Tag: Birthday

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Happy Birthday Jeffrey Andrew!

40 years. It’s been 40 years since you made your debut on this earth. Time has flown by, it never slows down and here is the proof.

I still remember the day you were born so clearly. It was a sunny, hot day in Oklahoma. it was a morning filled with hope, joy and a modicum of fear.

You were perfect, with the exception of the fluid on your lungs. 5 days of uncertainty, with you in the NICU, a doctor telling me that you would never play sports and would always have lung problems.

There have been so many times over the years that I wanted to find that doctor and show him how wrong he was.

After those 5 days you were healthy and happy, and a butterball of a baby. Your smile was infectious and your laugh was a balm.

I love you so much son, I hope you know how proud of you I am. You’re an incredible son, brother, father, man.

Happy Birthday I hope it’s your best one yet!

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Happy Birthday Thomas Alexander Graham Bell!!

I know I don’t write that often anymore, however, I cannot let one of my children’s birthday go by without documenting it here!

I know I tell this story almost every year but the day you were born was amazing. It’s no secret I wanted to have you on the 13th (a good luck day in our family) but my doctor looked at me like I was crazy. That was a Saturday and you were a scheduled C-section. He said no matter how much he liked a patient, unless it was an emergency, he was not coming in on a Saturday.

So the 12th it was, it was sunny and beautiful, a perfect Texas day. Your dad and I were so happy and he was making dad jokes. The nurse asked if this was our first child. We said no and she said we acted like it was. Usually by the time most parents are on that 4th child, yes, we included Michael in that count, they are tired and resigned to another baby.

We were happy to welcome you into our world, it didn’t matter that you were a surprise baby. You were very much wanted and welcomed.

From the start you had an infectious smile and then laugh. You woke with such a big smile that your sister dubbed you mister Sunshine Face.

I do hope you know how much you are loved. I love watching you be a father to your own children. You have grown into an incredible man. I’m so proud of you.

You have a beautiful family, you have earned every ounce of happiness you have in your life.

I love you son, Happy Birthday!

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Happy Birthday Jeffrey

As I promised, the end of August is nothing short of spectacular, today is Jeffrey’s birthday. A day that was filled with equal parts joy, fear, happiness and gratefulness. 

Dear Jeffrey,

I know I’ve talked about this before, but when you were born I was terrified. You were born with water on your lungs and doctors were telling me that you would never be “normal”. That you would always have breathing issues and never play sports.

You certainly proved them wrong, you grew up to play almost all of the sports! Soccer, baseball and football, you ran, you played, you swam and were fearless.

You climbed the heights, literally, I could never turn my back on you because I would find you on top of the refrigerator.

As soon as you learned to talk you never stopped asking questions, or saying things that would just take my breath away.

One day when we were passing a Fire Station you said that you wanted to be the one to fix the fire trucks. I said you don’t want to be a fireman? You said no, I want to make sure they can always go save people.

You were three years old, to think that a 3 year old could have that kind of awareness was mind blowing.

You were born with an old soul, I fully believe that, you were always old for your age. I don’t know if that is because you spent a lot of time with adults in your formative years or just because that is the way God made you.

You would also say things like you missed playing with Jesus in heaven and would wonder if the hot air balloons would take you to heaven when it was your time to go.

Of course there was also the time in Neiman Marcus, when i was hugely pregnant with your sister, that you said very loudly “Why won’t you marry my dad!” I had to explain, in front of two very shocked older ladies, that your dad and I were in fact married and your dad had been teasing you when he said we weren’t. I also couldn’t wear my wedding ring due to swollen fingers, so that didn’t help.

I love your heart son, you are an amazing father, husband, brother and son. When I look at your life I am in awe of all that you do, you are a good man, you continue to amaze me all of the time.

I love you so much and I hope your 35th birthday is amazing and filled with as much wonder as your first birthday was.

I hope you know how proud of you I am, how much I love you and how much I appreciate you in my life. You were a gift from God after much darkness.

Happy Birthday Son,

Love,

Mom

Jeffrey and Grandpa Reno

Jeffrey 18 months old

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Happy Birthday Odela Mae

Today is a great day in my family, it is my mom’s birthday, July 30, 1913, what a great day. She would live through so many things, she would go through hard times, good times and amazing times.

She would grow up and marry a boy she had been in love with since she was five years old. She would be parted from said boy for 10 years while he was in heaven waiting for her.

She didn’t have to be my mom she chose to, on this day I would like to share with you one of the important lessons she taught me.

When the love of her life left this earthy plane for heaven she grieved horribly. She missed him, she missed his laughter, she missed his very presence.

I lived here in Texas, while she lived in Owasso, I would call her once a week and we wrote letters. When I would call her our conversations would naturally turn to dad. We would share remembrances, funny stories and yes some when he was stubborn. Those made us laugh the most, at the end of one of our phone calls she told me something that made me incredibly sad.

