Sissy, tell me about our trip to Vegas?

When you were little, mom and dad signed up for a free trip to Las Vegas that was being offered by a time share company. They left to go on a 3-day, 2-night trip to Vegas and left us in the care of our aunt Cookie. Little did we, or mom, know that dad had secretly teamed up with aunt Cookie (and uncle Arlie) to fly us out to Vegas so that we could surprise mommy.

The night that we arrived in Vegas, we couldn't go see mommy because we wanted her to be surprised. We spent that night with aunt Cookie and were avoiding mom at all costs. Dad was out on the strip keeping her busy with other entertainments.

The next morning, we woke up and went downstairs to breakfast where we met daddy. Daddy gave aunt Cookie instructions on where we were to meet and at what time, then left to gather mommy up. He had managed to maintain that they were getting ready to check out and even had her pack up their stuff! At the last second, he convinced her that he wanted to go out and look around because they hadn't really gotten a chance to look at all of the things in their hotel, Circus Circus.

Mommy agreed and they walked downstairs to the lobby and down to the wedding chapel. Little did mommy know that there, waiting for her to walk around the corner, were her three children and their aunt and uncle. She was so happy to see us, and so surprised! Then daddy told her what he had actually done: secretly come to the wedding chapel and planned for them to renew their wedding vows with us and aunt Cookie and uncle Arlie there to watch.

The ceremony was the most beautiful thing I've ever been to. The pastor that performed the service was very nice, and very funny. I think the thing that made the ceremony the most heart-touching though, was when mommy and daddy were saying their vows and began to shed tears of elation. They were so happy to be together and to have shared the years that they'd shared together. Mom said afterward that she and dad cried, and that their vow renewal was more emotional than their marriage ceremony, because of all the memories they had together and all the things they'd shared together over the years. She said that it was the most wonderful trip she'd ever taken. And it was definitely memorable.

Sissy, what are 3 rules that you live by?

The three most important rules that I live by are:

1. Never regret anything because at one point, it was exactly what you wanted. I've actually already used this quote before because it means that much to me. I can't stress how much I want to live my life without regrets. I've seen so many people make HUGE mistakes in their life and I don't want to be one of those people. I don't want you to be one of those people either. I want you, and myself, to make good choices in our lives and never to regret the things that we do.

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2. If you wouldn't say it to their face, don't say it behind their back. I have a problem with people that talk behind others' backs. Before I talk about someone, I always find myself saying, "Would I say this to that person?" If the answer is yes, it's okay to say. If the answer is no, it's time to let the mental filter kick in.

3. Don't do anything halfway. Work your hardest at whatever it is you're doing because 99% of the time, to do the things that you love, you have to do the things that you hate. If you work hard to do the things that you hate, you will have more time to do the things that you love and you will appreciate those things more.

Sissy, who is your best friend?

Megan and I at our
high school play

I think at this point, it's safe to say that I don't have a best friend. I have a lot of really good friends, but no best friend. Mom is one of my really good friends. For some reason, mom and I have always had a really good relationship and it's easy for me to talk to her, and her to I. Megan is another of my really good friends. You'll probably remember Megan when you read this. Megan was the one who always helped you clean up your room because you could sweet talk her into it.

Megan and I became friends our sophomore year of high school. We had journalism together our freshman year, after she came here from Marquette, but she was good friends with another girl whom I didn't really like. Our sophomore year, the girl that Megan was good friends with dropped out of journalism and Megan and I started hanging out. Seventh hour journalism, sophomore year. It was the birthplace of our friendship. We are like fire and ice. Megan is the good to my bad, and I am the good to her bad.

My other friend Liz

My other really good friend is Liz. Liz and I have been friends for a long time. I don't exactly remember how the story goes, but our friendship was born one day during recess in Mrs. Lindholm's kindergarten class. We've been on-again, off-again friends ever since then. Liz and I are so much alike that there are bound to be times where we aren't going to get along. The fights that we have are completely stupid, but they're enough to cause us not to talk for months at a time. Somehow, we always seem to find our way back to each other.

