Bethany....

When my parents told us that they were pregnant with Bethany, I was angry with them.............It was 1986 and we had lost my baby brother, the only boy of our family and I was angry with my parents because I was afraid.  Afraid we would loose her as we did Beau. 


I remember my mom never really felt good when pregnant with Beau.


But with Bethany, she glowed.

She was going to be an Ashlen, Ashton, something Ash.....until one day my mom decided on the name "Bethany" because tha is where Jesus use to go to relax.  I remember sitting around my mama's bed and my mom telling us about the name Bethany.  And Brittney, Danielle and I all really loved it. 


So Bethany she would become.


When Bethany was born, my mom had her via C-Section because the doctors were worried about Bethany's heart.  She was born during Easter weekend so we had Long John Silvers for dinner after my dad took us to see her.  We knew she was ours when we went to look in the window in the nursury because my dad had bought her a little bunny stuffed animal. 

So after four days of my mama being in the hospital (and my first experience of assisting the Easter Bunny), Bethany came home and so did my mama.  And she was perfect.

She was the sister that every time the song from Cheers would come on the tv, she would dance for us and we would watch.

She was the sister that had this mini piano....oh the noise.

She was the sister that would lay in bed with me and watch Beauty and the Beast (the show, not the cartoon!)

She was the sister that shared a room with me when I moved home at 21. (complete with a list of rules)

She was the sister that I chaperoned field trips and slumber parties for.

She was the sister that asked me to be her Maid of Honor when she was married two years ago.

All of the Elias girls are grown yet she'll always always always be the baby.