Worn With Great Joy

Thorough out the thirty something years I have been on this earth I have been a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, a friend, a student, a neighbor, but there is one title that I wear with great pride and an immense amount of joy, and that is Aunt.

To eight munchkins I am Aunt Ali. Nothing fills my heart with greater joy than the time I am able to spend in their presence and feel of their spirit.

It has been the most amazing experience over the past eleven years to see each one of these beautiful individuals join our family and grow and develop into the people that they are.

The oldest of the bunch is Clark. Clark has always had a great love of animals and insects. When he was young he would take my hand and lead me outside to help him explore under rocks to find bugs to add to his collection. He enjoys science and exploring. He is creative and adventurous. I remember many times going over to visit and he has created a whole costume out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Plus you would be amazed at what he can do with scotch tape. One thing that Clark and I have in common is a love of books. I remember his mom telling me about how she had told him that he couldn’t read the newest book in a series until he finished another one that he had to read for school. Well he snuck the new book into his room and would read it before bed each night.

Next comes Bethany. Bethany is all girl. She is a gifted and talented dancer. I remember attending one of her very first recitals and she was dressed as a little wooden soldier in a Christmas performance. She plays the violin and enjoys bringing joy to all of those around her. She loves eating pizza and anything that has sugar in it. ;o) I love her enthusiasm for life.

Elinor is a tender hearted soul. She is a quick learner and loves doing math which she tells me is her favorite subject. She also enjoys using the computer especially to play games. She gives great hugs! This makes her Aunt Ali feel very loved. She was a fun and mischievous toddler. I lived with her family for a short while when she was about two years old. She used to sneak up to my room and have me read to her or play dress up with her. If you couldn’t find Elinor all you had to do is go look in Ali’s room. Her current hobbies include softball and playing the piano.

Faith is our sweet little girl. I swear she never seems to get older. When Faith was younger it took her a while to warm up to me, in fact she used to always call me Barbara, which is my mom’s name. I finally broke the ice with one of my special dates. We went to McDonald’s for ice cream and bought her a pair of Dora flip flops. Those were her special shoes. We then stopped at the grocery store to pick up treats for everyone. Faith knew exactly what everyone liked. She could tell me everyone’s favorite candy and her dad’s favorite kind of cereal. I was amazed at how she knew so much about her family at the age of three. Now we are good friends and I absolutely adore her.

Takara is as her name states, a treasure. She has a beautiful laugh and smile but also a stubborn streak. She knows what she likes and let’s you know it. She loves to dance and to wear dresses and put on fun shoes. She loves watching movies especially if it is her current favorite which could be anything from Horton Hears A Who to Mulan. She loves finding new purses out of her mom’s bags and carrying them around the house with her pink plastic cell phone. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese and anything having to do with macaroni and cheese.

Kaylee is a little fire ball. That girl has spirit! I am not sure how her mom & dad keep up with her. My favorite memory of her is from a day when I was babysitting her so her dad could go to work. She was sitting in the back seat of my car and I turned the radio on and the song, “Single Ladies” by Beyonce came on. I was singing along and Kaylee started clapping and trying to sing too. I replayed the song and she did it again. While we were at my apartment I put it on again and she would start dancing to it. I found out later that I had created a monster. Her family was at a party at a outside park and a neighboring group had music playing and as soon as “Single Ladies” came on Kaylee took off and started dancing to it. I miss that girl!

Next is Cannon. This one is Mr. Rough and Tumble. He is very active and his favorite thing to do is to play with balls. He also enjoys playing peek a boo. He always makes me laugh when I spend time with him.

The youngest of the clan is Mr. Brigham. Brigham likes to roar at things and has such a mellow and sweet personality. He is so smiley and happy and is a great addition to the family.

And by the end of the summer of 2010 there will be two more ... aren't I lucky? I love being Aunt Ali!