Carol

This is my sister Carol. She is the 2 1/2 years younger than I and today is her birthday. Yep, she is creeping right up there with the rest of us. She came into this world at a whopping 10.5 pounds with thick dark hair. By the time she was a year old she weighed in between 14 and 15 pounds and was a curly haired blond. I don't remember much about her when she was tiny except that she was very pretty, small, somewhat fragile and quite feisty. I also remember her stealing the hearts of our uncles. She still has a way with all of the relatives.

Here we are when I just about 4 and she was 15 or 16 months. Even then it was evident that I was more the "tomboy" and she was the tinier more delicate type. She was charming. Sunbeams would dance off of her. She was also a bit of sickly child with allergies and she had numerous bouts of pneumonia. I remember wanting to throttle her when she coughed at night. In spite of that she was a giving and loving sister who often was in my shadow.

This not quite two year old grew into a wonderful woman. She and her husband Tim have been married now for 39 years. Carol is the mother of three beautiful children -- Tracy, Max and Melissa. She is all so the grandmother of nine. I am pretty sure that that makes her older than I since I do not have any grandchildren.

Grandma Hicks, Carol, Mom

Carol is the one of us who keeps us to connected to our past. She is the one who makes the older relative connections and who like our mother never forgets a face or a name. She is a very talented seamstress. She is a gentle, loving caregiver as was so evident with her help with our parents. She is loyal. She is honest. She has the shortest eyelashes in the world. She loves her family unconditionally. She is my sister and I am proud to say I love her very much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!!!