Person I Love #1: Katie

Katie is my sister-in-law, and she is so cool.

Some specifics on her coolness and why I love her so much:

Katie always puts others before herself. If it's at all possible, she will go out of her way to help you. She does this without concern for her own cost or time. It's impossible to count the times I've needed something small or big and she has immediately offered to help.

Katie is a wonderful mother. Her patience amazes me. Toddlers are rough, and Katie calmly keeps the day (and night) flowing. When she does get frustrated or upset, she doesn't let it get in the way of parenting her kids. She's a stay at home mom, so she does this every day and every night without a break. On the rare occasion Katie does have a break from mommying, she's hard at work on her job as a wife or doing something for someone. Katie thinks she's a complainer sometimes when she tells me how her day has gone, but the fact that she doesn't wallow in it and moves right on after she's thought about it for a minute makes me think otherwise.

Katie is woman (hear her roar). She is doing the traditional female thing right now, staying at home, doing almost all of the cooking and cleaning with grace and with the conviction that she is absolutely doing the right thing as a mother and a wife. She also stands up for herself when she knows she's right, makes her own decisions and stands by them, and stands up to her kids (hard sometimes!). She is not a self-doubter, and I admire that. Katie is comfortable with herself. She never makes grabs for attention, and she doesn't worry about how she compares to other people.

When I'm with Katie, I'm never ready to leave. We talk and laugh, sigh and sometimes cry. I love Katie.