Sarah asked me a question about how I got my nickname "Andi." As you probably know, my real name is Andrea Rose, but nobody but my mother (and other adults) ever, ever call me that. So...how did Andrea turn into Andi? Well...that's my sister Melinda's fault. She was five years old when I was born, and she really liked having a baby sister she could dress up and treat like a doll.

However, it didn't take long for Melinda to figure out that I didn't like playing princesses or tea party. I would rather follow my brothers around and play with the horses, and climb trees or play in the barn. One day when I was about four years old, Melinda finally got so riled up that she complained to Mother. She said, "Mother, I don't know why you ever named my sister 'Andrea.' She's acts so much like a boy that you should have named her 'Andy.'

I liked that name and it stuck. Chad, especially, thought it was perfect for me. Even Melinda started calling me 'Andi', and before I knew it, she was joining me in climbing trees, racing our horses, and having lots of fun. (OK, I also occasionally agreed to play tea party and princess with Melinda, too). After all, that's what sisters do!

I hope that answered your question, Sarah