Big Tina

So my dad used to drive a truck and travel around quite a bit. Christmas 1993 he bought this 5 foot gorilla for College Girl. I was pregnant at the time with what we thought was one baby...no big deal. We rode home from Christmas with a 5 foot stuffed gorilla in a seat belt, a 3 1/2 year old and a 70 pound black Lab (she went everywhere we went). Driving down the interstate.....well, we got some looks.

Now you are asking, "How did College Girl name it Big Tina?" Well, that's a pretty good story! Obviously, this gift was the hit of the Christmas and right away she began calling it Big Tina. Somebody asked her how she knew it was a girl gorilla.....her response," Cause she has boobies!" We laughed until we cried....it was priceless. And she does have boobies--that have since been pierced! Sometimes she sports a nose ring....

Big Tina is very popular.....once when some friends came to stay, their older brother was unable to come (probably he was sick!!) and play. So the big girls thought that we should make Big Tina into Brett and take a picture. It is one of the greatest pictures of the "six" of them we've ever taken.

Big Tina has been to cross county sleepovers, the CYO convention and once, she was even kidnapped from our house! She took a college class one summer and is a much better writer!



So it was an easy decision when it came time for College Girl's Senior Pics...Big Tina was going to be in the photos. The photographer looked at us like we were nuts--but this is my favorite picture out of all he took. And of course, Grandpa Gary got an 8x10!