Starting at the Beginning...

I have been thinking a long time about what my first official "memory" should be on here. I started thinking about what my first "memory" is of Travis and Rachel. To be honest, I don't remember my first memory of Travis. He is 2 years and 353 days older than me. (I never used to like him being older than I was, so I liked to remind him he wasn't quite 3 years older than me..altho I am totally OK with him being older than I am now!) Travis has just "always been there". I'm sure he remembers me at a younger age than I have a first memory of him. (He says he can remember looking at his mobile in his crib. Mom verifies the correct mobile, but I'm not sure I'm convinced!)

Rachel...I can remember like yesterday the minute mom told me she was going to have a baby. I was 5. We lived in the house on the parking lot of Moraine Heights at the time. I was in my room playing. Mom came in and said, "Guess what? I have a surprise!" Oh boy!!! Candy? Toy? A new doll? We were going on a trip? Nope! She said, "Mommy is going to have a baby!" Like yesterday I can recall saying back to her, "What are you going to have it for?" I was very confused! She said it was in her belly! I thought that was gross! I can't remember much after that except being very, very worried it was going to be another boy!! Travis was...a boy! I was not ok with another boy.

April 16, 1985 started out as an eventful day from the very beginning. I woke up early, and the house was quiet. I decided to show mom what a big girl I was, so I got myself ready for school. I even brushed my own long, blond hair. I tiptoed quietly down the hall to the little place we kept our school bags etc. I peaked in the living room...who in the world was that??? There was a strange man dressed in a suit asleep on our couch! I ran to mom and dad's room...no one! I ran to Travis' room. By this time I was in a full panic...Shoo! Travis was there. I woke him up. "Travis, someone is sleeping on our couch...and it's not Goldilocks" (ok, so I didn't say that, but it would've been funny!) I did tell him someone was on our couch and mom and dad were gone. Travis ran to the living room with me. He said, "It's Bro. O'Bryant!" He was, and still is, a close, long time family friend..Oh, and our school principal at the time! Bro. O'Bryant heard us by this time. He told us to get ready. Mom and dad had gone to the hospital to have the baby, and we were going to his house for pancakes! Really, I should've heard.."baby", but to be honest- I heard "pancakes"!! YES!!!

I can remember eating pancakes that Mrs. O'Bryant made for us that morning. They were great! The next thing I remember is a knock at our classroom door. Mrs. Eubank, my teacher, called me in to the hallway and told me I had a new baby sister! I was so excited. A sister!!! A real sister!!

It wasn't too long before Rachel Diana Burke came home and joined our little family. (who by this time lived on Maple Hill Dr. in W. Carrollton, Ohio) When mom told me I was getting a new baby in our house, I had no idea the impact this would have on us. Rachel added so much joy, and happiness...and gave me a "doll" to play with for hours on end! I can't wait to share a few of the thousands of memories Rachel and I have made since that day. I might even tell about the time I dropped her on her head! Yep, I'm not kidding..right on her little infant head!

I love you, Rachel!!!! :)