the sisters (in law)

I love all my sisters by marriage! (Okay, I just realized that sounded kinda like "sister wives" of polygamy... totally not what I meant!)

I mean, my sisters-in-law! They are all so great and I am lucky to be related to them. I am happy that I have gotten to know them over to short 5 years I've been married to Travis and I look forward to getting to know each of them better throughout the years to come! My sisters-in-law that have children (Christy and Ashley) are such good examples to me of how mothers should be. Even though I wasn't ready to have children for a while, I was excited to start a family because I had such good role models around me. Seeing them with their children made me happy to know that there are actually mothers who love motherhood!!

First, Christy. She's married to Travis' oldest brother. She is awesome! When I say she's creative, it's quite the understatement. She has a blog called Creatively Christy and she is really good at what she does. Christy is extremely talented in many areas, but she is also a wonderful mom to her kids. You can see how much they love her and they are so lucky to have her as a mom! I can just imagine what their halloweens will be like, with their amazing home-made costumes, and how for each holiday, Christy comes up with something amazing to celebrate it, like a cool cake, fun decorations, or great gift ideas. Even though Christy and I are very different, we do share the same ideas of fashion and hairstyles. :) She dresses her kids SO cute and I've been fortunate enough to borrow some of her son's clothes for Phineas! Her kids LOVE her and she is such a fun mom.

Ashley. She is married to Travis' second oldest brother. If there is one word I could use to describe Ashley, it would be PATIENT. She has 3 little boy-rascals for children and they have more energy than I've ever seen in kids! Yet she handles them all with so much love and grace. She is quite the classy lady and I really look up to her! She has a contagious laugh that fills up a room and she has the most amazing smile. I love how she is passionate about life. She doesn't have a temper and is slow to anger. Even when her boys create a mess or throw a tantrum, she responds with such care and love that you'd never know she was upset. I wish I could be like this! Her boys are going to be the leaders of their generation, I just know it. And I bet you it will be because they have a loving mother who cares about them and teaches them the gospel.

Kellee. Oh kell-bell. I love her so dang much. She may be younger than me, but she is wise and so much more mature than me. Kellee is exactly what I aspire to be, gracious and kind. Everyone loves her, and it shows in all her friendships! I don't think I've ever heard her utter a mean or bad thing about anyone. She always has nice things to say, and is ridiculously positive. I'll admit, at first it made me sick how happy she is! Then I realized that while things may not be perfect in her life, she always makes a point to be uplifting and optimistic. It's not that everything always goes her way, she just decides not to dwell on the negative. Kellee is smart and everything I wish I could be in the fashion department. From top to bottom she always looks so well put together. She is motivated and dedicated to life and isn't ashamed to show it!

Megan. The reader. The swimmer. The massage therapist. The baby of the family. Even though Megan is the youngest, she is definitely the second mom to all the nephews and niece of the family, and also to Parker, her older brother! The funny thing is, he listens to her!! She gives the best back rubs in the whole world. She participates in lots of extra curricular activities and is very well-rounded. I have never seen more self-confidence in a 16 year old. She knows who she is and is such a great example to her friends of how a daughter of God should behave and dress. She loves school and it reflects in her grades. She never complains about chores or housework and when her mom asks her to do something, she jumps up and quickly obeys, without asking why. Oh I would be so lucky to have a daughter like Megan!

I love all my sisters-in-law and am grateful to associate with them as often as I do. I'm glad we all live in a close proximity (all except Kellee, which makes me sad!). Sunday dinners are so fun when everyone is there and it gives me the boost of confidence I need to continue the daily grind. They instill a desire in me to be a better mom and I am grateful to them for their amazing examples.