There are a number of other really good friends, but these are the three most prominent. I keep these people the closest to my heart because they mean everything to me. They are the people that hold my secrets and understand me the best. No matter how many fights we have, we'd never betray one another's trust because we all share the sacred bond of friendship. I only hope that you can be as lucky as I have been to find such good friends.

Sissy, what are the family nicknames?

For starters, daddy always gives the people he loves nicknames. It's just what he does best. Grandpa terry always did this, too. So below, I'll explain what our nicknames are and why they are what they are.

Daddy always used to call me Flabbajeana, or Spaghetti Flab. I'm not really sure why he called me this. I think it was because it was just funny. Grandpa Terry always called me Pokey because I was born almost an entire week later than my due date. I was schedule to be born on the 11th of November and was instead born on the 17th. He called me Pokey puppy, and eventually just shortened it to Pokey.

Bruster's nickname was always Francois (pronounced Fran-swah). Daddy just liked the way that Francois rolled off his tongue. Mommy used to tease daddy that if he didn't start using Bruster's name, she was going to have to legally change it to Francois. Eventually, daddy stopped calling Bruster Francois and adopted mom's nickname, Bubba. We always call Bruster Bubba now. Grandpa Terry's nickname for him was Tank because when he was born, he weighed 9 lbs, 3 oz. and was built like a tank.

You were always called Flumpy Buns, or Flump for short. You got your nickname from your adorable baby buns. When we were getting ready for another one of your baths, dad was holding you on his forearm and your butt was just hanging off the edge. He said that you had some "flumpy baby buns." Thus the nickname was born. Grandpa Terry never got around to giving you a nickname. He just kind of adopted the nickname Flump, too. He thought it suited you well.

Your cousin Dariann was given the nickname Chewy by Grandpa Terry. When we were little, we always knew when Grandpa Terry was in the kitchen because we'd hear him say, "Where's Pokey and Chewy?" We were never called "Abbey and Dariann". It was always "Pokey and Chewy".

Beyond those few, I can't remember what the other family nicknames were. Dariann's sisters Katelyn and Taygen both had nicknames, too, but they seem to be escaping my memory right now. Of course, daddy only ever nicknamed us because we were the only ones that were precious enough to receive a nickname. You'll never escape yours. Trust me on that one.

Sissy, what's one thing that you regret?

I don't regret anything. I try to keep this phrase in mind: "Never regret anything because at one time, it was exactly what you wanted." I don't regret the things that I've done wrong in my life because they are what made me who I am; they were what I wanted. Without mistakes, we wouldn't learn lessons. That's why I will always encourage you to make mistakes so that you may learn from them. It won't be easy. Nobody ever promised that it would be. But maybe one day, when you look back and think about all the things you've said and done, you'll live by the same phrase.

Sissy, what are some of the funniest things I've said or done?

You are what I like to call a goober. You're a nerdball to the extreme! If I'm ever in a bad mood, you are always able to bring me up because of how much of a dork you are. You're just like me.

One particular morning, we'd been sleeping in the big recliner because you were afraid of the dark and when we woke up, you were complaining about having a big wedgie. You said, "Stinkin' underwear goin' up my butt crack!" Just the way you said 'butt crack' was enough to make me bust a gut! I even recorded it so that one day, you could laugh at it, too.

Sissy, am I a good cheerleader?

You are the best cheerleader! When you hit a high 'V', you make me smile because your elbows hyperextend and your fists are turned the wrong way. When you jump, you make me laugh because your toes aren't quite pointed and you don't get very high off the ground, but it's still fantastic. When you smile as you holler out a cheer, you make me proud to be your cheerleading coach because I know how hard you work to remember those cheers. When you laugh and giggle with your cheer friends, you make my heart burst with pride because you understand the importance of being a cheerleader: pumping up the crowd, making friends, and having a lot of fun.

You're the most wonderful cheerleader of all time!