• Birthdays…

    December 4, 2014 / No Comments

    I was talking with my younger son and his family during their recent visit at Thanksgiving.  We were sitting in my living room watching television when he looked at me with a somewhat surprised look.  We had been talking about birthdays.  “Mom!” he said, “you’re going to be SEVENTY next year!”  ”

    “Yessss?” I answered.

    He agreed that I neither looked my age nor acted it thankfully.    I can also remember the exact time when I realized that my Mama was aging…that she wouldn’t be young forever.  That I would not have her forever.  I think it helps my kids that I think young and try my best to feel that way!  I’m thankful that on December 1, I entered my last year in my 60’s with joy and thankfulness…for I do have a lot to be thankful for!

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    I’m thankful that 45 years today, my precious daughter was born!  What a joy and blessing she has always been.  I’m reposting this video about my amazing baby girl from my blog, “My Southern Heart…the Memories”.  Enjoy!

     

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    My Amazing Baby Girl…

    It was December 1969 and our special Christmas gift arrived two weeks early…a beautiful baby girl. She was born fifteen and one-half months after her big brother. We were blessed and so thankful to have two healthy babies. What a wonderful time this was in our life…Enjoy the pictorial video below of the first few years of my daughter’s life.

     

  • Thirty-three years ago…

    June 21, 2013 / 6 Comments

    It was the first day of summer 1980, the day before Father’s Day.  That year, my husband received a very special Father’s Day present:  a beautiful baby boy.  Even then, you could see that his hair was a wonderful strawberry blonde and his eyes were green like his Dad’s.  I remember immediately after he was born, he gave a healthy cry and then he was quiet, remarkably alert for a newborn.  Held in my arms, he was busy looking at his dad and me…as if to say, “well, there you are at last”.

    He grew up to be a fine young man who has always brought joy and laughter to everyone…and he still does.  Happily married and the father of a beautiful baby daughter (soon to be two beautiful baby daughters in August!), he is successful and loves what he does – executive producer of a television show.  I’m proud of the husband and father he is.  I’m proud of who he became.  I know his late dad is also…

    Happy Birthday, Son.  I love you!

    (I’ve written about my son and his precious family in several other posts – here is one.)

     

    Above:  Fans at a Chicago Bulls game in Dallas…

    Below:  Enjoy the pics from the early years…just use the right arrow to scroll forward.

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  • Thirteen years ago…

    June 18, 2013 / 6 Comments

    Thirteen years ago today, my firstborn’s firstborn arrived…a beautiful baby girl.  Early on, they had shared with us that the ultrasound had revealed she was a girl but kept her name a secret for nine long months!  When my son called to tell us the happy news, we were beyond excited.  After informing us that mom and daughter were both healthy and doing great, as well as the vital statistics, my son then quipped:  “Mom, don’t you want to know her name?!”  Finally!  Of course I did!

    As I’ve watched her growing up, I’ve been amazed to see so many of the talents that, apparently, each of us grandparents had passed down to her parents…and to her.  This sweet girl loves writing and art – two of my gifts and passions.  She is also athletic – that would have come from her parents, her paternal granddad and maybe her maternal grandparents!

    She plays the violin beautifully and is in the youth symphony in the city where they live.  She loves music and has a lovely voice.  She spent almost 7 years of her life living in Peru where her dad was a missionary doctor, and she has been bi-lingual for much of her life.  At this point in her life, she wants to be a pediatrician when she grows up – like her dad.

    I’m glad they are now back in the states but just wish they didn’t live eleven long hours from me!  I would love to see all the milestones for myself!

    Happy Birthday, sweet girl!  I love you…

     

    The early years…

     

    Above:  With Granddad, her late paternal grandfather, at the Memphis zoo…

    Below:  Thanksgiving 2012…

     

     

     

  • Sweet January birthdays…

    January 24, 2013 / 4 Comments

    Three of my eight precious grandchildren were born in the month of January.  It has been a month of celebrating their sweet lives.  I am beyond thankful for each of them…

    Night before last, my now eleven year old granddaughter (today is her birthday!) called me on my iPad to tell me her package had arrived.  We had a wonderful visit as she shared what she has been doing.  For one thing, she won the Spelling Bee for her class and now competes school wide.  She proceeded to quiz ME on some of the words she is expected to know how to spell in just a few short weeks.  Even though I was an English major until my senior year of college when I switched to nursing, I had never heard of some of the words!  She plays the piano beautifully and played three songs for me.  I love Facetime!  😉  She opened her gifts before school this morning and emailed me a great big thank you and the pics below.  She loved her gifts.

