Today you are 18 months old. You are still my blue eyed, blond haired baby girl, with a large smile. You finally have almost all your teeth. You cut your first tooth at 11 months old, and now just lack four to have all your baby teeth. We get to see those teeth often as you almost always have a smile for us. You are unique from Britt in this, you seem to find joy and happiness in every situation. Oddly enough, you don't talk almost any. Most of your communication still comes in the form of pointing and grunting. You shake your head no to every question both those you are answering yes and those you are answering no. You only have a few clear words and phrases please, bye, night-night. Occasionally you will say Momma, and you have just added "uv ou" (love you) and "tak tou" (thank you) to your occasional vocabulary. A week ago you learned your first animal sound. We were talking about the cows and you looked at us and said, "mooo" clear as day as if you had always known what cows say. Momma says you say something for Daddy but I've yet to hear it. You are quick to come to me though and say "eeease" which really means "Give me your coke now!" Please is really a code word meaning you want to eat or drink.

You have grown so big, weighing it at 26 and a half lbs. You are definitely a bread lover. You never refuse biscuits, mash potatoes, and poptarts. In fact it's getting to be a little difficult to convince you to eat anything other than bread and starches. Last year at this time you weren't yet eating or crawling. Now you not only crawl but climb and almost run. Your favorite thing to climb is on the hearth to the fireplace. In fact, many times, you sit on the little black box on the hearth and watch tv. I suppose it makes you feel taller and older. Your newest climbing feat is to get up on the couch. I've seen you, it's not easy, but you are so pleased with your self that you jump and then climb over the top of my head tackling me to sit as close as possible. I wouldn't say that you really have a walk, it's more of a waddle. You do have different speeds though. One speed is as slow as molasses when we are directing you to somewhere we want you to go. The other is when I want you to stay in the living room and you sneak from there to the kitchen before I can even turn around.

When it comes to going outside, I would say that you love the outdoors as much as Britt. You're favorite thing to do is go straight to the swing set. You sometimes will swing more than an hour at a time in the swing, since getting it for Christmas. You have not gotten the full concept of a slide. For you the slide is for climbing up, but the actual purpose of a slide is to go down. You are often frustrated by this fact. Another favorite is to climb up on the lawnmower, or as Britt calls it, our tractor. You like to climb into the seat and pretend to drive. You still enjoy chasing Mara, though she doesn't sit still long enough for you. You love all animals, especially dogs. You'll let those animals lick you in the face; and then you'll just laugh and try to kiss it right back.

As for you and your big brother, who is now three. You are playing together more and more. Before, you were kind of a push over. He would decide he wanted a toy you had, and he would take it. You would just find another toy and keep going. But lately, you've been using a high squeal pitch that gets our attention, gets Britt in trouble, and usually gets your toy back. It often turns out that you and Britt are arguing over one toy out of dozens that neither of you think you can live without. Despite all of this, Britt loves playing with you. He goes out of his way to include "Roof" (as he would say it) in everything he does. He encourages you to try things you aren't quite capable of yet, and even helps pull, push, and get you where the action is. For an example, alot of times when Britt gets up (before the sun) and I get him his cup while you are still asleep. He insists that I should go and get you to play with him, and that you need a cup too. I typically tell him, and try to let you sleep. He never wants you to be left out. In the same way, you never want to be left without him. If Britt goes outside to feed Mara, you will stand at the door calling and crying for him. You follow him all over the house. If he gets up, you are right behind him. You want to do everything together. When he gets in the wagon, you have to climb in two, and of course you both dump as many toys as you can fit in it and still sit down. You especially love taking baths together, though Britt likes to torture you by dumping water on your head. You play with the ducks, letters, and bath crayons together.

Your favorite object is your pink monkey-blanket. You carry it everywhere like it's a part of you. With your thumb in your mouth and your monkey in your other hand you are a happy camper. It's your security blanket, and it always calms you down. It helps you to sleep when we are out and about. You have a laid back personality. When you have your monkey and a toy you are typically satisfied with life. You get upset very quickly when we get on to you. All I have to do is say no in a harsh tone, and you break down in tears (another typical female strategy). You often share whatever you have with others. You like to share your toys with Momma and me, and you often offer Britt some of whatever you are eating. You are a sweet child. You stand and grin at others, just to see them smile. You don't even want something most of the time, you just like to grin, and when others smile back you laugh. We can see that you cheer people up, your smile is contagious.

