Peggy Sue!

Why would I begin my blog today with such a pathetic picture? This is 1974...our parents are on in Colorado, on one of their trips he won from Allstate...and my 12 year old sister Peggy, has severe hives. I'm 19 and in charge. I kept putting baking soda paste all over her and then I would cover it all with towels. She was miserable. She remembers this well. When my parents called I told them all was well and they knew nothing about this till later on in their trip. I didn't want to ruin their trip. Not having been a mom yet myself, I didn't realize that parents ALWAYS want to know how their kids are.

The bonding between Peggy and I began years earlier.

Peggy, me, and Robin 1961

In 1962, I was 8 years old and Peggy was just a year old. We use to sometimes catch the city bus on the corner of Cedar and Shaw, and spend several hours together on the Fresno Fulton Mall. You read that right.

My mom would later call the 60s a "gentler time". No doubt it was. But still, I was only 8 years old and Peggy was a baby. I don't remember my Mom ever telling me when I needed to be home. I would just tell her that is what I wanted to do and she would say, "Okay, have a good time!"

I was a small 8 year old. One of my hip bones is still lower than the other, I'm sure from carrying babies back then. (3 more were born after Peggy) How else could I hold them up? My arms looked like pencils in the pictures so I know they were not strong enough alone to carry the extra 20 lbs of a 1 year old.

I once dropped Peggy part way down the escalator at Newberrys. She must have slipped from my grasp. Not sure, but I remember a few gray haired ladies rushing to help us. Nowadays they would have called CPS.

I really did have a good childhood. My mom was just NOT a worrier, and it was a different world back then.

This post is really not about me, it's about my younger sister Peggy. Today is her birthday!!

Peggy has always been there for me. When my 2nd son, Logan, was born in 1979 my Mom could not come to help me like she had with my first baby. Logan was born the day of the Boston Marathon so both my parents were there, and not here. So Peggy volunteered to take Mom's place. She was great.

Peggy and Logan in 1979.
Isn't she beautiful?
She still is.

When my first husband died in 1996 Peggy and my sister Robin made sure we had a nice Thanksgiving dinner 5 days later. They also gave my youngest son Tyler a great 11th birthday, just 3 weeks after his death. They planned the party and did it all.

The day she gave birth to the first boy cousin in the family, besides my 4 sons, I cried. I was so happy my sons would be able to grow up with a male cousin, and they certainly did. Jake, McKay and Tyler were a threesome all the years growing up and are still very close.

Peggy has 6 children and 3 grandchildren. She went back to school a few years back and now teaches school. If I were to describe Peggy in one sentence I would say she has a totally pure heart. She reminds me much of our Mom.

Here are the Kenningtons in 2001, before Carly got married to Enoch and had 3 babies.

Here are the 4 additions to her family since the above picture.
Her son in law Enoch, and her 3 grandbabies.

I hope you have a very wonderful birthday Peggy!!!
I love you very much.