$40.53
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
50 Years ~ June 20, 2009
A week after we got back from the beach, my in-laws celebrated their 50th anniversary. We hosted a reception for them and it was an absolute blast! (Of course, there's not much in this family that isn't fun.) Donnie's great aunt Lib, (my mother-in-law's aunt) had a special gift for writing and wrote poems to commemorate a lot of events. She passed away several years ago, and for several years, literally, I've been trying to write a poem for my in-law's anniversary. Leave it to me to have YEARS to complete a task and literally finish it hours before the reception. I thought I would share it and a few pictures as a tribute to them and their love that stands the test of time with 4 children and 12 grandchildren. I'm really thankful that God's grace has allowed us to celebrate this with them.
Fifty Years
It was fifty years ago today
When the wedding march began to play,
And Doris and Jim exchanged their vows.
Then Preacher Buckner said, “You may kiss your bride now. “
That's not exactly where the story begins.
See back in high school they were friends,
And they dated a few times off and on.
Then Jim joined the service and to Maine he was gone.
There Jim was ready to see the world.
He had his eye on another girl,
And Doris went to work when she finished school.
It wasn't long before Jim realized she was a jewel.
Along came June of 1959
When Jim knew he had to walk the line.
He was a little late for the ceremony to start,
But that didn't stop Doris from giving him her heart.
They set out on their honeymoon
But it turns out there some extras in the room.
Namely Jim's aunt and his mother.
Boy, did that make a story like no other!
They settled into an apartment on Walker Street.
They didn't have much, but Doris kept it neat.
She wasn't much of a cook as a beginner,
But Jim thought her cakes were a real winner.
It wasn't long before they moved to Marwood Drive,
And there the young family began to thrive.
First there was Ricky, a blonde haired boy,
He was his parents first pride and joy.
Two years later, Kathy came along.
Little did they know she would fill their house with song.
Doris stayed at home and tended to those two.
Jim worked hard to provide for his crew.
They left Marwood for Saluda Street
Into a nice house, now that was a treat.
As with every family, there was some sadness along the way.
Some folks passed on that they miss to this day.
First there was Donald, Doris' older brother, in '62
And Jim's father died that year, too.
Doris' father died in 1968,
Yet through it all they held on to their faith.
When Kathy was six years old,
She got a new baby brother to hold.
Donnie was his name, after Doris' brother,
And I think he's like no other.
Then when Donnie was six as Kathy had been,
They added to their family again.
Michael was born, one final son.
And quickly his parent's (and sister's) hearts he won.
Life was busy but they were blessed.
Faith and family and values were stressed.
Ricky was in Demolay, Kathy played piano.
Donnie liked Little League and Michael played tennis like a pro.
It wasn't long before Ricky graduated.
He went on to get better educated.
First to North Greenville, then Baptist College.
He met his wife Laura while getting some knowledge.
Kathy was next to leave the nest.
She followed Ricky and said goodbye to the rest.
At Baptist College she met Jay Harvey
And before they knew it, he was part of this family.
Next began the grandparent phase.
For each one they gave God praise.
Erin, Shannon, Jennifer and Amy – four sweet little girls
They were the center of their parents' world.
Kaitlyn and Elizabeth made a half dozen.
Life was good with six little girl cousins
They lived in North Carolina, not far apart.
The girls were close, right from the start.
Granny died in 93 and Gina in 2003.
These were more sad times, you see.
But even though their bodies failed,
Their legacies have always prevailed.
Meanwhile Donnie and Michael finished school,
And they decided to play it cool,
Went off together like Ricky and Kathy had done.
At Charleston Southern they learned a lot and had fun.
They were roommates there and shared so much.
Now those two are always in touch
Donnie married Tracy while at CSU
Michael met Jamie and they were wed, too.
Soon more grandchildren were on the way
First came Hannah and cousin AJ
Then was Corey, Hannah's little brother and friend
And when Jacob came he made grandchild number ten.
Just when everyone thought they were through
Donnie and Tracy added another two.
Allie and Jon Tyler made an even dozen,
And there sure is a lot of love among those cousins.
