Good Tuesday morning, everyone!  I am back from a family celebration in San Antonio.  My younger sister is now everybody’s sister.  My sister Nicole took her first vows to be a Nun in the Catholic church.

It was a wonderful weekend.  The church was full of people who love my sister.  I was so overwhelmed and proud.  Person after person told me how Nicole is a good friend to them and a wonderful human being.  I had countless older people tell me that my sister is like a daughter to them.  What a testament to the kind of person my sister is!!  My sister may have taken a vow of poverty, but she is truly rich in all the ways that matter.

While it was great to be back in Texas and see lots of family and friends, we had Texas-sized temperatures.  On Saturday, we reached 100 degrees.  The other days we were there, it was 97.  Even my kids commented about how hot it was.  To help the kids cool off and reward them for having to sit through quite a few sit-down events, my dad bought the kids tickets to a Water Resort outside San Antonio.  We took the kids on Sunday afternoon.  It was so much fun.

The kids also enjoyed flying and were pretty well-behaved on the plane.  I always feel bad for the other passengers on the flight.  Let’s face it.  Whenever people see small children boarding the plane, their first thought is usually… Oh, my.  Please tell me those kids aren’t sitting near me.  It’s o-k.  I completely understand.  I was pretty proud of my kids’ behavior, especially during the flight home.

I am especially proud of my sister.  I know that God is going to use her for wonderful things.  He already has.  It’s amazing how many lives she’s touched and how many people love her.  One of the priests at the reception said something that inspired all of us.  He said that while God chose my sister to enter the religious life, we all have a vocation in life.  Whether we’re married, a parent or single, we can all carry out our purpose with a smile in our heart and show others how God’s love works in our lives.  I know my sister has inspired me to be a better person.  I’ve always thought she was special.  Now so many other people know it too.