Thinking of Jon

The firstborn, on his day, I'm thinking of a little blue-eyed, wonderful baby boy who has grown in to a fine young man.  My husband and I were priviledged to spend a portion of today with him and his lovely family as we celebrated his birthday.  This past weekend I got to spend some one-on-one time with his youngest & even though they say she acts like me, she looks just like him.  They were both precious babies.  As a baby, Jonathan was absolutely wonderful.  I was so young if he hadn't been, I don't know what would have happened.  There definitely would not have been three more.  He made it easy. 

I can remember traveling with him from Alexandria back to see my mom & dad in Swartz.  Jonathan was less than or maybe a little over a year old.  We did not have him in a car seat, he sat on the front seat beside me in our little green station wagon.  I held his hand and sang, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" the whole way.  He would shake his hand and giggle the whole way.  He was EXTREMELY pleasant and easy to please.

When Jonathan was two we were again living in West Monroe.  My parents lived in Swartz and I made weekly visits with the children.  I remember as we were traveling out to their house we passed a  store where Santa was entering.  Jonathan started hollering, "Stop, Stop, I need to talk to him."  I told Jonathan if he was good for the whole day, we'd stop on our way home.  He was excellent!  By this time our second child was six months old and after a full day, both she and I were ready to be at home.  So, sure enough, on the way home I was ready to default on my promise.  Jonathan, the little man, was standing right there up front with his eyes wide open and hunting for that store.  He forgot nothing!  I noticed and tried to divert, I said, "Look those men just stuffed Santa in that car.  I guess we'll have to go another day!"  He looked realllll  SERIOUS at me and said in a quiet voice, "Oh well, I'll just be bad then."  We stopped.

That very winter it snowed one night right before we put Jonathan and Tafta to bed.  I wanted to go out and play in it with Jonathan, but Ken said no.  It was too cold and not a good idea he thought right before bed.  I would have danced all over that hill and probably been sick in the morning.  I had had several bouts with pneumonia.  So instead we put them to bed.  We were in the living room when we heard a crashing sound in the baby's room.  A shelf had fallen, but there in the middle of the white powdered room was the culprit.  Jonathan was holding a large empty cannister of baby powder.  "Look", he said, "I made snow we can play in!"  The room was COVERED and smelled good!

Children are a gift from God, and I'm so glad he sent me Jonathan as my first present!