). Stealing rocks in Idaho and realizing super cool things just from looking at a celing fan. OH MY GOSH, I HATE N.Y. CITY! Ok, maybe we do like NY, just not the one we saw. Being in a tiny little car with Roy and Jenny driving to LA. Having to take a pee break but rather than speaking up - we just look at each other like "it's been nice knowing you". Taking a van load of teenagers into the heart of L.A. when we were still teenagers- breaking my elbow proving I could kick high. Having prayer meetings in my parents shed with more power tools and gas in it than people. Taking truck loads of kids over a mountain pass for 3 days of wild....who left us in charge again?  I've got fire shot up in my bones. Maybe she is born with  it, maybe it's Mayballine. Starbucks. Portland to coast. People hate us, people love us. The list goes on and on....We were young together, learned things together, like things together, hated things together, 3 step hand wash routine in public bathrooms. Tera does none of those, how is she my friend? kidney stones, college, Cody- telling Cody to leave you alone. Oh wait Cooooooody, you looooooooove Cody. Then along comes Matt, Jude, London and Avery, Texas, Justus, trips to Oregon, trips to Texas....We have had a lot of fun, we have a lot of love, we  have experienced a lot of loss. And with it all she is more than a friend, she a sister by choice. I am so thankful, so very thankful for my sister, Jaina.

Sister by choice- I have three and life wouldn't be as sweet with out them.