    Featured photo above:  A couple of the birthday gifts that I sent to her. 

    Below:  She loved the adorable purse below. 

    Inside was a soft leather money pouch with a little money in  it!  😉

    Yesterday, was my firstborn grandchild’s fifteenth birthday!  We celebrated last night.  He asked his Mom to prepare homemade chicken enchiladas and they were delicious!  For his cake, he asked for homemade butter pecan.  Soooo good!  He is now taller than his Dad and TOWERS over me!  He loves that.  He got his learner’s permit a few weeks ago to drive and I wanted to be the first person to give him a soft leather Levi’s wallet (a little money inside) so he has a place to keep his learner’s permit and his future drivers license!  I came up with a few other gifts as well.  He liked everything!  He is a freshman but has competed with the high school swim team this year and lettered!  He was excited about that.  He says he needs a “letter jacket” now.  Well, yeah!  Before the final high school swim meet, the players shaved their heads…all that beautiful very dark brown hair.  He asked his mom how long it would take to grow back!  I also love to hear him play the piano.  He’s gifted at the piano as well as swimming!

    On January 12th, we celebrated this sweet one’s 4th birthday!  Lots of wonderful presents and a scrumptious all chocolate cake.  He loves chocolate!  He’s a joyful, cheerful sweetheart and thinks my role in life is to be a grandmom!  He’s right.  Just this afternoon, I stopped by for lunch and to pick up my camera which I’d left there last night.  Of course, I was easily convinced to play a couple of rounds of “Where is Sock Monkey?”  with him and his sister.  I gave it to him a couple of years ago and we have just about worn the board out!  He loves it.  We also played hide and seek with his 8 year old sister.  After that, it was back home to sew on his 13 year old sister’s new dress.

  • All that I need…

    December 2, 2012 / 2 Comments

    I spent this afternoon and evening at my daughter’s home playing with the grandchildren, preparing to cut out a dress to sew for my thirteen year old granddaughter, and enjoying my delicious birthday dinner.  Yesterday was my birthday and a full day of swim competition for the grandchildren, so we celebrated tonight.  My daughter prepared a tender, scrumptious roast with carrots and potatoes…and an amazing homemade chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.  On top of the cake was a generous scoop of the best homemade vanilla ice cream!

    I loved the gift they gave me – the “Blessed Holidays” angel from Jim Shore.  The colors and carved design on the angel are vibrant and exquisite…and I love that she has dimples!

     

    Three of my grandchildren had created cards for me.  (My oldest almost 15 year old grandson bestowed a 6’+ hug on me!)  I treasure everything that each of my eight children give to me.

    My daughter was watching closely and smiling as I carefully read the card that my eight year old granddaughter had personally drawn for me.  She was waiting for me to turn it over.  When I did, this was the powerful message that I found…to me, this precious child’s “grandmommer” (she calls me Grandmom or Grandmommy).

     

  • One year old…

    September 8, 2012 / 5 Comments

    What a fun birthday week this has been!  I can hardly believe that one whole year has passed since this sweet girl made her entrance into the world.

    She loved her birthday decorations – the streamers, the balloons and all the other adorable decorations. Those big blue eyes clearly were taking it all in when she woke up on the morning of her birthday!

    Now, her Midwestern parents will tell you in a heartbeat that she isn’t a “Southern” baby but that sure is an adorable SOUTHERN baby dress that a friend of theirs gave her as a birthday gift!  I loved it!  What you can’t see are her adorable little soft leather cowgirl boots!

    The expression on her face when she saw her “smash” cake was absolutely priceless!  If she could say more than five or six words, she probably would have said:

    “Hello!  What ARE you three adults thinking?!  Uh, don’t you know that I have been fed so healthy for the first year of my life?!  I have NOT had sugar!  Nope.  Not for the entire first year of my life.  Granted this cake is from one of the top ten bakeries in the U.S.A. but still… you DO know this cake is made of pure SUGAR?!!  Don’t you?!  Are you SURE you want me to have this?!”

    So, as the Paparazzi clicked a few stills she took advantage of the moment and dove in (truthfully though, health conscious Mom and Dad limited it to a few bites – which she loved – then distracted her with a new birthday toy and removed it!)

    I have a photo of her Dad at the same age which looks just like this!

    She is always happy and even-tempered!  What an amazing baby girl!

    We had lunch at a nearby Garden Cafe.  They have herbs and vegetables growing and even a couple of chickens in a little chicken coop.

    This child is full of joy and takes my breath away!

    Happy Birthday, baby girl!  I love you!