How We Play // Bitty Bear & Friends

Hello my dears!
This day is positively full of polar opposites for some reason or other! Last week, right in the middle of our crazy schedule, we three were asked to attend and sing at a Celebration of Life (Funeral) that took place this morning, for a wonderful lady who lived to be a little over 101 years old (!). Now, I am writing about the very first sparkling delights of our own lives. And to pinnacle everything else, even the weather has toned the atmosphere with rain showers and opposing bursts of sunshine. Can our world become any more topsy-turvy in one day? It is odd that the Lord should fashion such different events to coincide together, but there is a reason He ordains such queer things: reflection. Reflection is a great tool. We use it to look over the hills and valleys in our life. It helps us to understand why things have happened, and arms us for the adventures ahead. Now, I hope that many a young heart does not have to see the passing of a loved one as we did today, but nevertheless, we must find the good things in these melancholy milestones. Those who have passed from death into life have been made whole by the grace and love of God, and one day, we too will be looking forward to that glorious end. Well, now that I have given you all my sermon, lets look at the sparkles of young life again, shall we?



From the comments we have received, I can tell that many of you are very familiar with anything that has to do with American Girl. And thus, I have a hunch that you all will recognize these precious little characters!

Bitty Bear and Friends entered our world a little while after Charlotte was given a Bitty Baby doll. And like most girls, we three have a soft spot for all things precious and adorable, so in the end, after much pleading, we were given the sweet little collection of jointed animals as well! I don’t remember how they came or even how old we were, but Mom informs me that it was close to when I was almost a double digit, and Charlotte was six. Ah… These tiny toys were the apple of our eyes even after My Littlest Pet Shop made it’s debut in our home. You can tell just by the fact that we have sold all of our other little plastic animal toys like Littlest Pet Shop, and have saved Bitty bear exclusively.




Charlotte and I had fun with this little scene above! Hmm… I wonder what Bitty Pig found to eat? Ha ha!

As the years have marched on, the girls and I have learned to appreciate quality over cuteness, and that is the main reason we have kept our most valuable toys. They will last for years, unlike some plastic figurines I could mention, whose heads and limbs fall off. But best of all, our own children, and Lord willing grandchildren, will have the opportunity to play with them in the future.




One of my most favorite things about the American Girl collections is the books and stories that come with the characters! Even down to Bitty Bear and her friends. I loved poring over the tiny pictures found in the Friend’s Baby Albums, and still to this day my mind flips itself over to remember how I admired them in every detail as a child.

Now of course, we three had our favorites to play with; can you guess which one of us three liked Bitty Bear, Bitty Kitty, and Bitty Bunny? 



As I said, I did pour over those little picture books as an almost 10 year old, but not only for pleasure. It was mostly a source for inspiration. I saw, and gleaned, whether consciously or subconsciously, every beautiful thing I saw, and I tried very hard to capture the image in my mind so that I could later draw it from memory. I did this more often then I played, I think, and truly, our schoolroom walls were covered with the evidence of such a fact. Now-a-days, that creative mind is finally beginning to flow once more, as you have seen through my paper flower art in past posts, and really, I owe it all to the people who first came up with the delightful books of my childhood days. Books, whether worded or illustrated, are powerful indeed! And I am living proof that they do build a wonderful foundation for determining what you will pursue later in life. I follow after the things that bring me joy and satisfaction.

CREDITS // Author: Jessica Boyer; Photography: Charlotte Boyer; Photos edited with VSCO Film Presets