Memories of 25 Years of Britteni

Let me share some of the memories I have of my sweet firstborn as she turns twenty-five this month (these are not any any order).

She wouldn't take a pacifier, would only suck on my little finger.  "I don't believe in dinosaurs."  She wrote a piece of music in 6th grade and won an award from grades 6-8th.....Loving the Hansen Brothers!!!  Forgetting the last line of "I Like to Look for Rainbows" and having her little sister jump in and finish singing the song......Helping me organize my closet and finding out that "green is #1"!!!!  Singing "Yes, Jesus Loves Me.  We are weak, but He is Long!"  She kicked a chicken to win a race while we visited Branson, MO.  She had to wear either overalls or leggings, because she was too tiny for jeans to fit her waist.  She loved to ride in her pink Barbie convertible!  "What's a Tallen??"  Helping me sponge paint walls.  She was about 4 years old and saw sun rays coming down and said that they were like what Joseph Smith saw when he had his first vision. (I knew then that she was developing a testimony.)  Going shopping for weeks and weeks for "more flowers".  Hours after dinner, while taking a bath, I asked her what she was chewing on.  She said, "It's my chicken."  She watched "The Little Mermaid" countless times!!!  She ran for Student Council.  She She played the flute and the piano.  She dressed up as an amazing clown, and Cruella D'evil for Halloween.  She and I sang along with the radio (badly) whenever "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston.  She won a tye-dye t-shirt slogan for Red Ribbon Week.  She worked at Papa Murphy's.  She surprised me one night when I came home from a late afternoon Dr.'s apt. and was so sick at the beginning of my pregnancy with Josh, and had dinner all ready for our family.  Learning to read, "The pot is hot" and "I can feel the heat."  After taking her to see the movie Titanic, I had to have a long conversation with her all the way home about eternal love and waiting until you are married.  She was afraid of seeing the movies, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.  She is an amazing, patient, loving, kind, creative selfless mother to two beautiful daughters!!!!!  She danced a smoooooth Macreena in the kitchen.  Seeing her graduate High School!   As a little baby, she wouldn't go to sleep unless she was in her baby swing. If something was lost, we could always count on her to be able to find it.She had to attend Speech in Utah to break her of her southern accent (it didn't work).  She had a few fender benders.....She was always a great Big Sister!!  She helped me break my habit of watching soap operas.  She was a great employee at Harmon's and won a bagging contest.  She earned a scholarship from Dixie Escalante.  She babysat ALWAYS for me and for so many families!!!!  She looked forward to getting her big frilly dresses from Grandma with the hot gum!  She earned her Young Woman's Medallion.  She saved up enough money to buy her own car.  She enjoyed participating in the Oklahoma Free Land Run re-enactments.  She wrote lots of poetry.  The morning after EFY in Provo, she and I sat in Aunt Nani's family room and she shared her experience with me.  Going to concerts with her and going a little crazy.  She was such a great student!  Going wedding dress shopping with her!  After you were married I couldn't listen to "You and Me" on the radio, as it made me miss you too much!

I love each of my children, and count being a mother one of my greatest blessings.  I was so blessed to have had Britteni as my first child.  She was eager to please, very obedient, and such a joy!!!  She has brought me much happiness and I am so proud of the woman she has grown up to be and I love her soooo deeply!!!  Happy Birthday, baby!!!!