Hallmark Loves Me This Time of Year...

Happy Father's Day!


My Dad and his oldest granddaughter (my niece) Emma, taken just last month. Obviously she's having a ball! Happy Father's Day, Dad! And Don, Grandpa Bill, Grandpa Fred, and Papa, too! :)

****************************************

Today is also my dear friend Stacy's Birthday!


Happy Birthday, Stace. I love and miss you bunches and bunches. Let's chat this week!
[This photo was taken at a Murder Mystery Dinner that Stace and her husband Chaplain Jack hosted while we were all in Italy. Yes, my hair was really that color. ]

****************************************

Friday was Angella's Birthday!

This is her two and a half years ago in Paris. I love this photo of her, doesn't she look like a model? Happy Birthday, my dearest and most favorite sister-in-law. :) I know you had a great day. :)

****************************************

Finally, today is Don and Jo's 40TH ANNIVERSARY!!! Holy cow, that snuck up on us! Jason Someone thought that this was "just" 39 years, but turns out it's 40. Either way, an amazing accomplishment that we should have acknowledged more properly!

Just try to tell me this isn't the coolest photo around. This was taken back in their Oregon State days when Don was a motorcycle racer. Seriously; that's mud from the course on his shirt. Look at him eating the sandwich in between races, scowling at the photographer who happened by. And Jo? In his letterman's jacket and those sunglasses? Puh-leeeeeeease. Glamour much? This looks like a movie promotional shot!

When Jason and I got married, I got photos from all of the married couples in our families and put them in little silver frames (with descriptions) and set them out all over the tables at the reception. Because I wanted a certain number per table and was a little short, I made extra copies of this one and spread them out. During the reception I told people to take the framed photos of themselves or whichever ones they liked; later when I looked through the photos not a single one of this photo was left. This is a cool photo. The amazing thing is that they almost didn't buy it from the photographer who took it and tried to sell it to them! Can you imagine?

So thanks, Don and Jo, for buying this photo. Thanks for getting married and sticking together all these years. Thanks for having two amazing kids and for raising them to be such wonderful adults. Thank you for modeling a great marriage, and teaching your kids how to be great partners (in their own relationships) and great friends (to many). Thank you, especially, for raising the man who is my Favorite Husband in the World. Happy Anniversary!