The weekends are usually nothing special for me, but this weekend will definitely be one to remember.

After months of serving faithfully in Iraq, one of my younger sisters, Mercedes Taylor, will come home. And as many siblings, parents and cousins with family members serving in Iraq, Kuwait or Afghanistan can relate, I’m grateful “Cede” will return home safe and sound.

The knee baby, Taylor girl No. 5, is only 6 years my junior. As many may know, my five sisters and I are close in age and have a strong bond. However, I won’t lie and say that I’ve never been in a couple of violent brawls with them a time or two.

When Cede announced in mid November of last year that she would be stationed in Iraq at the end of the month, I had mixed emotions.

Sure she would serve her country as an army soldier and sure she would have steady income, but why did she have to travel more than 6,841 miles away from home to do so? I was disappointed she would not be there to help me celebrate my college graduation. I was sad she didn’t choose to go to college instead.

I would often talk to my sister on the phone or through Skype on my father’s desktop computer for hours, and for some odd reason, Cede didn’t seem as far away.

It’s funny, but I still remember how at the age of 1, Cede almost ruined her right eardrum attempting to clean inside her ears with a bobby pin while we lay in the same bed or how she threatened my life with a broken broomstick during an argument. Oh, the memories.

I feel the pain of many who have military family members fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I know how it feels to wonder with each passing day how your family members are doing.

Are they in danger? Did they have a brush with death? Are they in pain? I’ve sent hundreds of prayers up making sure God protected my little sister and kept her safe. In my heart, I knew she’d be okay.

This weekend, I am grateful the Lord has given me one more chance to create another memory with my sister.

We can talk for hours about her time in Iraq — her likes and dislikes, and of course we can talk about the things most women enjoy, shopping and men. I’m excited all ready.

Welcome home Cede-Lede. Desi loves you.