So, a lot has happened in 50 years.
Some things brought laughter and some brought tears.
But through it all their love has grown,
And the faithfulness of God has surely shown.
Fifty Years
It was fifty years ago today
When the wedding march began to play,
And Doris and Jim exchanged their vows.
Then Preacher Buckner said, “You may kiss your bride now. “
That's not exactly where the story begins.
See back in high school they were friends,
And they dated a few times off and on.
Then Jim joined the service and to Maine he was gone.
There Jim was ready to see the world.
He had his eye on another girl,
And Doris went to work when she finished school.
It wasn't long before Jim realized she was a jewel.
Along came June of 1959
When Jim knew he had to walk the line.
He was a little late for the ceremony to start,
But that didn't stop Doris from giving him her heart.
They set out on their honeymoon
But it turns out there some extras in the room.
Namely Jim's aunt and his mother.
Boy, did that make a story like no other!
They settled into an apartment on Walker Street.
They didn't have much, but Doris kept it neat.
She wasn't much of a cook as a beginner,
But Jim thought her cakes were a real winner.
It wasn't long before they moved to Marwood Drive,
And there the young family began to thrive.
First there was Ricky, a blonde haired boy,
He was his parents first pride and joy.
Two years later, Kathy came along.
Little did they know she would fill their house with song.
Doris stayed at home and tended to those two.
Jim worked hard to provide for his crew.
They left Marwood for Saluda Street
Into a nice house, now that was a treat.
As with every family, there was some sadness along the way.
Some folks passed on that they miss to this day.
First there was Donald, Doris' older brother, in '62
And Jim's father died that year, too.
Doris' father died in 1968,
Yet through it all they held on to their faith.
When Kathy was six years old,
She got a new baby brother to hold.
Donnie was his name, after Doris' brother,
And I think he's like no other.
Then when Donnie was six as Kathy had been,
They added to their family again.
Michael was born, one final son.
And quickly his parent's (and sister's) hearts he won.
Life was busy but they were blessed.
Faith and family and values were stressed.
Ricky was in Demolay, Kathy played piano.
Donnie liked Little League and Michael played tennis like a pro.
It wasn't long before Ricky graduated.
He went on to get better educated.
First to North Greenville, then Baptist College.
He met his wife Laura while getting some knowledge.
Kathy was next to leave the nest.
She followed Ricky and said goodbye to the rest.
At Baptist College she met Jay Harvey
And before they knew it, he was part of this family.
Next began the grandparent phase.
For each one they gave God praise.
Erin, Shannon, Jennifer and Amy – four sweet little girls
They were the center of their parents' world.
Kaitlyn and Elizabeth made a half dozen.
Life was good with six little girl cousins
They lived in North Carolina, not far apart.
The girls were close, right from the start.
Granny died in 93 and Gina in 2003.
These were more sad times, you see.
But even though their bodies failed,
Their legacies have always prevailed.
Meanwhile Donnie and Michael finished school,
And they decided to play it cool,
Went off together like Ricky and Kathy had done.
At Charleston Southern they learned a lot and had fun.
They were roommates there and shared so much.
Now those two are always in touch
Donnie married Tracy while at CSU
Michael met Jamie and they were wed, too.
Soon more grandchildren were on the way
First came Hannah and cousin AJ
Then was Corey, Hannah's little brother and friend
And when Jacob came he made grandchild number ten.
Just when everyone thought they were through
Donnie and Tracy added another two.
Allie and Jon Tyler made an even dozen,
And there sure is a lot of love among those cousins.
So, a lot has happened in 50 years.
Some things brought laughter and some brought tears.
But through it all their love has grown,
And the faithfulness of God has surely shown.
Then...
...and now.
What 50 years will get you... We all got together a few weeks before the reception to have pictures made. They were phenomenal and I've never had so much fun taking pictures in all my life. A big thanks to Angel Gerbers for these!
I thought this was sweet of my nieces trying to pin the boutineer on their grandfather.
Cutting the cake.
One of the big surprises of the reception. Doris's cousin from Florida came up for the big event.
