Dear Jenny Gay-Kay,

Dear Jenny Gay-Kay,

Thanks for friending me on Facebook.  It's been ages hasn't it?  Sounds like you're doing great with your husband Fred Hey-Day and all your brood... Jay, May, and little Pei-Wei.  Well, I just wanted to catch you up on what I've been up to since we last hung out with the Schronks and teased each other about Emmett Budweiser.

  I've been making my way in the world--isn't easy as the fifth girl.  I had to do something to stand out.  So I scowled a lot and grunted, and lo and behold, my dad gave me the name "Butch."

It was a fitting name.  I was the closest thing my Dad had to a son.  I mean, you can shove a girl in tights and make her wear her sister's pink hand-me-downs, but you can't make her happy about it, am I right?

Well, Dad seemed to like me tagging along with him.  We were buddies, me and Dad.  He helped me do all kinds of things like stop sucking my two fingers. 

Bath time was a blast, wasn't it Jenny?  You were squished in there, too, weren't you?  At least you didn't put your ricey legs all over me like everyone else did!

 Then it was off to school... again, following in my sister's footsteps.  That was sometimes rough.  But, I was a good student, kept my nose clean, if you know what I mean.

I have no idea whose arm this is, but Jenny, let me tell you, people liked me.  I was friendly, outgoing and personable.

Don't let the big bow and Pollyanna dress fool you, I preferred jeans and a t-shirt.  This was probably one of my big sisters' dopey ideas to wear that garb.

Jenny, I don't mean to brag, but I was pretty athletic in those days--still am if the truth be told.  Dad made us girls do nightly exercises like pull-ups, sit-ups and throw-ups.  Paid off though, cause I was hot stuff on the diamond if you know what I mean.

Well, then we moved to Kentucky and I kind of lost touch with you.  I caught the typhoid soon after and my posture hasn't been the same--just see the previous blog post if you doubt me.

I was a hard worker there in Kentucky, never one to shirk my duties or even complain about them.  Just work, work, work, that's all we did there day in and day out.  This is me painting the deck for the third time that summer.  But I don't say a word, not a word.

Well, then my junior year of high school I up and went to the land of Emmett Budweiser.  I guess I thought if I spoke his language we'd meet up someday.  That didn't work out, but I had a great time in Germany.

Got myself elected student body president when I returned.  Pretty sure it was my witty personality, charming smile and snappy dressing that got me the winning vote.  Unfortunately, no one told me it was a life sentence with parties to plan every ten annum.

Well, at college I met some really nice fellows and they all talked pretty to me, but I was determined to serve a mission for the Lord before I chose one of them.

So that's what I did.  This is me with Pedro and a herd of water buffalo in rural Venezuela.  It was a great experience.  

Well, Jenny, there's a lot more to my story, but, you know, I just wanted to share a few highlights with you from our childhood.  I've come really far, as you can see.  I've turned into a great mom and wife.  And though I'm still stuck in the middle of 10 kids, I've made a name and face for myself as being the coolest, hip sister that everyone wants to be like AND wants to be with.  And that's saying something!

Bye for now!

(Happy Birthday, Melinda!)