She very quietly said “you’re the only one that talks about him with me”. I said what do you mean, she went on to say everyone thought it would make her sad to talk about him, the love of her life.

But she wanted to talk about him, she wanted to laugh at stories, she wanted to tell people about him, the incredible man God gave her to be her very own. He was her prince, her knight, her movie star crush all rolled into one. And he chose her to marry, she never quite got over that fact, she never saw herself as the actual catch. My dad got to spend his life with a woman that was beautiful inside and out, God gave him a woman that would work beside him building a life.

What we can take from this, during this time when people are losing loved ones, is to allow them the freedom to talk about the people that are no longer here. Listen to their stories, laugh at the funny ones with them, that is what they need, they want, they crave. They want to know that the people that mattered the most to them are remembered.

She also told me a few weeks after my dad passed she dreamed about him. She was convinced it was more than a dream, you see the last months of my dads life wasn’t pleasant, he wasn’t really there. It was hard, it was brutal and she didn’t feel like she got to say goodbye in a meaningful way.

That night, my dad came to her, he held her and they laughed together, then he said he had to leave. She told him she didn’t want him to go, he told her he would be waiting when it was her turn.

Then the one thing happened that told her this was her gift from God, dad hugged her, and gave her the extra squeeze at the end.

She told me she had never told anyone about that extra squeeze, no one knew but her, dad and God.

She believed to the end of her days that God allowed him to come and say goodbye to her and tell her he would be waiting for her to join him in heaven.

So as a birthday present to my mom, I pass these things on to you.

Happy Birthday Mom, I love you so much, thank you for the life that you

allowed me to have.

 

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Birthday Month and Strangers

Elizabeth Anne’s birthday is over and now begins my birthday month. She can have the whole month when I am dead or senile, whichever comes first.

My birthday is exactly one week from today, I will tell you I consider Elizabeth Anne my birthday present, since she was born in February and was supposed to have been born in January. I feel like she waited so she could share my birthday month with me.

I still don’t know what I will be doing on my birthday, I will not be at work, so that is already a bonus.

I hope it will be snowing, we are supposed to get snow on Wednesday, it wouldn’t take much to extend that to Monday.

With God all things are possible, I believe that, with my whole heart. When I was young it would snow on my birthday every year. My mom would tell me that the snow was my birthday present from God.

I remember when I moved away from Oklahoma, we moved to Georgia, where it rarely snowed. The year we moved there it snowed on my birthday, it was a huge snow/ice storm. My mom called me and said see I told you God would find you.

The snow has always comforted me, it is a great equalizer, covering everything with a blanket of white. Glittery, slivery, white, it muffles all sound, it s comforting, quiet and perfect.

I realize I live in the wrong state, no one has to tell me that, however I don’t think I’ll be moving to Montana anytime soon. Or ever, Tess has put her foot down and said no to that particular move.

I’m so glad my birthday isn’t in the summer, God really did choose the right time for my birthday.

Last year I had to buy a washing machine on my birthday, that was not fun. On the other hand, I had the wherewithal to buy said washing machine.

It’s the little things, we don’t think about, God is so good, there would have been a time in my life when I would not have had the funds if the washing machine broke.

I have an amazing life and all credit goes to God, without Him I don’t know where I would be quite honestly.

From the parents that I got to have to my children, it is an incredibly blessed life.

Today I spoke to a customer that told me she was going to pray that God would bless my life and everything I wanted would happen.

I would like to say that I told her about Dean Cain at this point, but I did not, that seemed a little self serving.

She was very sweet and I feel very fortunate to get to talk to customers such as she. To have a complete stranger tell you they will pray you into blessings is an incredible happening.

Ok, so, I had something weird happen yesterday evening, when I was out walk/running with my dog. We were coming down a street and a black truck came up behind us. It stopped, the man rolled down the window and gestured that I should take my earbuds out. He then asked if my dog would like a playdate, I said um no.

He then said he had a husky/wolf hybrid and was looking for a playmate for his dog. I politely said my dog doesn’t get along with other dogs (a lie) and that would not be possible. He then continued to talk and I said well we need to go. I walked slowly to wait for him to turn the corner and went the opposite direction.

All night I jumped at every noise, I didn’t sleep very well, I do believe I have been listening to too many Dateline podcasts. Apparently everyone is getting murdered.

That’s all I have for now, as usual any comments, questions or criticisms can be left here or sent to me at angie@angieworld.com

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Let the Fun Begin

So, yesterday, I did something I have not done in years, as a matter of fact I cannot remember the last time I had to do this particular thing. I went to a laundromat, I had to even google where to find one.

