My Favorite Child

I wish I had all the pictures I wanted, to go with this blog post........because I know a *picture paints a thousand words*, but for a large part of our family's life, old fashion cameras and old fashion pictures were being used.  So, many of the pictures that would help paint this post are somewhere in boxes and books.  It would take a month of Sundays to find them all so  I will just have to count on your imagination and my memory!


FAVORITE: most liked, preferred above all others

Sara, you were my favorite.  You were our first baby and we were so excited for you.  Your hair was perfect for me to learn how to braid and you always were very still for me.  You were the first little girl I got to dress up and put lacy socks on.  You were such a fun little girl to read to.  You memorized the books we had and it was a big part of our day to read with each other.  *where is the bear when the wind blows cold?*.
   You have always been interested in the *family tree*, dates, pictures, aunts and uncles.........I haven't minded letting you have all the old pictures and documents because I know you care the most about them.  If you had a dream house, it would have long hallways so you could hang family pictures to your heart's content!  
You were my favorite the days your babies were born.  You wanted me there and that's pretty special.  You were always very free with your babies to me.......I could dress them in their new little clothes and hold them and do Grandmotherly things with them, and you just smiled.  Your babies were my babies.  

You were a GREAT older sister.  They would have put you in the zoo if they knew what you could do.  You always had ideas and you carried them out with your brothers and sisters.  You were their *playtime* leader.  There was always a plan to be carried out and you helped your mother by playing so well.  

You've always been fun to give things to, you notice the little things and love them.  Maybe that's why you liked to color.  You kind of ruined it for the rest of the kids because I thought ALL kids would like to color like you did!  So, you were my favorite.  From your braids to your lacy socks and everything in between.  

Caleb, you were always my favorite.  You were such a good boy.  I learned to cut hair on your head....then you grew up, made money and got real hair-cuts.  When a child outgrows things and does things in a grown-up way, and does them well, it's a joy to a parent.  You were always excited to work, we never had to beg you to GET UP and do something.  You wanted to be productive. Now you can change out a transmission, lay ceramic tile and do things on a ladder I never dreamed you could do. 
I will always be thankful for the office you built for dad.  And proud.  You worked, saved money, and completed a goal.....and we will benefit from it for years.
  
You were my first boy and I enjoyed you very much.  We went to a camp one year when you were little and I dressed you in your beloved camouflage outfit, and I didn't know where you were the whole day!
If you got hurt you took it like a man and didn't whine.  That was a good thing.  
You were my favorite when you cooked for the family on Wednesdays so I could take the girls to piano lessons.  Then you got older and started to grill......AND marinate!  
You were very easy to do school with.....you could read before you started kindergarten and you were patient with ME while I taught you what you already knew. 

I remember looking at you right before you got married.....you were standing by the picture window in the house in Alaska....I remember you getting off the plane and you had on a shirt I had never seen before.  I dressed you for so many years, it was kind of a jolt.  But you made it a good jolt.  You now are a suit wearing, preacher/song-leader and I couldn't be more proud of you!  You're my favorite.

Olivia, you were always my favorite.  You were my right hand.  And my left.  I'm pretty sure it was your idea to use *recipes* for meals.  It was news to me.  I remember not wanting you to even touch the toaster, then you grew up and made pies with little decorations on the crust.  I taught you how to use scissors in the Rod and Staff coloring books, then you make quilts.
  You would fix everybody's clothes before pictures, you would fix the front room nice, you would fix the tables.....then you would fix supper.  You were my domestic doily maker and I enjoyed teaching you and then enjoyed watching you take off with your skills.  You loved to get groceries with me and it was always fun when you went.  Remember getting cookies from Randall's?  
You wore jumpers and long dresses.......and enjoyed it. You know I love people that wear jumpers.  You helped me figure out how to make things....like purses with straps.  You made holidays special with your decorations and thought put into each thing.  You were my favorite the day you passed the driving test, in the van, and did your parallel parking without a hitch.  
You were my favorite when you decorated your bedroom wall with old hats and put mice on your shelves.  You tried to garden, but it just didn't work.  Maybe one of these days it will for you.  You were my favorite on Sunday mornings when you and I would buy ice....and a bear claw from Stop-n-Go........while all the while, we knew it wasn't a bear claw. 
You played a special song for me at your piano recital and I will never forget it.  We both liked purses and shoes and having you for a daughter was truly a joy. Yes, you were my favorite. 

