I was almost six years old when my sister, Alexi (aka Flawless), was born. And I was pumped. I wanted a baby sister like no other; wished on stars, asked Santa a few times, and even maybe used some of my birthday wishes when I blew out my candles, too.

I mean, really, how lucky is she that I dedicated one of my sacred birthday wishes to her (I wasn’t that old, so I didn’t have too many candles on that bunny cake to just give away); shouldn’t she thank me or something?

Lex would probably disagree because after she started crawling, I basically stopped being a doting older sister. That’s harsh. Let me explain.

She was getting into my stuff! I wanted to play school and she didn’t want to be my student (plus she never did her homework). I wanted to have my friends over and she wanted to hang out with us (homegirl didn’t have her own friends yet). I wanted to be cool; I wanted to do my own thing.

I’m ashamed to admit that we didn’t form a true bond until I moved away for college. I missed out on a lot of memories during my teenage years because like I said, I wanted to be cool (was I really though? Eh, not likely). And let me tell you–she does not let me live that down. I suppose that’s fair.

Anyway, this weekend is Lexi’s birthday. Always the weekend before Halloween. She was cute in the typical newborn costume (a pumpkin), but man, did she really jam up my trick-or-treating that year.

As one of the people who wholeheartedly supported this little blog from the beginning, and is often our unpaid tech support, I would be an idiot if I didn’t recognize this monumental day in October.

As the older sister, I’ve been there from the beginning. So, I’ve been able to watch her grow up before my eyes (and witnessed all the questionable haircuts and outfits my mom thought were super cute in the 90s). Here are a few qualities that run deep in my girl, Flawless.

She’s strong. Mentally, yes. She overcame several adversities while playing high school and college softball, all while keeping her head held high.

But physically…wow. When I was probably 10, she locked me in our playroom. As in, stood against the door and wouldn’t let me out. And ya know, I couldn’t get physical on my end because she was stronger (how, I’m not sure because she was a TODDLER…although I’m convinced the boys are stronger than I am when I’m wrestling them to change their diapers, so either I’m extremely weak or toddlers have superhuman strength). And because “she’s a baby, you can’t hit her, you’re supposed to set the example.”

She’s loyal. Flawless will stick with you ’til the end and she’ll be your biggest cheerleader in the process. There’s a hard stop when you ask her to go shopping with you (specifically somewhere like Marshall’s). She’ll drop you like a bad habit.

She’s adventurous. Basically she’ll try anything once and is always in for a good time. Except hot yoga. She tried it, hated me the whole 50 minute class, and will never do it again. But she will bike around town with you though, end up parking a car horizontal in the garage, and even try on a pair of tap shoes just for fun.

She’s kind. Flawless is a 2nd grade teacher, so kindness is like a prerequisite for teaching that age group. She always tries to see the good in everyone, until you beat her in a game. Like all games or any competitive activity. She’s not a fan of losing…in anything.

She’s smart. She knows a lot about sports and knows how to manage her money, too (two qualities Ryan wishes I ended up picking up; are we even related?). One thing she doesn’t seem to know is how far Chicago is from our hometown. This is surprising considering I’ve lived there for almost 15 years. Can’t win ’em all.

She’s supportive. Flawless will be by your side through thick and thin. But be warned, she might give you a hard time if you’re not eating all your fave snack foods during Christmas (because you have extreme morning sickness), and she might laugh at you while she laps you in the hospital (because your legs are so swollen from carrying her twin nephews). But she’ll still be there for ya!

Most importantly, she’s the best sister. I’m truly lucky to call her mine. All of our memories, inside jokes, and laughs hold a special place in my heart. And I suppose I’m ok with this weekend being all about her.

Happy Birthday, Flawless! We love you!