The day after we were at their house for Father's Day and my father in law told us that the reception was one of the highlights of their marriage. I think it only gives a small thing back for all they've given to us.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Catchin' up is hard to do!
After a lengthy time away, I am back to blogging on a (hopefully) regular basis. Our summer break was glorious, albeit short. The kids attend a year round school and have been back in school for 5 weeks now, half way to fall break (hooray!!). I missed blogging about quite a bit of our last few months, so I'll try to hit the highlights. We had our annual family vacation to Myrtle Beach back in June, my inlaws 50th anniversary, our trips to the free movie, swimming, a trip to Walterboro and a day trip to Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock. Not bad for cramming a whole summer into 5 weeks. I am actually a huge fan of the year round schedule. The summer has its downside, like the fact that many of our friends are still livin' up the carefree days of swimming and playing while we slave over schedules and homework. However, I don't recall hearing anyone even utter that they were bored, and lets face it, September around here is much nicer than July/August. But I digress. I guess the best way to catch everyone is to post a few pics at a time of our summer. So for today, beach pictures...
Allie preferred the sand, but I got her in the ocean long enough for a few cute shots!
Hannah's best purchase and favorite beach activity was the boogie board.
Corey could have stayed in the waves the entire time, I think. I absolutely LOVE this shot, because it so him.
Krispy Kremes are a MUST at the beach!
Jon Tyler spent his first evening of his first vacation at urgent care, because of a 102 degree fever when we got there. He had and ear infection and probable strep since I'd had it the week before, so we got our antibiotic and were happily on our way. He had his love/hate moments at the beach as you can see, but overall did well.
Our last night we went to the pier down from us for dancing. Hannah and Allie absolutely loved it! Allie even won a prize for making it pretty far in the limbo. I think that fact that she's under 4 feet might have helped. Corey slept through pretty much all of it.
There's more summer shots to come...
Allie preferred the sand, but I got her in the ocean long enough for a few cute shots!
Hannah's best purchase and favorite beach activity was the boogie board.
Corey could have stayed in the waves the entire time, I think. I absolutely LOVE this shot, because it so him.
Krispy Kremes are a MUST at the beach!
Jon Tyler spent his first evening of his first vacation at urgent care, because of a 102 degree fever when we got there. He had and ear infection and probable strep since I'd had it the week before, so we got our antibiotic and were happily on our way. He had his love/hate moments at the beach as you can see, but overall did well.
Our last night we went to the pier down from us for dancing. Hannah and Allie absolutely loved it! Allie even won a prize for making it pretty far in the limbo. I think that fact that she's under 4 feet might have helped. Corey slept through pretty much all of it.
There's more summer shots to come...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Birthday Boy
Today we celebrated Corey's 7th birthday with cupcakes at school, presents at home and a trip to Burger King (in hopes of scoring Transformers toys, which of course they were out of). His party is Saturday, but we couldn't let this day go by without a little tribute to him. We are throwing off our birthday scrooge-ness and having a birthday adventure, so more pictures will follow the extravaganza. Here are a few from todays festivities.
Looking back through my blog, I noticed that the girls have sweet tributes that involve baby pictures on their birthdays. Hopefully I can round up some baby shots of him by Saturday (he is such the middle child), but as for my tribute, here goes.
Corey, you are my special son. You have shown me that boys can be thoughtful, sensitive and caring. You are already quite a charmer and you speak from your heart. You keep us laughing and guessing what will come next. I could write a book from your one liners and an entire volume of books from the stories you make up. I believe one of your greatest character qualities is loyalty. Once you involve yourself in something, you are diehard and steadfast (ok, obsessive). You are truly a joy! I can't wait to see the man you become! I love you very much!
Looking back through my blog, I noticed that the girls have sweet tributes that involve baby pictures on their birthdays. Hopefully I can round up some baby shots of him by Saturday (he is such the middle child), but as for my tribute, here goes.