For this years character instruction, I was going to tell you to marry a multimillionaire so I can retire, but Momma says that doesn't count as a life lesson I want to impart to you. I want to teach you honesty - to be truthful to others. There are few things that you can control in this world, but the way that you conduct yourself is one. You can always try your best to be truthful to others. When I was growing up, the importance of having a good name was always taught to me. That being honest and truthful to others was the best way to keep that name. We cannot always help our circumstances but we can do more than react to life. These traits will be more rewarding to you and others than just telling people what they want to hear. Not only do your actions reflex upon you, but they also affect your family. It has always been important to me that nothing I do bring shame upon the name Gary Cunningham, because it reflects upon your Mister. I want the name Cunningham to be one that when others hear it they know it means the bearer is honest and loyal. Not only do your actions reflect upon your immediate family, but they also reflect up the Church. Being dishonest can push others away from the beautiful truths we see. The hard part about being honest is that you can't slip up. It is something that you do every day, all the time, no matter who you are with or where you are. The tricky part is that if you do one dishonest thing, it can ruin years of being honest. It breaks others trust in you. It is a trait that you must continuously build. I'm not saying that you will be perfect and never tell a lie, but my point is that it takes a long time to build an honest name, but only a moment to destroy what you have built. The bottom line is that our actions affect more than ourselves, but many people, even those we don't realize. Being honest is a virtue that benefits all.

I love you, my sweet girl. I look forward to the changes I will be able to see in you over the next year. I look forward to hearing you speak in words and sentences, to communicate with you. Even though I enjoy your cuddliness, I look forward to your growing independence over the next year. It seems that there are many constants that life doesn't change very quickly, but as I look back over the last year of subtle changes they are actually profound. I have been privileged to spend so much time with you and your brother to see you grow and all you accomplish day to day. The Lord has blessed me with a loving wife, an active son, a daughter that can even melt the hardest of hearts. I love you, Ruth.

Daddy

already. This morning Momma, let me help her put away the dishes. I use to help her with that when we were in Gainesville, but now I don't need much help at all. Bro. Chris and Daddy are going to rebuild part of the cabinet Thursday, so that the kitchen is complete before the Fellowship Meeting. Momma is so happy about that, me and Daddy think she's a little too happy about it. It is just a dishwasher after all.

Mom had the rest of the grandkids- Brystal, Lilli, and Julia - and they were all watching Dumbo. We don't have Dumbo and Britt was fascinated by it, so we let him stay, and Joan volunteered to bring him home afterward. When she (and Lilli) brought him they stayed to visit a little bit. But of course, sooner or later they had to go. When Britt realized that he wasn't going to be going with Lilli, he feel apart. He threw himself at the door, sobbing his little heart out and crying, "I want mine cousin. Bring Wi-Wee back! I want to ride with her. Wi-Wee mine cousin. I want mine cousin back." He kept insisting she was "mine cousin" the way he tells Ruth "No, that is mine cup." You know, as if he is the only one with a

claim to her. He was so pitiful that I calledMemaw and offered to keep Lilli for a while today, while they went to town. Britt and Lilli spent most of today together. They played here mostly outside part of the morning, ate lunch, and then all afternoon. After that they went down to the Church and played together some more. Even after all of that tonight at bedtime. He insisted to me, "I NEED to play with Lilli some more, Momma. I NEED her."

Likewise, those of us who are keeping company are giving our homes the once over. Spring cleaning come a bit early. I'm washing windows, and ironing all of Gary's dress shirts. It's the time of the year that I get down in the floor to scrub the tiles with a rag and soft scrub bleach before mopping. I have a list for Gary too, he's helping me with raking and burning leaves, preasure washing the house and shed, and anything else I think I can persaude him to do. I use to wonder as a kid why we went through this much trouble for company? I mean, was any preacher using my bedroom, going to take the time to stand on my bed, and check to see if there was dust on the top shelf? (I don't much care for dusting.) Even now I wonder if all this cleaning is so important, then why don't we keep the house this clean for family all the time? Well, now that my moment of sanity is over, I really have to go, I'm scrubbing the kitchen tiles today and then going grocery shopping.