To my Sister, Penny

A while ago, for a birthday gift, Penny gave me a sisters journal. I tried for a while to e-mail a few things, but I haven't done it often. Someone told me lately that we can print our blogs and use them for a history of our lives. I decided that I am going to figure that out and that every time I can I will post one of the pages out of the journal and dedicate it to my sister Penny. Penny is the one in our family that does something about her desire to learn about family. She got that from my mom. I have the desire, but never follow through. Sooooo, for my sister.....

January 1 - When we were young we sometimes celebrated the New Year by...
Well, frankly, I don't remember a New Year back far enough. I don't think we really made a big deal of it in our early life. The only New Year's day I remember is when I was a teenager. I was at my friend, Kirk Bourne's house for a party. I came running around a corner at his house, for some reason I don't recall, and tripped on a rug and fell on my face. Uhggggg. Embarrasment was an understatement, being the cool person I was sure I was. Yea, every one of my friends at that party, including Blake Sandall, laughed at me. It was aweful.
My favorite New Years was when we were between houses and we were renting a home in Orem away from our school boundries and Ward boundries. Krissa was about 11, Stephen 9, Taylor 5 and Sarah was 18 months. We didn't feel good about leaving the kids home so we decided to have a party with our family. Penny was there too. We had a war of games between the boys and the girls. We shot bow and arrows at a target (nerf), had a rubberband and plastic army guy war, and a Doctor Mario contest. It was so fun. I will never forget it. I have since tried to recreate it, but never have.

One of my earliest memories of you is.....
I was 5 when Penny was born. When mom went into Labor with her, I was taken to my Grandma and Grandpa Archibald's house to stay for the week they would be gone. One of the things I kept being told was that I was finally going to have a sister to play with. Because I was 5 and the only Grandchild on my Dad's side and the youngest in a long line of Grandchildren on my Mom's side, I am sure they were all concerned about how I would handle losing a little of the lime light I had always enjoyed. So based on all the wonderful things people kept saying about having a new little sister, my mind was quite warped and unprepared for her arrival. First of all, I got a cold so my Grandpa felt I needed to go to the Dr. for a penicillin shot, so as not to get the baby sick. In those days, that is what happened when you went to the Dr. So I remember being chased around his house and then corned behind a chair before I was caught and hauled off to the Doctor. Sure enough, the shot was given. When my mom and Grandma pulled up into the driveway at Grandma's house I was looking out her big front window, excited to get my first glimpse of my new best friend. Instead of a little girl sitting on Mom's lap in the front seat of the car, they pulled in and hauled out a little, tiny, fragile baby that I was not to get near. You can just imagine how things went after that.

January 4 - Mom and Dad always said you were....
I was forever being told that Penny was the sweet one, the kind one, the easy child. I remember my Dad telling me that Penny would always get caught if she tried to do something naughty, but I was too sly for that, I could do it and get away with it. I have since apologized many many times to Penny for the way I took advantage of her sweetness. I could get her to do anything for me. All my chores, covering for me when I wanted to do something I shouldn't, etc. etc. I am not proud if it, but have since taken solace in the fact that she seems to have forgiven me and the atonement takes care of the rest right?