A weekend with my sister

In the 13 months since Dylan was born, I have spent one night away from him, and that was out of necessity.  My dad had just had his surgery to remove his cancer in October and I didn't feel comfortable leaving him so soon after the surgery, so Scott and Dylan headed home without me.  A couple months ago I told Scott I was ready for a vacation.  But here's the thing, I didn't want to go anywhere.  I wanted to stay home alone.  I had one concession...I wanted him to take Jon with him and leave Tara with me so I could have a girls weekend and some much needed time alone.  So they scheduled a trip to see their parents; which took place this past weekend.

I can only speak for myself but I had such a good time!  We did everything...we ate at every opportunity, shopped, movies, reruns of Sex and the City.  Seriously, I can't think of the last time I had so much fun.

So it got me thinking...I grew up in a great family.  I have the best mom and dad in the world; both with huge hearts and a great capacity to love.  I have a protective younger brother who would do anything for me.  When I got married I didn't really think about anything beyond Scott, but I got lucky...I also have the best in laws in the world.  Then we added to our family when Jon married Tara and then a couple years later when Seth married Paula.  I got sisters!

Tara and I had a conversation this weekend about how well we get along considering how different we are.  She would rather go see a Lady Gaga concert and I would pick a Broadway show as my musical entertainment any day.  I like musical movies, old movies, romantic comedies.  She likes more current stuff and especially reality TV.  I read books and she reads magazines.  She is a very decisive shopper; knowing exactly what she wants when she sees it, whereas I have to debate every single purchase.  This is probably why I don't really enjoy shopping because it as an absolutely exhausting experience.  But the greatest thing is we both find the humor in each of our differences.  I marvel at how she has never seen Parent Trap (the Haley Mills version), Gone with the Wind (for which she is named), and Shag.  She laughs her butt off at me that I can break out in to the Sound of Music (my favorite movie) or Mamma Mia at any given moment.

But we also have things in common which I think balances things out.  We are married to brothers; that in itself always creates interesting conversation.  We both have huge appetites and aren't afraid to show it.  We both see our lives taking the same kind of paths.  And deep down we have a lot of the same beliefs.

Somewhere in the last handful of years, Tara stopped being my sister in law and just became my sister.  She is part of my family and when I think of her; I just think, sister.

Tara, I realize while staying home might have been my idea of a good time; that it probably wasn't yours.  But thank you for making this a perfect weekend for me.  I think it is the combination of our similarities and differences and the humor in both that make us click, and I can't imagine having more fun than we did.

I love you, girl; you are a GREAT sister!  So thanks again for the fabulous weekend!