My washing machine broke about a month ago, I have been trying to have it fixed since then. The part is finally in and the repairman will be here next week to fix it.

In the meantime I ran out of clothes and towels, here is the thing, I have a lot of clothes and towels. I have so many clothes I didn’t have to do laundry all of this time. However, yesterday was a desperation day, I had to do laundry or go buy new clothes.

I decided to go to a laundromat instead of bothering one of my children because I could wash everything at once and bring it home to dry. I probably should have dried the towels there, so many towels. I was down to my beach towels, so that will tell you something.

Anyway, I found a place in McKinney so I loaded up the car and headed out. The establishment actually had an attendant who was very sweet to me and helped me find the right machines and figure out how many quarters I needed to complete the task. It was a lot of quarters, just FYI, and I washed my things. I didn’t take everything that needed to be washed, I took a lot, but I didn’t take the sheets and the whites. I like to bleach my whites and I have a particular way of doing it, where it takes three cycles to get it done.

Once again my closet and dresser drawers are full and I am relieved. I can wait till Wednesday to do the sheets and whites.

It is officially my birthday month, this year is going to be a great birthday month! Last year was very literally the worst birthday I have ever had, this year is going to be the best. I already have plans with great people the evening before and the day of is with some of the best women I know. I am so excited to usher in this new year of being on this earth. I know it is going to be one of my best years, in terms of me being just me. I really do love who I am, I know, huge surprise for everyone.

But if you can’t love yourself for who you are, then how can anyone else love who you are? I am a really incredible person, I’ve lived through some things during my time on this planet and I have wisdom to impart. Maybe not wisdom, humor, I have humor to impart. Knowledge, I have that as well, maybe some wisdom thrown in for good measure. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Anyway, today is going to be great, family dinner to celebrate Elizabeth Anne’s birthday. Picking up Tessa, I missed her the last time due to the flu, it has been way too long since I have seen her. We have planning to do for our week of fun in July. Never too early to plan.

I feel the need to mention I spent last Saturday evening with Dean Cain. Never mind that he was on my television screen and I was three dimensional in my living room. It counts as a date, right?

I have to go now, I have things to do, peace out peeps. As usual, any comments, criticisms or praise can be left here or sent to angie@angieworld.com.

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Happy Birthday Tessa

Today is my amazing granddaughters 10th birthday. As she enters into the double digit territory I am filled with memories of her as a baby, toddler and finally a little girl.
She enters into the dubious world of pre-teen, and all that entails. There are certain hopes I have for her.
I hope she never loses her wonder of learning new things. I hope she always keeps that innocence about her, the ability to trust and the knowledge that the people that love her will protect her.
I hope I always have the relationship with her that I have now, the one where we laugh at the silliest things and have sword fights. The one where she insists I tell her stories before she goes to sleep when she is with me. They have to be true stories, then she guesses who they are about.
I hope she always keeps that sense of excitement about her, where she very literally jumps for joy at the things we think are simple as adults.
I hope she never outgrows me, that she’ll always want to spend time with me.
I hope more than anything that as she grows up, she understands that she can be anything and go anywhere she wants.
I am picking her up in a little while and we begin our week together. I hope she will want that every year, even when she is grown up.
I know that is unlikely, that she will want to spend time with her friends when she is a teenager. That eventually spending time with Gigi won’t hold the allure it does now.
I will treasure this moment in time, this magical time, the time where for a brief moment I am fun and she enjoys being with me.
Happy Birthday to my beautiful granddaughter, may your whole year be filled with wonder and surprises.

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My Dad

My dad’s birthday was June 3rd, I know, I am horribly late, but I had a hard time deciding which dad story I wanted to tell. The one I kept coming back to was the sock birthday.
Anyone who knew my dad will tell you he was the most humble, kind, caring and strong man ever, with a wicked sense of humor. It’s no wonder he truly was one of God’s favorite children.
One year, after I had moved to Texas, I called him to ask what he wanted for his birthday. As usual he said nothing, not a thing, I have everything I could want or need. That’s what he said.
I said, dad, don’t take away the joy of giving you a gift from me. You see that always worked when my mom would say that to me. Didn’t work, so I kept on, dad, dad, dad, dad, tell me, tell me, tell me. Yes, even at that age I was annoying. Oh wow, I just saw it, Alex gets it from me! I digress.
So he finally acquiesced, since he knew I wouldn’t stop, and said, well I need socks. Socks? You asked, I told you, socks.
Socks.
I said ok. Then off I went to Dillard’s (THE store of the day) and went to work, I got so many dress socks, then every day socks, then in-between socks. I spent over $100 on socks. Not to show off mind you, that I could afford that, but to be funny. He wanted socks, socks he would get.
UPS would deliver them, I would sit back and be able to hear the laughter all the way to Texas.
Back then there was no internet and no UPS site to track the package. So I waited, and waited, it seemed to take forever, in reality it was three days.
I called him on the evening I suspected it had been delivered. When my dad heard my voice, it was worth all of the effort I put into picking out those socks, his booming laughter over the phone was all the thanks I needed for that gift.
He said when he opened that package he laughed for a solid thirty minutes. Then chuckled the rest of the day, he said it served him right for telling me socks in the first place.
He then went on to tell me they would last the rest of his days, they did. When I went home for his funeral, mom showed me his sock drawer and there was one pair with the wrapping still on them. She took them to the funeral home and he was buried in them.
I miss my dad every day, I am so thankful he was my dad, that he gave me an undying sense of humor.
Thanks to him I am able to laugh at things that happen in my life that would fell lesser beings.
To this day I can still hear that laugh, that amazing laugh, that let you know life isn’t that bad.

