I USED TO CARRY HER AROUND

Fifteen years ago next week, our family was blessed with a tiny, chubby, genius child. My step mom and father named her Kathryn Marie and she has continued to amaze us ever since.

I was 13 when Kate was born. To me, I figured having a baby sister would be a lot like having a puppy. And I have to admit, it kind of was at first. But imagine if that puppy started to speak in full sentences...following you around... dressing like you... all while trying to get your attention by saying your name - but failing miserably because its brain wasn't totally developed at 2 years old.

Truth be told... as annoying as her antics were in my teen years, they were just as equally endearing.

So where is she now? Well... still busy being a genius, naturally. She's in pretty much every advanced class you can take in high school, a straight A student and an active participant in church, extracurricular activities and community service programs. The clincher though? She's not a huge dork. She's friends with people of all ages and walks of life and has this incredible, sarcastic (and silly) sense of humor.

She's also an entire head taller than me, which freaks me out because just a mere 8 years ago I was carrying her around on my hip at my college basketball games.

So, in celebration of her 15th birthday, I'd like to present a few of my most favorite memories of my baby sister:

- Trying to sleep in at my dad's house when I was 15, and having her 2 year old, screaming, laughing self repeatedly jump on my head to wake me up at 6am.

- Her feeble attempt at saying certain words properly at ages 2 to 3.5:

"Mano Man" = Snowman
"Dondalds" = McDonald's
"Tree Tundle" = Tree Tunnel (referring to the trees growing over the road where we were driving)
"Gigon Ging" = Lion King

- Her "spinnin' dress" phase - where she insisted on wearing only skirts for an entire year. She would scream in protest if you tried to put pants on her. My parents lost this war.

- Singing karaoke with her in the basement of my dad's house when I was 17 and she was 4. We sang Alanis Morissette's "Thank You," which was playing on the radio at the time. One of the lines was, "How bout no longer being masochistic," which she pronounced, "mas-toe-kiss-ticks." We have this on video.

- Feeling a sense of sadness for the loss of her little kid days... but excitement for the years to come.

Something tells me we're going to be great friends.

Happy B-Day, Baby Sis.