Thank you all for your kind words and prayers. Please know that I love each one of you and it is friends and family like you that make life so meaningful. Each of you have a special place in my heart. Sincerely, Marian

I don't know so much what you can do for your dn, but her parents need to get involved in helping with the baby and taking care of her. At that age, she is old enough to give the baby a bottle, help dress her, change diapers, etc. If dn is involved in taking care of the baby, she won't notice how much attention the baby is getting. She is at an age when she needs to start learning more about responsibility and helping others. My parent had more babies when I was 8 1/2, 10, and 12 1/2. I never experienced any jealosy. I always enjoyed having the new babies around. I guess you might try to tell your dn how you and your sister always enjoyed being sisters. You might try to give her a gift reflective of when you and your sister were little or maybe something like a necklace that is reflective of the fact that she is growing up and doing new things.

Thank you everybody for sharing my excitement!!! This is just crazy...and bestlawn, I love your idea, how thoughtful is that? Another shock for her system~ I love it!!! Just a little background on my family. Our parents both died within several years of each other, in 1987-1990. I think the three of us were so devestated, that we all just kept on with our lives. Nobody really spoke about it. There are three of us. I am the middle kid.We live in three different states. Oregon, Washington, and me in Texas. I noticed that my brother and sister just were not talking, and had not for years. Some stupid personal tiff that neither wanted to back down on. Something stupid from the 70's. Ok, so here it is guys....mom and dad are dead, are we really going to not talk to each other for the rest of our lives? I am not going to let this happen. My lifes goal, if I did nothing else, would to get my brother and sister back together again. Whatever it took. I kid you not, I spent years sending them pictures of each other, and keeping each other up on their personal lives. I was determined as hell, and nothing worked. Then, sis was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a hint of them getting back together again. This situation screamed we would not live for ever, and you two knock it off!! They finally called each other, and my heart is at peace. It just took for one of us to have a brush with death to get everybody there. I know I have gone on too long about this, so I will keep it short, but, sister is coming to see me, and we will be calling brother when she gets here. What ever I can do to keep our family the way it was meant to be, I will do. This Texas trip is a huge, and, I do mean a huge, step in that direction. I will spoil sister with ever ounce of energy I have in me. This trip is an icon for us kids. Trin

Shouldn't they sell the shirts with the company name/logo ... ... for half price?? (Instead of double ... due to their so-called ... and much vaunted ... great rep)?! And made, in almost all cases, for peanuts ... by (almost) slave labour. ole joyful P.S. I have one, don't know where it appeared from, as I haven't been anywhere within a dozen miles of that agency, captioned, "U.S. NAVY". There's one put out by my Dad's family, that have had an annual family reunion for over 110 years ... and one from Mom's, that began reunions every three years, about 30 years ago (most recent one was at brother's farm in Saskatchewan). Wear 'em to the gathering. o j