Friday Flashback

October is a month full of birthdays for my family.

Krista was born the day the first OJ verdict was delivered. 

She became a teenager the day the guilty OJ verdict was delivered.  Doesn't that make you wonder about the alignment of the stars?  What do you suppose the odds of that are?

Of course, she was a beautiful baby.  She still is but now she's incredibly bright as well.  I'm sure she takes after her aunt!

 I've been lucky enought to be close enough to help with a few of her celebrations.  Two of the more interesting ones were the year of the swimming party and the year of the tie-dye shirts party.  Let's just say that her momma has the patience of a saint!

Speaking of her momma, she has the next  birthday.  Of course she is rather like an ostrich sticking her head in the sand about the number.  Let's just say that her days as a "thirty-something" are numbered!

Of course here in the midwest, one doesn't stick their head in the sand because everything is usually frozen from mid-October to mid-May!

To her birthdays are just another day.  It's a good thing because her birthday card is still on my desk or by my computer or by ... oh, I know it's somewhere.  It's the thought that counts.  I know I couldn't find a card telling her that she was turning into her mother .... I would have been sure to send that one.  I still owe her for such a card.

A week later Sister Three shares her birthday with one of our foster kids.  Here is Laura at age six --- just days after we got her.  She had turned six while staying at the youth shelter and no one had celebrated her birthday, so we had a late celebration at the Woodshed.  The Woodshed has been the site of many, many birthday celebrations.

Here she's pictured with our deceased niece, Sarah, and another foster child, Nick.

Here she is four or five years later --- once again celebrating at the Woodshed, only this time she doesn't look like she's scared to death!

Laura enjoyed spending time with Krista and Dani.  Here she is hiking with Krista at Chadron State Park (under duress from me of course).

They only humored me because I promised them they could go swimming later.

Here's a trip to South Dakota.  it's kind of scary to think Krista will really be driving soon!  I can't believe that Frog Legs was ever that little either.

Sister Three --- I hope you had a great day.

Did you do something outrageous this year? 

You probably can't top sky-diving!

I hope your sweet hubby

took you out for dinner.

I just hope it wasn't as messy as this:

Did he make you a cake to rival the one Mom made you the year that you started piano lessons?

Who knew Mom was so artistic?  Or that she could capture Mozart or is that Liberace?

I envisioned you spending the day with America's favortie rodent

but now that you have kids, I'll bet you spent it in a more sedate manner --- like feeding ducks and geese perhaps?

No matter how you spent it, you'll always be "tops" in my book!

Then we have another double birthday.  Mary and Hansi share a day toward the end of the month.  It's hard to believe that Hansi is already seven.  Mardell tried to call him but they were evidently out of town.  Or else our international calling plan doesn't work like it is supposed to!

Mary really knows how to celebrate.  She cooked supper for her son and herself and then cleaned up.  I wish we were closer so that we could have gone out and celebrated.  Any reason to go to Johnny Carino's!

Finally, Marissa is a Halloween baby. 

We took her and her room mate out to supper last night to celebrate.  Of course, this will probably be the last time we take them out to supper.  We had taken them out about a month ago and had a delightful supper.  We were taking them back to their dorm when I got pulled over for turning right on a red light.  I didn't pay any attention to the sign that stated there was no right turn on red.  Then last night I got stopped because we had a headlight out.  I think our suppers with Missy and Gabe are jinxed, so they're out of luck now.

A most happy birthday to all of you .... and many more in the years to come!