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Meal-Prep and Other Stuff

With all of the hate spewing these days, and it is spewing and mainly coming from one side. The losing side, sad, that’s what it is, completely sad.
Anyway, with all of that I have decided to not give any space to it, I will instead tell you about my food prep experience.
I have never prepped for the week ahead, I always wing it and I always fall short of my goals. So, I decided I was not going to wing it this following week and prepare my meals ahead of time.
I am currently making a lemon pepper chicken, for salads and for protein in my meals. I am also making a spaghetti squash concoction that includes eggplant, mushrooms, garlic, onion, turkey meatballs and marinara sauce. I am also making a quinoa, brown rice dish along with salads for the week.
For breakfasts, I will be using my new microwave egg cooker that I bought from Pampered Chef. Best thing ever! I am in love with poached eggs cooked in this thing, if you find yourself short on time, go see my friend Alanna, I’ll put her website at the bottom of this post. She is a Pampered Chef consultant and she will hook you up! She recommended this thing to me and I love it.
I’ll let you know how the meal prep goes after today, I already sliced my finger while I was doing the chicken, the first thing that ran through my head was “Save the liver.” Bonus points if you know where that is from.
I am not a cook, I’ve never been one, I think one needs patience to be one.
The only thing I have patience for is reading and writing. I love to write, everything. I have notebooks filled with things I would never put here. Why you as, good question, I am not one of those people that feel the need to spew their life all over the internet. Some things should be perfectly private.
I had a great birthday, I have amazing children, however that is not a surprise. It took hard work, diligence and never slacking in the parenting department.
Raising good adults requires good parenting, I was not the perfect parent, I did what I thought was best for them. You see eventually you will be unleashing these humans into the gen-pop of the world. I wanted them to be productive members of society. I wanted them to know that anything worth having in life was worth the hard work to get it.
I wanted them to know I would always be there for them even as adults. I wanted them to know that I am their biggest cheerleader, that I will not hinder their abilities but encourage them. I would also be a critic when I need to be one.
I believe you shouldn’t lie to your kids, you should tell them when they are bad at something and encourage them in the things they are good at.
I love my children more than anything on earth, God really did know what He was doing when He entrusted these three in my care. I hope He looks at them and is proud of the work I did with them.

As promised https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/alannacrawford Alanna’s website, give it a look, shop, ask questions, she is very responsive. FYI, I get nothing out of this, she just happens to be a dear friend and if I can give her credit for a product I love I will do it.

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Happy Birthday Jeffrey Andrew

Dear Jeffrey,

 

I still remember the day you were born, 30 years later and it is still crystal clear. They took you two weeks early, that’s what they used to do with scheduled C-sections. The doctor told your dad he looked like a Japanese tourist, he was taking so many pictures.

I knew you were a boy from the start, I’ll admit, I wanted a girl due to fear, I had already had one son and lost him, I couldn’t handle the thought of it happening again. Then you were here, in all of your baby perfection, then they whisked you away and put you in the Neo-natal unit. You were born with water on your lungs, common for a baby born of a scheduled C-section back then, as they took you too early.

I had to go home without you, it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, go home and look at the empty crib. Taking you home was one of the happiest days of my life, you were an amazing miracle, who cried a lot.

Watching you grow from a baby to a toddler to a little boy going to kindergarten, then middle school, then high school then adulthood, it all happened way too fast. I wish I could go back and do it all again, I would do a lot of things differently. I would listen more, talk less, play more and tell you more often how much I love you.

I still can’t believe you are thirty years old, I am so proud of the man you have become, the parent that you are, you are still that miracle in my life.

I pray for you every day, that you have great joy in your life, that you have people who truly appreciate the person you are and that you continue to have an amazing bond with your child.

Today on your birthday I want you to know that I love you beyond words, that you are still that miracle baby boy. I want you to know that you are without a doubt one of the best things that ever happened to me.

 

I love you,

Mom