For Kimberly on her Birthday

This entry is dedicated to my sweet little Kimberly who is not so little, but still very sweet! Happy Birthday!!!

I still remember the first time this family called me and asked me to babysit. I knew they had an adorable dark haired toddler, but as it turns out, they had just adopted a baby boy. He was 2 weeks old and they wanted ME to babysit! I was over the moon!! The first few times, they came to my house so my Mom could be there to help me if I needed it. Kimberly was so bright and happy and cute. My Mom was so good at leading me by example, but she let me do everything. The first time I got to watch them at their house was super exciting and super scary! :D I remember heating up the baby's bottle too hot and trying desperately to cool it down and comfort him at the same time. But, I'll save my Bryce stories for another entry. ;)

I loved playing with Kimberly! She had such an imagination! We would play all kinds of games and she would make up the story and tell me the part I was to play. When they added onto their house, she got to pick things out for her room and was SO proud of her "girl color" carpet! They added a family room downstairs and 2 kid bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. We were playing some game we made up on the stairs when Kimberly shrieked and pointed from the top of the stairs where she was standing down to the bottom of the stairs where she was sure she saw a spider! I didn't see any spiders and thought she was making it up until I went down to investigate and found a spider on the front of the stair almost at the bottom. She must have had spider-radar to see one from that far away on the other side of the stair!! :D We used to play Nintendo games, too. There was a Chip and Dale one in which she was always Chip and always carried Dale (which was me) around upside down on her head! :D LOL It was just as well because I don't think either of us had much of a clue how to actually play, we just had fun laughing together. :)

My badge of honor in their house was that I was dubbed DiNana. I can't tell you how much I loved hearing that Kimberly was excited to have Dinana come over. I loved hearing her call me that and never encouraged her otherwise. :D I remember riding the late bus home from school one day and sitting by Kimberly (who was probably in about first grade) on the bus and when she got off she said, "Bye, Diana!" When I asked her about it later she thought it was SOOOO funny that she had ever called me Dinana. Sad, sad day for me. :D

Another one of my very favorite memories are connected to a beautiful white dress Kimberly used to wear to Church on Sundays. I used to love asking her questions and having her tell me what she remembered about going to the Temple to be Sealed to her new baby brother. Families truly are forever and never have I been taught by example how wonderful and significant joining a family together can be than by this one.

I can't tell you how many times over the years I have wondered what happened to my friends that lived in that cute little house. I have so many, many great memories of watching them and playing with them and even traveling with them to Mesa on an overnight trip. I have never been so grateful for Facebook as when I found them significantly more grown up than last time I knew them! :D Kimberly's girls look SO much like that gorgeous angel girl that I had so much fun with!

I hope you had an awesome birthday, Kimberly! I thought about you all day and had I known how to work the scanner better, this post would have actually made it out ON your birthday! I hope you know how much you are loved by me and how I treasure the memories of you and your wonderful family! Wouldn't it be awesome to be in the same place at the same time someday and get a really real hug? :D Here's a virtual one for now! ;)

I got these pictures probably about a year after I'd been gone. I never got to meet Weston, though I knew he was coming when I left! :) Tell me these kids don't have the absolute cutest grins ever in the whole universe? :D I sure love you guys!!

Oh, and did I mention that we are now preggo at the same time both with boys?! How COOL is that? :D