Happy Birthday, Melanie

Melanie has the distinction of being our Alabama baby. Her dad was in the Air Force in Selma, Alabama, at the time of her birth. She came into the world with the cutest chubby cheeks and tons of hair. She was one of the few white babies in the hospital nursey, and then with her thick red hair, I was sure I took the right baby home from the hospital. She, like her sister, had colic as a baby. After she grew out of that, she became a happy baby with a sunny dispostion.

As Melanie passed through elementary school, she was an excellent student and also loved to play with friends. Achievemnts such as Patriot of the Month and the Honor Roll student came with her middle school years.

Melanie was a very thoughtful child, and she still is thoughtful in her interactions as an adult. As a child, she would leave sweet little notes on her mom and dad's pillows. She did the same thing with her grandparents. We still have many of those notes.

Melanie is a whiz with computers and also is the only person in the family who could fix broken things. Another great trait of hers is her positive way of interacting with people, whether it is at her job or with the family.

There is not another person in this world who is a better aunt than Melanie. She loves Jake, Derek, and Megan dearly; she watches Jake's swim meets, attends Derek's ballgames, and enjoys going shopping with Megan. A few days ago, when it was Megan's birthday, Melanie drove over to the Peterson's before she went to work so she could put tons of balloons in Megan's room. Megan woke up on her birthday with the biggest smile when she saw all those balloons. Melanie has weekend sleepovers with the kids, takes them bowling, goes with Jake to Lagoon, and is just an all-around fun and caring aunt.

Melanie loves to give gifts. I think that is why Christmas is a favorite holiday of hers. She puts a lot of thought into giving a person something to complement his or her personality.

Paul says that he can tell when I am talking to Melanie on the phone; I always laugh a lot. She can see humor in just about everything.

Melanie has brought joy into my life. She is sensitive and sweet; she is patient and kind. I am lucky to call her my daughter, and I love her very much.