90 Years Young

Its not every day you gather to celebrate someone turning 90!!  

I think the headcount was 36 at my parents last weekend when we all pulled up with cars piled high with kids, pets, pack-n-plays, luggage, sleeping bags, food, games and 10lbs of candy and two-thousand waterballoons (thank you uncle Adam:)  

We packed it all in under one roof (and a tent in the backyard for the cousins) for a crazy weekend of fun celebrating this special lady and her 90 years of joyful service and love to us all.  She is one remarkable woman and a grandmother we all admire and cherish!

The girl cousins did a "fashion show" of all Grandma's old hats from "back in the day".  We listened to her tell stories of special dates and events she wore each to.

Since Grandma is known for her pie-making skills (of which I sadly did not inherit), we all brought pies which were enjoyed all weekend long reminiscent of childhoods in her kitchen when she's whip up rhubarb and strawberry pies from the goodness of the garden my grandfather tended.  

Not much sleep and hardly an uninterrupted conversation, but so much laughter and good clean fun came out of 4 days with the crazy bunch we call family.  

A little poker...

A lot of water...

...a few rivalries....

...some high speed wheeling around...

...sparklers, whiffle ball, swimming, games...

...and more food than Id like to admit...!!

Here's all but one of my siblings.  Think there is a family resemblance? 

 This year, these two will celebrate 70 years of marriage.  

The sweetest conversation took place between my grandma and I.  After our first long crazy day together, we all went to bed exhausted.  I knew it had been lot for my grandmother to be around all the activity, so I asked her the next morning if she had gone straight to bed.

"Oh no," she replied.  "Grandpa wanted to watch the end of the baseball game, so I sat up with him.  I just couldn't sleep if I went to bed without him".

That.....THAT is the picture of two people who have fought through everything life has thrown at them.......A war.  A disabled daughter.  The depression.  Cancer......and they've come out the other side so blissfully in love.

Oh that that would be said of me 60 years from now!!  These two have set a shining example.  Their lives are a beautiful legacy!

To God be the glory!