			Daniel, you were really my favorite.  You were always super excited about everything you got to do.  Especially school.  You rubbed your hands together with glee the first day, and it was an adventure every day after that.   You were my main gardening boy.  Remember doing lawn books in school?  You helped me move heavy things, take garden/yard trash to the sidewalk trash pile.......you were always out there with me.  We drank lots of pop with each other and enjoyed many a hot gardening day.  I didn't realize how much you DID help, until you were gone.  I then saw how messy everything was and  how heavy bricks were.   You loved to make the yard look nice......mowing and weed-eating.  And blowing.  Then you grew up and brought me a load of city dirt that ended up taking me almost two years to whittle down to a nice little acceptable pile.   You were my favorite salesman for Mo-Cookies.  You didn't flinch going into places and selling them......I have a picture of some art work you did with the money one time.   Then you built me a new kitchen.  Just like I wanted it.  It's bright and cheery and it was a gift from you.  It has helped me want to cook....just a little.    You were the first official Snoopy Baby.   You went to bed early and got up early, which meant we had morning time with each other when everybody else was in bed.  You were my favorite when you were putting together model ships.  Your love for Titanic history was great, and it proved you could write a good paragraph.  Titanic Station!     You and I rode bikes to old downtown Freeport and bought gum and ice cream.....drove to Sonic in your truck and ate Kroger cheesecake.  Yep. You were always my favorite.   Kimberly, you were really my favorite.  You are the reason we had Lydia......because you were so much fun!

	If ever anybody likes to drink out of a fun cup, it is you. If it is orange, you will like it.  It's a fun thing to like that color.....one of these days when you're gone, I'll miss you very much and all the orange things you will take with you.   Not very many people let me put foam rollers in their hair, but you liked me to......while we watched the Weakest Link.
And games?  I have always had insurance knowing that you would play games with me.  I also had assurance that you would win.  Here I teach you how to read and count and then you WAX me in almost every game we play.  That's OK, for we made memories.  Good for you, bad for me.   You were my favorite when you got up to be with Daniel in the mornings and made him breakfast....and a lunch.  It's always nice to see your kids love each other and get along.   You have filled our life with music.  When you are gone, the house will be so quiet.  I so much enjoy listening to you play piano.  When the windows are open and I'm outside doing yard work, it makes me smile to hear the tunes coming out of the house.  I always thought it would be so neat to have a piano AND a good player.....and I have both.  I remember hearing you add notes on to a simple song when you were just learning....and you just got better and better, almost on your own.  You will ask.....what do you want me to play?  My answer has been #72 in the hymn book.  You're my favorite when you play that song. We've played badminton in the front yard in the wind.  Now that is some kind of hard, but we would stay after it.  We'd play washers if it was TOO windy. But it is never too windy to go to the beach.......put on our old clothes, stop at Bucees, drive over the scary bridge to Surfside.  Eat strawberries and throw Cheetos's to the birds. Sure enough.  You're my favorite.  Lydia, Lydia.  How time flies.  You were a horse, a cheetah, a kitty, a puppy, a bunny.....I was never out of animals when you were little. You loved those wildlife videos.....you watched them over and over.   You were such a fun little kid.  Your hair was thick and hard to braid, but I did it anyway.  By the time I got to you, I was pretty good at it!   You came about when we had digital cameras and it was easy to take hundreds of pictures.  I loved to see you in your pretty dresses, your hair all curled and dolls or rabbits in your hands.   You were my favorite for sure when we played Yahtzee all those days.  I wonder how many boxes of Sweet-Tarts we ate?  You were the chosen child one time to take somebody to the airport, and on the way home we stopped to eat.  You said you wanted shrimp.  I will never forget that.  (like you ate it every day) You were the last of the girls to wear the dresses I saved from Sara.......the most special being the apron dress.  I hated to see you grow out of it.   I bought you Lunchables for the camp outs, and Hi-C.  You called it hic.  When learning to read, you also sounded out Dr. Pepper......and said DER Pepper.    One very special January 1st, you went shopping with dad and I.  You played your ukulele ALL day long when we were in the van and sang your heart out.  Then you grew up and learned to play and sing to Redwing with Glori and Gracee, your friends.  I love to see you skating with them, too.  On ice.  You just put a pair of skates on and got right out there like you'd done it a hundred times.   I pat you on the head before bed, I buy you special pop-tarts and root-beer, because you are my favorite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have more inside jokes than family secrets.  We haven't ever tried to hide anything........there are plenty songs, rhymes, pictures, scenes and thoughts that come to me all the time that take me back to the days when the house was full of littles. it's not that easy being green somewhere, out there........ Music Box Dancer heavy duty clown socks cleaning the shop Dover coloring books Little Ducky Duddle Big Jon and Sparkie don't jam a broom handle into the spokes of a bike.... you can fly if you jump off the side of the red truck baggy buns tiles from Andy the first cool front I loved all of you kids for who you were and you were all my favorites.  As each one of you came to me, there was just more room in my heart.  All six of you kids made growing up years in this house a joy.  Yes, sometimes I'd like to go back, but that's not possible.  I'd like to have you all together on the couch for a good picture again, but I know it's not possible.  It's really not as important as having you all in heaven when all is said and done.  Let us be scattered while on earth and be in the same place for eternity.   I love you all and only wanted the best for you.....to live happily ever after because you loved God and His Word....because to obey is better than sacrifice.  Would you like to buy an O? :)