TODAY IS IT!!

Today is our 50th Wedding Anniversary.
I think that's the golden one.



We received an e-card that said:
Sweethearts
Partners
Best Friends
Soul Mates

Perfect! That's what we have been, but most important, that describes us today.

We could also add some negative words because we actually experience both.

Thankfully, the scales are weighted heavily on the positive scale and continue to dip down on that side.



Happy Anniversary, Handsome!

We're looking forward to a special celebration tonight with our four kids and their mates at a wonderful steakhouse in a reserved room. This was our choice. We considered Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, and nixed all. We chose our favorite thing to do, have fun with our family and enjoy being home. I think our traveling so much through the years and enjoying it has helped us know that our very favorite thing these days is to celebrate quietly with each other and with family and staying home. That's the best!

Today is a good day of remembering and celebrating.
MB

We're Swimming!

Our pool is open and is wonderful! We've been slowly working on getting the plants and flowers planted and set in place. With all the storms and hail and rain, we've had to move slowly. But, we think we're through!

Yesterday we were in and out of it all day long. I've realized that's why you need many bathing suits, not just one or two. Have you ever tried to put back on a wet bathing suit? Not a fun task.


Enjoying this is beyond both our expectations. We have so much fun. We're neither one great swimmers, but we love the water. I wear goggles and put my hair in rubberbands and put a cloth headband on to keep the hair out of my eyes. If you have a mental picture, you are right. I'm no bathing beauty, but it sure is fun.


We've decided the pool's been worth every penny we've spent on it.
Having fun in our senior years, way too much fun. Love it!!
MB

May Family Birthdays

I think in May we have more birthdays in our family than in any other month!!

Today is Ace's second birthday. We celebrated Tuesday evening at Grammy's (Cherri's) house.


May 14 was Mike's birthday. Mike is our wonderful son-in-law. He's that because he's Cherri's husband.


May 19 was Terri's 28th birthday. Terri is our first grandchild. Terri's husband Gabriel's birthday is tomorrow, May 22.

Even more birthdays to come!!


Melody, our third child who was born on our fourth wedding anniversary, has a birthday next week on Thursday, May 28!


Hudson, who is Brett and Kelly's first grandchild, will be two years old on May 27. And since Brett is our son, that makes Hudson another of our greats. And he is a great one!

Can you believe that? All those birthdays? And this year was the first year we didn't have Paul's Mom with us on her birthday, May 15. She would have been 91 years old. That was a sad day, but we remembered her by having Paul's family over and enjoying hamburgers and visiting together.

Well, it's really a stretch for my memory. I think I've done well so far, but May isn't over. And I certainly hope I haven't forgotten anyone in the family on this post.

Birthdays are so much fun, especially with the kids. Tuesday at Ace's party, when we started singing Happy Birthday, I think we scared him and he jumped up and ran from the room. Of course the laughter was even louder and even scarier. Too fun.

And as time keeps rolling along, one thing is certain. All of this will occur again next year. That's a certainty!!
MB

My Mom

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I did all the regular things. I gave Mom a card with a love gift of a check inside. Picked my Mom up at noon on Saturday and took her to see her three great, great, grandsons, our daughter's three grandchildren, two of whom are brand new twin boys. We should have done the five generations picture, but alas, I didn't think of that.

When I started taking Mom home, she mentioned she had not seen our new pool, so I took a quick right and headed for Norman, and took Mom home with me. We enjoyed a leisurely couple of hours sitting out by the pool and on our screened-in porch. Nice day for enjoying outside. Mom said she's buying a new bathing suit and coming down to swim. I said, "Oh? Are you sure you're invited?" She laughed and said, "Sure I am. I'm your Mother!" She's funny.

Oh, have I mentioned Mother is 91.5 years old. She'll be 92 in November.

We then drove to Edmond where every first Saturday of the month all those who can of my ten siblings and their mates meet at a hamburger place for a fun family time. One of my sisters and her husband and their entire family had just returned from Turkey where they visited their missionary daughter and husband and four grandkids. Their trip was our major topic of conversation. Quite enjoyable. The scarf Mother has on in the picture is her gift from Turkey.

I'm very grateful for my Mom and for who she is. She's a tough old bird in some respects. She's quite the talker and is always full of good stories and loves telling things that have happened in her life, one time, two times, three times, and more. JK A great feature of hers is her gift giving. She still tries to get gifts for as many of her 11 children, 41 grandchildren, ~89 great, grandchildren, and now 3 great, great, grandchildren.

I called Mom one night last week just to check in and see how she was doing. She was eating and I asked her what she was having. She was eating a hotdog and a big onion. I asked her if that didn't make her stomach hurt. She said her stomach always hurts just a little, so why not enjoy eating? She can still drink black coffee late and still enjoy a good night's sleep. I've wondered sometimes why I didn't get some of these good genes.

Of all eleven kids, I'm the one that most people say resemble my Mom the most. I take that as a great compliment. She's a good woman, who's living a good life, and has raised some good kids. Right?

One more funny thing: At supper Saturday night Mother was lamenting that she didn't feel like she'd been a very good Mom. I asked her why would she say that? Look at all the great kids she raised and how wonderful all of us are. Why would she think such a thing? She seemed a little confused about my humor, but because everyone else was laughing, so did she!

I love my Mom and am so grateful I can call her MY MOM!
Mary B.

The B. in Mary B.

I think the B in Mary B doesn't stand for my last name, but in this picture it stands for Billy Bob as in teeth.

I clog with the Okie Stompers and often when we're clogging at the state fair we open up with a fun dance dressed in overalls and Billy Bob teeth. Once after we did that, a kid came up to me and told me I was the ugliest person he had ever seen. I thanked him.

After our dance performance, often my brother who is a fellow clogger and I would walk the midway with our fun teeth still in place. We'd be talking and chatting, and we would get hysterical as we would see people trying not to stare. Some people would smile and nod and then get past us and turn around and give a shocked look like did I just see correctly? It's way too fun and funny.

Paul, my handsome feller, cannot understand why I so enjoy doing this. Honestly I don't know why. It's just fun. But the other funny thing is that Paul will not walk with Fred, my brother, and me when we are doing this. Pauls asks me,"Why do you like to look so ugly? It's awful!" That's even funnier. I guess I'm warped.

Anyway, I love FaceBook and Twitter and have great fun following people on these as well as reading blogs. Last night I put my cropped "teeth" picture as my ID picture on Twitter. Again, I think that is so funny. Paul wonders about me. He just doesn't understand it, but he does chuckle. On Twitter I wrote, "I decided to use my glamour shot picture. Like it?"

Hey, life is not only an adventure. Life is fun.

MB

Granddaughter Event

Tonight some of us are heading to Dallas to hear Terri, our oldest grandchild, play her very first solo performance with an orchestra. She will be performing the 1st movement of the Nielsen Flute Concerto with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra in Caruth Auditorium at Southern Methodist University.

Since I'm not very knowledgeable about concertos and composers, I've been doing my homework. I've read the biography of Carl Nielsen and the history of how he came to write this flute concerto.

And then to train my listening ear and to prepare for a great experience, I downloaded this classical flute concerto to my iPhone and plan to listen to it on our trip to Dallas this afternoon. I've already listened to parts of it and I'm impressed that Terri can do this. How exciting!

Terri has always amazed me. She's made her way through life while encountering great obstacles. Of course, we're her grandparents and naturally we are extremely proud of her. But, she really is quite special and stands out from the crowd with her creative ability and her discipline to achieve.

Tonight will be special for many reasons. Looking forward to it with great anticipation.
MB aka Grams