I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

Today is my baby sister’s birthday.

I KNOW…..isn’t she beautiful!  She was our walking, talking baby doll !!!!!

My older sister Charlotte couldn’t keep her hands off her.  She has always LOVED babies.  Charlotte would be getting ready for school and Mama would say…be quiet so you don’t wake the baby.  Somehow before Charlotte would walk out the door for school she would end up with Debbie on her hip.  She would usually say….Well…look who I found!

She was our blonde headed, brown eyed barrel of fun.  And she still is!

She is always full of surprises….

This is my son Garrett and his Aunt Debbie.  He was only a few months old here and you can tell he wasn’t sure about her.  I laughed as he looked at me like “MOM…help”.

This captures a tiny bit of her quick humor.

Funny, I was only about four years old here, but I remember getting this picture made.  The photographer used one of those camera’s that is black and on a tripod and he covered his head under the cloth while taking the picture.  My arm is around my baby sister.  I can remember wanting to make sure she wasn’t going to fall.  I suppose that was the big sister in me.

I haven’t out grown that….I never like to see her hurt.

I have enjoyed her so much through the years.   Oh…. sure, we all tortured her just a little when she was younger… but that’s what siblings do.   Charlotte and I would tell her that she couldn’t play with us unless she would go and get us a glass of tea.  And so…she would.  Hey, when you are young and something like that works…well you keep doing it.  Eventually she wised up and quit.  Then of course, we still played with her.

One Christmas I got a baby doll that sat in a special high chair.  It had a little tray with a card in it.  You would put the tray in front of the doll in the high chair.  The picture would be of carrots or peas or whatever.  The baby doll would then shake her head yes or no, to tell you if she wanted it or not.  This baby was a really special baby.  This was back in the day when you cried for your babies…they didn’t make noise and wet and all that stuff like they do now.  One day Debbie wanted to take it to her friend Donna’s house.  I told her no.  I didn’t want her to break it.

Well, a little while later….here comes Debbie with my doll and it’s arm was hanging with wires everywhere.  Needless to say I wasn’t happy.

Now… I really do not remember anymore to the story than that….Debbie might.  But for years I would tease her about what she did to my baby doll.

I was about 35 years old when I opened a Christmas present from her at our family Christmas get together…YEP, she bought me the closest doll she could find that resembled the one she destroyed.  We ALL had a good laugh.

She has brought a lot of laughter to our family…seems like the baby of the family is the one who seems to do that best.

I am sure she especially brought a lot of joy to Mama.

Mom had a really hard time during that pregnancy, and then three months after Debbie was born, Daddy died.  Can you imagine….I really couldn’t until I had my own son and reflected on how young she really was at 3 months.

The good part of that is….Debbie was a blessing to Mom.  She was someone to hold and cuddle up to.  She had to make Mama smile when she started doing all the cute things babies do.  I am sure that got Mom through a lot of tough days.  She brightened all our lives.  I am so glad God sent her to our family.

She has loved and been so supportive to my children and now my grandchildren.

And she is my prayer partner.  We constantly tell one another about prayer concerns.  It is so special to have not just her but both of my sisters  join me in prayer for people that cross our lives.

She is an awesome Wife and Mother.

She was always our little coppertone girl.  She used to look just like the little girl on the ad.

She has always loved the beach.

Today she is celebrating her Birthday at the beach!

I hope you have a wonderful time!

I love you Dootles.

Happy…Happy…Happy…. Birthday!