Sibling Chronicles: The Final Chapter

So, I am going out with a bang here. This is the final chapter of my Sibling Chronicles. Indeed Tiffany Dawn Godsey, born August 4, 1968, is the first of my ten siblings. She deserves the biggest sibling spotlight (in my world, that is) as she is the only sibling born from the same parents that I was. She has also been with me the longest having entered my life when I was 5 years, 2 months, 21 days old. She probably couldn't even roll over by the time I started Kindergarten (a little over a month after she was born).

Also, I do not actually remember her birth. I have seen pictures of my Mother pregnant with Tiff and I know Tiff was 5 pounds something and she was born right on her due date and she basically flew into the world, screaming all the way (or so I've heard). I have memories older than Tiff, but I just do not remember her being born. I don't even know where I was... probably at my Grandparent's house. Maybe I was in denial. Who knows.

In the above picture Tiff must be at least a few months old as she was so small at birth that you could hold her in the palm of your hand... as the story goes.... this may be about the time when Tiff was lying on the floor and I was running through the house and stepped on her and broke her collar bone. A total accident, I promise.

Here we are in the back yard of our house on White Lake Road in Milwaukie. These pictures for Tiff's blog were the most fun to get together and scan as there are so many great memories. I'm sure there is no field there now... houses, houses everywhere.

Tiff in her stroller at the front of the White Lake Road house.

Happy Happy Tiff on top of the dining room table. I'm not sure what the point of this picture was or who took it, but it seems kind of dangerous and Tiff was accident prone. Late 60's plastic fruit on the table as well.

Outside Lincoln City, Oregon, there used to be a small amusement park named Pixieland. It was really fun and they had a log flume and everything. On the way into Lincoln City (from Portland) there was a restaurant named Pixie Kitchen (apparently Pixies were quite popular on the Oregon Coast in the 60's & 70's although this article says that Pixieland was only open for 4 years, 4 years, WHAT???: Pixieland). The picture below was taken out back of Pixie Kitchen where they had a little walkway with Pixies everywhere and a Pixie Train. We LOVED Pixieland and Pixie Kitchen. I think Tiff actually had to use her hands to prop herself up enough to get her little head to show, which also looks kinda dangerous

Speaking of dangerous, Uncle Johnny (my Mom's younger brother--his graduation picture is visible in the background below) gave me and Tiff some boxing gloves to play with... as you can see, I am just a tad bit bigger than Tiff so not sure how safe this was either. And, I am trying to figure out if that sleeping bag on the floor was supposed to be some kind of cushion for Tiff when I knocked her flat (which was possible by just barely touching her, with or without boxing gloves).

Along with accident prone, Tiff was ear infection prone... so almost everywhere we went, Tiff wore a stocking cap.

Here we are at Crater Lake. Tiff had the boniest legs as a child, so she also had the nickname bony morony (you know as in legs as skinny as a piece of macaroni--okay, maybe you don't, but it was a song and if the skinny legs fit, well you know the rest).

We spent a lot of time at the Oregon Coast... especially Tillamook where we had family from Dad's side, but the above picture was actually taken at Cannon Beach when Tiff was 3 years old.

I believe that the matching dresses and outfits with matching stuffed animals lovingly created by Karen (our step Mom) have appeared before in my blog, but this is an especially intriguing photo of Tiff. I'm not so sure she is satisfied with her polka dot dog, however, I do appear to be quite happy with my rick rack one piece pants suit and matching pooch :-)

The above photo is my all time favorite school picture of Tiff. So Cute!

Below: Tiff and Chris are outside our Mt. Tabor house where they used to lovingly make "perfume" for our Mom out of crushed up flowers from the yard and water. The first time they decided to do this, they brought the concoction in to me to smell to see if Mom would like it. It smelled atrocious, but I didn't want to hurt their feelings and I'm sure Mom wouldn't hurt their feelings either. This was also the house where our Mom would wear a bandana when she did yard work. Tiff and Chris would run in the house when they saw her and say "Watch out, Mom's in a bad mood, she has her bandana on...". Hmm, maybe Mom really hated yard work, but I don't think so???

Fifth Grade

6th Grade

Timberline Lodge, Mt Hood, Summer 1984. My college roommate, Tracey, came for a visit and we all went up to the mountain.

Freshman Year of High School

Sophomore Year of High School

Above: Tiff's beautiful graduation photo. Maybe it was Junior year of high school when Tiff's infatuation with hair color began... she went from a brunette, to a red head, to a blonde--in no time. The photo below was taken in Tillamook, Oregon with our Auntie Pat, Cousin Dawn and Nana Fern. Blonde was in. Tiff was 19.

The below picture was taken at the Mountain Gate Country Club in Los Angeles just before Michael and I got married. In the picture getting ready is: Tracey, Kim (age 17), Tiff (age 20) and Sarah (age 11)

Me and Tiff, of course, on my wedding day. We had a lot of fun. (I have some pictures of us from the bachelorette party a couple nights before that, if memory serves, Chippendales LA and a fake ID might have been involved--I'll keep those pictures for another day).

Enter the first nephew. Tiff was by my side almost the entire time I was in labor with Joey. Tiff adores her nieces and nephews (all 12--so far) and since she doesn't have any kids of her own, we have the special honor of her "Aunt Tiffy" style love and affection. We have so many great memories of family vacations and outings that included Tiff.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon, 1994

Alaska Cruise, 2000

Joey's Fall piano recitals were always the Saturday before Halloween and they were costume required. Aunt Tiffy always played along even if Michael and I did not do such a great job with our costumes.

And we have so many great Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm memories...

Tiff and Danny at Disneyland, November 2002

Sammy's Bar Mitzvah, 2006

and now, Tiff and I have the pleasure of getting together every Thursday morning and playing with our youngest niece, Bridget. We play Brio trains, and read books and color and read books and watch Handy Manny and read books and play ball and watch Imagination Movers and read books... well, you get the picture.

Well, I have to say that Tiff has been dealt a rough hand in life and I'm not going to say that its all been fun and games, but I will say that a sister bond is special and Tiff is a pretty special sister. I really truly cannot imagine my life without her.