Memories of Ani by Mia Lowry

I was living with the Salas family at the time I heard the news of Ani's birth. I can still picture Suzie asking me to come into the kitchen as she had something to talk to me about. I was watching her sweep the floor as she asked me how I liked living with them. I told her I was happy there. I was thinking here it comes I am going to be asked to move out. Then she said, "Well, I am not sure how you are going to take this, but I am pregnant." How was I going to take it? That was an odd thing to say, I thought. Of course, I was elated! I was going to have another baby in the family to love! She told me she did not want me to move out. So, I stayed.

I remember Suzie's car broke down one day or would not start and I took her to work in my turquoise Jeep Wrangler. She was noticeably pregnant and the the jeep was really high. It took her some time to get in and she couldn't even strap herself with the seat belt. Off we went to take her to work. It was a bumpy ride. I was nervous it would hurt her (the jeep) or the baby.

Ani came. I did not get to be there at her birth because I could not take the time off of work. By this time I was saving my days for my honeymoon. So, after work I went to see this new little baby girl. Suzie came home and the real fun began. Like clockwork this baby cried EVERY night at 2 in the morning and cried for hours. After the weeks of it, I got use to it and was able to ignore her, but I really felt bad for her parents.

The next memory is pink. Everything in her room had to be pink, princesses and not just any princess, but a Disney princess. If you did not like pink then you could not enter her room as you would receive a pink overload. I remember my niece Vanessa was over her house with me and she said, "I can't take all this pink. I have to go." I always thought that was pretty funny.

I remember how Meghan and Alexandra where painting their nails and Ani came by to request hers be done too. No matter what they did, Meghan and Alex could not please Ani. I believe they told me they painted her nails 3 or 4 times before they gave up on trying to please Ani. She just had an idea in her head and I guess no one could successfully achieve the look.

I remember seeing her at her concert at some school. She did a few dances, and cheer. She looked so precious! Suzie was very proud of her and let us know how her teachers told her that of all the students Ani was the one most focused of her age group. I got to see her dance Christmas 2009 at the Glendale Glitters. She did a great job. It was fun to cheer her on and see my children/ her cousins get excited about seeing her on stage. How she did not freeze in those dance costumes is still a mystery to me!

Ani loves her little cousins and I know they love her dearly. She is a good cousin to my children. Whenever she and Zaq would come over they would be so happy to see them. They still talk about them to this day. I for one am thankful for Ani and the choice made long ago to have her be a part of our family.