Corey, you are my special son. You have shown me that boys can be thoughtful, sensitive and caring. You are already quite a charmer and you speak from your heart. You keep us laughing and guessing what will come next. I could write a book from your one liners and an entire volume of books from the stories you make up. I believe one of your greatest character qualities is loyalty. Once you involve yourself in something, you are diehard and steadfast (ok, obsessive). You are truly a joy! I can't wait to see the man you become! I love you very much!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
An Important Business Luncheon
Today I had an important business luncheon...
with a very picky client.
I wooed her with a cheese sandwich, carrots, and apples.
I think she was pretty impressed
It was a perfect day for a picnic.
with a very picky client.
I wooed her with a cheese sandwich, carrots, and apples.
I think she was pretty impressed
It was a perfect day for a picnic.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Birthday Girl
Allie celebrated her 4th birthday on Sunday and we through a little family party. She was quite excited about her "bowfday" and I got some cute shots.
The Birthday Girl ~ Ain't she beautiful?
The birthday song. Just in case you were wondering Corey (in the blue and green shirt) really is shaking his fist at his sister during the birthday song because he apparently doesn't like her version of the birthday song in which she "cha-cha-chas" after each line. Hence the saying, "Every party has a pooper, that's why we invited you."
Opening gifts...
...and trying them out, complete in Sunday dress. We're working on the correct way to wear the glove, but never you worry, I think she'll be ready for the bigs soon.
It is hard to believe she is four years old. It seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.
She is the only one who decided to come on her own. I was scheduled for her induction on May 3 and began having contractions the night before. My mom said then that she would be determined to do things her own way (I believe she used the word stubborn), but I preferred to think of her as cooperative. She came quickly once we got the hospital and gave us a little scare with the cord wrapped around her neck. I had no pain medications, and yet I wish all of them could have been that easy. As fate would have it, she is a little stubborn and a little cooperative, if that can be possible.
She seemed to know from the beginning that she was just along for the ride, easy going as a baby and content to do whatever the other 2 were doing. Since she was old enough to keep up with them, I've had a hard time convincing her that they are older and can, therefore, do stuff she can't. She has given me more grey hairs than the others. She comes up with some crazy stuff to get into like painting the wall with Desitin as a toddler and later painting her sister's wall with bright green paint. She can easily get candy off the top of the fridge, ride her big sister's bike and rope swing acting out an episode of Indiana Jones with her brother. She is also the most loving, has always loved to be cuddled, most sensitive and least dramatic, and will help with anything. I hope she always keeps her fun personality and loving spirit.
Happy Birthday, baby girl!
The Birthday Girl ~ Ain't she beautiful?
The birthday song. Just in case you were wondering Corey (in the blue and green shirt) really is shaking his fist at his sister during the birthday song because he apparently doesn't like her version of the birthday song in which she "cha-cha-chas" after each line. Hence the saying, "Every party has a pooper, that's why we invited you."
Opening gifts...
...and trying them out, complete in Sunday dress. We're working on the correct way to wear the glove, but never you worry, I think she'll be ready for the bigs soon.
It is hard to believe she is four years old. It seems like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.
She is the only one who decided to come on her own. I was scheduled for her induction on May 3 and began having contractions the night before. My mom said then that she would be determined to do things her own way (I believe she used the word stubborn), but I preferred to think of her as cooperative. She came quickly once we got the hospital and gave us a little scare with the cord wrapped around her neck. I had no pain medications, and yet I wish all of them could have been that easy. As fate would have it, she is a little stubborn and a little cooperative, if that can be possible.
She seemed to know from the beginning that she was just along for the ride, easy going as a baby and content to do whatever the other 2 were doing. Since she was old enough to keep up with them, I've had a hard time convincing her that they are older and can, therefore, do stuff she can't. She has given me more grey hairs than the others. She comes up with some crazy stuff to get into like painting the wall with Desitin as a toddler and later painting her sister's wall with bright green paint. She can easily get candy off the top of the fridge, ride her big sister's bike and rope swing acting out an episode of Indiana Jones with her brother. She is also the most loving, has always loved to be cuddled, most sensitive and least dramatic, and will help with anything. I hope she always keeps her fun personality and loving spirit.
Happy Birthday, baby girl!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)