These are my sister's five kids, clockwise from the left: Mariah, 17, Britton, 11, Meredith, 15, This One, 8, That One, 8. Mariah is the oldest grandchild on my side of the family, and I remember calling my mom from a pay phone in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1991 to ask if my sister had gone into labor yet. I was in the room when Britton was born. Meredith's was the first diaper I ever changed. And I actually watched my sister go into labor with the twins, an experience you should NOT add to the list of things to do before you die. I thought I was going to witness her slow, torturous death.

She has raised some really good kids, I hope I can do half as good a job.