Happy Birthday Debbie

Today is my little (my only) sister's birthday. We had no other siblings, so we were very close growing up. 3 years apart, but you would never know it. We did not stay close as teenagers...mostly a love/hate relationship, but as adults raising our kids we lived in close proximity to each other and spent a lot of time together. Kyle and Andrew were born only 2 weeks apart and grew up seeing each other several times a week. Now Debbie lives in a very close suburb of Chicago with her husband and grandkids so I do not see much of her. Oh yeah, we both raised our children only to step up and raise a couple of more!! She is raising her grandkids, who are the same ages as Charlotte and Zach were when I was her age. We seem to be on the same road. I have soooo many wonderful pictures of Debbie and I growing up, but here are a couple of my favorites. This one is my all time favorites (hers too) and she gave me a copy in a beautiful frame. I have it in my kitchen area. Both of us holding baby dolls.....being Mommy seemed to be our destiny (though I seem to care much more for mine...she is pretty casual with that dolly!)This is another of my favorites...not sure why, but we were such a huge part of each others routines growing up, this picture gives me a safe feeling (other than the fact that my sister is standing precariously on the toilet in order to reach the sink).I am sure we had just gotten out of the tub where we used wet wash cloths as bra tops and pretended to be mermaids together!!

I waited til evening to post this so I would know she had opened one of her gifts. Debbie's husband asked me to make her a quilt. She loves stars, so I designed a Star Sampler for her. It is just a flimsey, but I will get it back by next week and hand quilt it for her.Some block close ups....Happy Birthday Debbie!!!!