Happy Birthday, Bethany

I wanted to post a few pictures of the baby that grew up with me. Born October 7, 1970, here you are just a few months later. I thought that Bethany Badger was the prettiest name of any baby at that time. I felt like a big girl at 23 getting to have a baby.
This is my 24th birthday, Nov. 4, 1971. Your Uncle Bruce sent the flowers. He was courting your Aunt Janet at the time. Now you are just over a year old. Now I've had a year to learn to take care of you, myself, your father, and a tiny little Depression Era house.
Here you are in 1972 in your room in our house in North Carolina. You are 2 and expecting a baby sister. Here you taught me how to decorate a little girls room for the first time. Your first room was a closet so that didn't count.
Here we are in 1973. I always liked it that the last digit in the year said how old you were. We are on the Tangle Tower (I have never found another one). You are teaching me how to climb to interesting heights. This is July of 1974 at Nana's home in Beaumont, Texas. You were the little girl who could play with any of your aunts and uncles since they didn't have any children of their own. I was learning to share.
This is part of or vacation in 1976 with Kimberly and baby T.J. You helped me wrangle Kimberly and T.J. in the car. Three children and two adults are unfair odds, but with your help I survived.
Here we are on a ride in Austin, TX in June of 1979. Now there are four Badgers with your little brother Mark. Stephen must be on the way. We are on our way around the park. You were always a good sport about having so many little brothers and sisters.

A picture of us got accidentally deleted here! I'll get it back!



This is the summer of 1980 at The Pickett House in Texas. You were my right hand girl! I know that sometimes I pushed you very hard, but you tolerated my mistakes and I am grateful for your forgiving nature.
This is 1981 in the backyard of the Beaumont house with your Aunts, grandmother, Kimberly, and cousin Amy. You knew how to take care of your cousin, too.
This is Christmas 1981. How do you like your Uncle Bruce's mustache? You are growing up too fast! You taught me how to set a good example.
Here is our big Ram Van in 1983. Now you are officially a teenager. Your brothers and sisters all look so little! You became another parent with me and your father.
This is Christmas 1983. You growing into such a beautiful young lady! You are catching up to your dad and me.
Easter 1986. You are still 15. I always loved buying dresses for my girls. Here is a picture of my indestructable dress that I must have worn to church every Sunday for three years at least! I preferred buying clothes for you rather than myself. It was more fun dressing a beautiful daughter. I loved playing dress-up.
Now it's Christmas 1987 and you look even more glamorous. I have just had Jessica and I'm hiding behind my mother. Becca was not adjusting too well to the new baby girl. You are a senior and getting ready to graduate in the spring. I liked going through high school as a pretty girl instead of the awkward teenager I remember myself being.

This is probably the spring of 1988 with your Aunt Carolyn. Look at our curly hair!
Off to BYU in the late summer of 1988. I got to play college for a few days. It was very hard to part with you since you were my first baby to leave home. I remember thinking, "I've lived with you almost all of my married life, and now you're going to leave me!"
This is a last glamor shot of us taken in late 1989, I think. It wouldn't be long before you married Rich and began your life with someone else. I was your mother for these first 20 years, and I will always be your mother, but now we have had the opportunity over the past 20 years to be best friends, too. Thanks for raising me so well. Love, Mom