My Family Members, Part 4

So, I'm back with more family posts. This next one is of my youngest sister, Alaina.

Me and Alaina, this past summer when she stayed with us:

1. I was 13 years old when my parents found out about our wonderful little surprise, she was a blessing from God. She was doomed from the start...she had a 13 year old sister and a 10 year old sister, which meant she was going to have not just one mommy but 3!

2. She brought so much laughter and happiness to our home, especially with one daughter already a teenager, and one a pre-teen!

3. I, being a little older, when she came along, learned SO much about raising kids and babies. I think she is why I had a 5 year career as a preschool teacher.

4. She has a heart so pure and genuine. She is the sweetest 11 year old I know. Alaina jumps to help anyone anyway she can. If she hears a family member complain of a back ache, she is climbing behind you to rub your back.

5. She has the biggest soft spot for all things cute and cuddly. She will cry over an animal being lost, hurt, or scared, and if we had the room at Dad and Mom's house, we'd have every stray staying with us that passed our way.

6. She loves farms, barns, open land, and of course...Horses! She would spend the rest of her life in a barn if she could. She even likes the smell of a barn!

7. She's gentle, that's just her nature. Gentle and kind. Younger kids instantly take to her, and adults will sit and actually have real conversations with her. My great grandmother has alzheimer's and Alaina will sit patiently and answer the same questions 10 times. She has taken a younger girl under her wing from the YMCA (where she swims weekly) and started teaching her to swim.

8. She saves her allowance and does odd jobs here and there to make money to buy each and every family member something for their birthdays and for Christmas. This Christmas she bought me the Willow Tree wall plaque of the Holy Family!

9. She loves Jason! When referring to him, she tells everyone of her brother:)

10. She loves being an aunt to little Austin. She is so good with him, and he adores her! They really are more like siblings. It is so cute to watch them playing horses together. He knows how to pretend to be a horse and will spot a horse as quick as she does.

11. We share the love of reading. She is a bookworm just like me and Momma.

12. We will sit on the couch and color together for what seems like hours.

13. She has taken up scrapbooking and asked me to teach her. I got her her own supplies for Christmas, and she has already started a book for her pets!

14. She loves the Lord!!! She was also baptized by my Daddy a couple years back. She is on fire for God and is never afraid to share her faith with anyone who will listen.

15. Alaina will joke and pick with the best of us. She's pretty quick witted too!

16. She, too, knows so much about diabetes. I've scared her a couple of times, though. Times when I've had to go to the hospital. One time, she had to see me taken by ambulance, and that broke my heart. She just stood there crying. My mom rode with me, but my dad and Ashley brought her up and she stayed there waiting the whole time. She was only 7.

17. She is such a tomboy:) But that is her. She would rather be outside training her beagle, riding bikes, or riding the mower around the yard, than having her hair done, nails painted, or playing make-up. In that way, we are so different, but we are still somehow, so alike.

18. Alaina spent the first week away from home this summer. And she chose to do so with me. That was really special, because she is such a homebody. We had the best time! She actually agreed to shop with me! We went out to eat, she and Jason played x-box when he got off work each day, we took tons of pictures, we went to the beach and she helped me with supper each night! We are planning to have her back after Jason comes home and we settle back in.

19. She never forgets to pray for each and every one of her family members every night before bed, asking for all of our protection and thanking God for all of us.

She is one of a kind, and she's ours. I love that little girl, life would not have been quite as sweet if God hadn't blessed us with our little miracle.