BETTY, VERONICA AND ETHEL...

Christmas Morning
Ronald, Christian, Me and in front, Cheryl

I am the middle child of four.  Yes, totally middle.  I have a brother and two sisters.  I was born number three in between two sisters…middle.  I was the awkward one of the group.  Physically matured fast but didn't know what to do with it.  I looked 18 in the 8th grade but had the tact of an 8th grader.  I hated wearing bras and matching my socks.  I tried being grown up because it looked totally ridiculous for such a big girl to be running around like a little girl.

The three Estep Girls

My opposite, my younger by 13 months, sister, Cheryl.  In 8th grade she looked like she should still be in elementary school.  So tiny and delicate.  Not at all like me.  I was a hitter, she was a crier…(sorry Cheryl).  When I was angry, I had my fists; when she was angry, she had her tongue.  These "qualities" got both of us in a lot of trouble. When I was awkward and Cheryl was tiny (Still is) we would like to "act like ladies".  That's what we called crossing our legs and putting up our pinky when we took a drink of our tea or took a bite of our cookie.  It was our own little secret and we never said it out loud.  We would look under the table and whisper, "let's act like ladies."

Then there was our boss, our older sister, two years older than me, Christian.  Bossy is the only way to describe her when we were young.  We all played together every day and we played what Christian told us to play…for a while.  Christian matured very fast but she was not awkward like me.  She was/is on the shorter side of the tape measure and she loved being older.  Christian liked everything about growing up and doing grown up things.

If I was going to describe us in our maturing years, I would say we were like an Archie comic book that my brother used to read.  You have Betty (every one's friend, everyone loves) -Christian, Veronica/Ronnie (girls envied, a little spoiled, beautiful) -Cheryl and Ethel (the name says it all) -ME!!!  Thank God I didn't stay that way!!!

My girls playing BALL.  I guess Juliana
was the prince charming here.

We have such good memories living on Webb Lane in Havre de Grace.  We lived above the church in a way too small apartment.  But when Mom and Dad would be in a meeting downstairs, us girls would put on Mom's full slips and/or wrap the green afghan around us like an evening gown and play, BALL.
We would turn on classical music and dance dance dance.  Doing our twirls and skips, laughing and dreaming of being with our Prince Charming.  Our brother would not participate…it was not his thing.

We were dancing…I had the camera

Even though we were all different, we fit together like a puzzle.  Of course you add in our older brother by birth, Ronald Scott and our oldest brother by heart, Phillip and it was a party in the Estep household.    As the years have passed by and we each had got married and had children, it is amazing to see how our children now have the attributes of our siblings.

Now, The Estep Girls, talk alike, think a lot alike, I'm not violent anymore, Cheryl isn't mean to me anymore, I am the bossy one, Christian lets us talk (sometimes), I like being a grown up, we still like to be ladies…WE ARE BEST FRIENDS!!!!

I am thankful for my awkward years.  The years of growing and learning.  I loved being a little girl in a family where imagination was encouraged.  I see now how my great niece, Presley is so super bossy like her great aunt Christian.  My Kelcie went through the same phase as me and turned into one of the most beautiful young ladies, no longer awkward.  My niece, Autumn has my hands and my niece Lauren is so much like her mama, Cheryl.  My Juliana is so beautiful and looks just like my mom and my great nephew Jacob is so silly like his mama was 20 years ago.  We have Jenna who is the mixture of her mom and her aunties and Victoria who is a lot like ME!!!  Of course the cream of the crop in my eyes is Henry.  He is just like his Uncle Jake…temper and all!!! He makes me laugh.  I love that life goes on in this super close knit family.  Yes, we are a loud, messy group.  There is always something going on and much too much drama.  But I do love my Estep family.  From the original 6 of Dad, Mom, Ronald, Christian, Kimi and Cheryl to the now 35, plus more on the way…ITS SO COOL!!!

Jacob, Presley and Henry
The next generation's leaders