my nieces, part 1

So this is the first of a 4 part series about four remarkable young women I proudly call my nieces. It's true, I am prejudiced in this subject, but that comes with having known them since they were born, so I have some attachment.
My next-youngest niece celebrated her birthday yesterday. I won't say which one as that would just make me feel older and I don't need that. Although I could not be with her on her day, I did extend my wishes and love via Facebook, one of the few redeeming virtues of that site. I told her in my message that it did not seem that long ago that I was reading bedtime stories to her. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with her when she was little, as I would come and stay with them a lot. I think it is safe to say their home was like a second home to me. So I would come and stay and play with my nieces, read them stories, and yes, change the occasional diaper. So she grew up knowing who her uncle was, I knew her. I would read her those stories at bedtime, over and over. Dr. Seuss got to be a way of life. As she would drop off to sleep I would try to get off cheap by skipping some pages. I would no sooner skip a page when her eyes would open and she would say "uncle Kerry you  missed a page". So I would start over, reading from the last page.  As she grew up she was unbelievably cute, as many photos from those years reveal. Very cuddly and loving, she spent countless hours in my lap, both of us blissful in the knowledge that we were safe and loved. In one of my first official acts, I was asked to be her godfather and  I promised to do so. I think in some way, that gave a special quality to our relationship. As she grew into a young woman and then an adult, I was not able to see her as often as I would like. She was on her way through life, having boyfriends, high school, college. I enjoyed meeting her boyfriends, and would 'run them through the mill' when I met them, letting them know they would have to pass my standards if they wanted to spend time with her. This was known as the Uncle Kerry test. I made more that a couple young men think twice when they met me and I believe she took great enjoyment out of that. As a Girl Scout, she would call me every spring, saying 'hi unc, how many boxes this year?', hitting me up for those famous cookies. Every year I bought and ate more that I should have, but my resistance to her was nil. Later in life, I had the honor of reading at her wedding, something I took great pride in doing. Later I watched as she handled a divorce and a battle with cancer with strength and character. She won that battle and has made a good life for herself, with a family that loves her and many good friends. To this day, she still calls me 'Uncle Kerry' and puts her arms around me when she sees me. And I am pretty sure that if I were to read to her now, she would open her sleepy eyes and say, 'don't skip anything unc'. Happy Birthday Shanie Lee.