For Posterity

Last week Ally gave her "little" brother (who, despite being 2 years younger, has twenty pounds and at least an inch on her) this homemade birthday card.

"Are you sure you don't want to be an Amish goat farmer?
Well I know you will be fine at anything you choose. Happy Birthday from Ally"

I just had to take a picture of this, because it has several layers of meaning for our family. A few miles east of us is an Amish goat farm, and Mark has been teasing Cy that he would do some fine work for that family. He could wear his Indiana Jones hat and put in a hard day's work every day, sun-up to sun-down! (I don't wish for this to come off as insulting the Amish by any means; we admire their work ethic and wish our kids were as obedient.) In the springtime Dad would sad say, "You know, Cy, as soon as school lets out you can go over there and work all day." He really had Cy going for about a month. Cy was nervous and weepy at some points! Once summer was in full-swing and he realized that t-ball, summer school, and home activities were all he was doing, Cy relaxed on the Amish goat farmer threat.

Another side-story is that Cy admires his older sister so much. He knows that he will never be as compliant and soft-spoken as Ally, but he loves to have things in common with her, such as Lego building, TV and computer game interests, and drawing. He wants Ally to approve of him, and he is so proud when he gets to do things with her. So for her to write "I know you will do fine at anything you choose", that means the world to him. Ally doesn't realize how much those words mean to him.

And he would do darn near anything for her. As mad as they get at each other, there is a fierce devotion to his big sister that is undeniable.


Just look at how big they are getting! Six years flew by. Crimaneeze!!
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. --John 15:13