The Girl My Brother Married

About 3 1/2 years ago I was hugely pregnant with twins, and I took Lil Satchmo on a plane to spend a few days at my parents house. We spent our days helping grandpa in the yard, playing in the backyard kiddie pool and taking in all the sights around Indianapolis that a one year old boy could love.
It was a wonderful few days, hanging out doing this and that with family and friends who were then SO far away from me - 1000 miles to be exact - on a daily basis.

When I went home to the Husband, he asked how my trip was. I told him it was great, and "I met the girl Matt is going to marry."

Now they didn't know it at the time.

But I did.

I knew the first time I laid eyes on her. Tall, built like an amazon (not fat - but one of those people with genes built to conquer nations) like all the other women in his life. Strong, funny, and LOUD. My sister in law is loud when she laughs, she is loud when she is mad. She is alive and isn't afraid to let you know she is around.

I liked her immediately. My first strong memory of her is of us howling as my youngest brother tried to tell us about "The Magicians Club" he allegedly saw in LA. He said you couldn't go in because it was a secret club. To which we said "then how did you know about it?" We doubt it's existence to this day. As he tried more and more to EXPLAIN the magicians club his explanation made less and less sense. And we laughed at him more and more (PS if you belong to a Magicians Club in LA please let me know and we'll let him off the hook).

These days we blog together, we IM on and off throughout the day and we play Second Life together. I wish we lived closer, because I know we would go shopping and watch each others kids, have cook outs and visit over coffee and cakes.

Yesterday was their three year anniversary. I should probably have blogged about my brother, but he's a tool and he knows I love him. (Okay he's not a tool).

But I probably haven't ever told April I love her, or not told her recently. Or told her how happy I am that I was right, that she WAS the Girl that Matt Married.

Maybe sometimes you DO get to pick your family.