I sat on a little beige and black stool at the counter in Mrs. Stanton's
kitchen eating spaghetti and meatballs. I could barely sit still. I had
been waiting for this day FOREVER. On that day, I was exactly 3 years
and 8 months old. I know this because the day was March 15, 1974. It was
my Dad's birthday, and it was the day my Dad's birthday present was
supposed to arrive. This was the day our parents had been telling my
brothers and me about for months. It was the day Veronica Lois
Grandfield would enter our world. It was the day that changed my world
forever. It was the day I got my first little sister.
I remember so many things about the months leading up to Veronica's arrival. For one, that my parents knew the day she was going to be born was talked about between my brothers and me a lot. We were going to have a new baby on a very specific day - Dad's birthday. Knowing the anticipated date was not through medical planning of induction or anything like that. It was because God told them when she would arrive. I remember people laughing when Dad would say he had a special present arriving on his birthday - a new baby. I also remember Mum craving banana splits from Dairy Queen and Dad going to get them for her - only to have her not want them by the time he got back because she had lost the craving by then....every time. I remember so many kitchen visits Mrs. Stanton and Mum had during the months leading up to Veronica's arrival. I remember my absolute hatred for cream of celery soup (homemade with big chunks of cold celery) coming from those same days. For the record, the hatred for that terrible soup lives on to this day. I also remember those months leading up to Dad's birthday hoping and praying his birthday present would be a baby girl. I had awesome big brothers, but I wanted a little sister.
And then it happened.....I remember the moment we were told we could run across the yard from the Stanton's house to our single wide mobile home where Veronica had finally made her debut appearance. And things were never the same. My world was changed.
From the moment I met the blond haired, blue eyed baby who looked more
like a little angel than a little human, I was smitten. She was my
living doll. She was the sweetest, happiest baby ever. Her first word at nine
months old was "Hallelujah!!". She would say it over and over and over as she clapped joyously. My brothers and I would get her to perform this amazing feat for anyone who
came to visit. We thought it was awesome! Veronica was the happiest
little person, always spilling over with giggles and the sweetest belly laugh. Dad called her "Giggle Box",
but his forever nickname for her was, "Suggary-Sweet", and
suggary-sweet she was. 
Through the years I have been blessed to make so many memories with my first little sister, and we have so many stories that make up the journey of our lives together so far. Besides the years of growing up in the same household, we were roommates, travel-mates, and friends. We have walked intimately with one another. We have laughed, cried, agreed, disagreed, and everything in between. We have walked together in times of rejoicing and mourned together in times of loss. My love for my first little sister has grown deeper, stronger, and sweeter with every passing year, and I cannot imagine my life without her. I cannot imagine not having her love and support. I cannot imagine not having her as my first little sister. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that God ordained for us to be sisters, and I am especially thankful for our shared deep and abiding love for Jesus. I am so thankful I will get to relationship with my first little sister forever. I am so thankful for my dad's best Birthday present ever, Veronica Lois Grandfield Stevenson. Happy Birthday, Veronica. I love you forever.
