The Sisterhood of the Renninger Girls

***I apologize ahead of time if this post causes tears...I haven't written it yet, but I can only imagine. Recently my little sister came to visit for a few days and this post started brewing in my head...then I got distracted by my new obsession...no not Ellie...but I'll post that another day.

My sister and I are 5 years apart...well 4 years and 11 months to be exact...and that's to the day! I think I remember the day she was born, or it could just be a mom implanted memory!

Apparently we got along okay in the beginning! I'm sure I loved her because she was a baby and all cute and cuddly. I'm sure I resented her a little bit, I'm seeing some of that in my own house now! As we got older we played a lot! We spent hours outside in our blue tarp fort, complete with army cot, until our Dad built us the real cabin out of yard timbers. We had the most fabulous toy room in the basement...but you had to wear socks, concerte floors are cold! We were everything from teachers, to cooks to aliens (Nomis-only few will get this). I loved dressing my little sister up in those lovely dress up clothes from the 70's, and we were fabulous preformers - we have the videos to prove it! Cate was usually the preformer and I was the director - typical big sister right!

As we got older that relationship changed a lot!

We were very different girls as we got older. Cate was the athlete, I was the dancer. Cate traveled for sports all weekends, I hung out with friends all weekend. Cate didn't worry about boys, I couldn't stop worrying about them. We were sisters, but I don't remember us being all that close anymore. I think both of us were jealous of the other, for different reasons. I know I envied her athletic abilities (my middle school basketball career on the "B" team was nothing to write home about), I marveled at her ability to not care what anyone ese thought about her. And as the years went on I know she got tired of the comparisons between us!

And then we come to the present...and once again our relationship has changed again. This is my favorite part of the journey! Over the past few years, Cate and I have really regained our sister bond...or should I say created our bond, one I don't think we ever truely had until now. My marriage, the birth of my children, her education and now her upcoming marriage have really brought us together. She has become an amazing listener for me! And we've both gotten really good at cheering up the other's spirit. I miss her lots when I don't see her, and enjoy all the moments when I do! I think it took us both a while to figure out who we really are....

...and the funny thing is, I think we are a lot more alike than we ever knew! Love you Cay Cay and so proud of who you are and all that you have done!