Milestones

My family is lucky enough to be celebrating SO many milestones this year.  Some of them include:

• My Grandma Marilyn and Great Aunt Lois celebrate an 85th birthday on June 29
• My Great Aunt Lois and Great Uncle Phil celebrated 65 years of marriage on June 15
• My Great Uncle Phil will celebrate a 90th birthday on October 7
• My Dad and Kathy will celebrate 25 years of marriage on December 12

We all got together this morning at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls to celebrate my Grandma and Aunt's birthdays.  I am so incredibly blessed to have these two women in my life.  They are twins, but they are as different as night and day.  My grandma is 4 minutes older (and she will never let her "little sister" forget that!) and down to earth and responsible and one of the strongest people I've ever met.  She lost her husband 14 years ago and her oldest son not long after.  How a woman copes with two losses as great as those and yet still keeps a heart full of love and a smile on her face is amazing to me.  My grandma has worked as a seamstress since she was a teenager and even altered my wedding dress.  That was such a sentimental experience for us.  She is always there for me to confide in and I trust her with everything.  My great aunt, on the other hand, is the happy-go-lucky one of the pair and I will forever remember her as one of the most amazing cooks I know.  No one can make coconut bars like her.  NO ONE.  She's also the one I was always able to talk to about boy troubles and friend issues.  Even those these two women are 51 years older than me, we are incredibly close and age is just a number. 

My Aunt Lois and Uncle Phil have been married for 65 years.  As a child I remember them bickering.  A LOT.  No....really....a LOT.  They have both mellowed out over the years, but the one thing that stands out about their marriage to me is the passion they have for one another.  They still hold hands, share kisses, and are so happy to just be with one another.  They are inspirational.

Happy Birthday Marilyn and Lois.  Happy Anniversary Lois and Phil.  May these pictures of our family put a smile on your face.  You were all surrounded by an incredible amount of love this morning and I'm excited that I was able to capture some of the special moments.

Nice big table at the Sheraton!  Girls got cozy and comfy with Daddy and Grandma

Left: My Mom and Victor ~ Right: My Dad (The Thinker!)

My brother David and his fiancee Jenny

What a difference two years makes in table manners - heehee 

 Great Aunt Lois (No, she has NEVER dyed her hair in 85 years!!)

Grandma Marilyn

Aunt Lois and Uncle Phil - Married 65 Years

Grandma and her niece Lauren

My Dad and Kathy - celebrating 25 years of marriage this December

My girls with Grandma Audrey

Love this

Peek A Boo!

The mini chocolate mousse parfaits were a huge hit - Genevieve definitely approved!

 Left: Daddy liked it too!  Right: Me and my Grandma

Paperweight that Kathy made - Marilyn and Lois with their mother, Dorothy (for whom I am named)

I loved looking at this picture as a little girl - now it's a paperweight too!

When I was pregnant with Genevieve I swore I would never dress the girls alike.  Never say never...

Thank you nice man in the lobby!  You took a family picture with 5 seconds of DSLR tutorial and all of us were looking at the camera except the 2 year old.  Well done!

Sisters. Twins. Birthday Girls.

 Maybe I'm biased, but they don't look 85 and almost 90 to me!?!

 By FAR my favorite images of the day.  Mother and Son.  4 years ago I never would have thought they would see this day together.  My dad suffered and almost fatal heart attack in January of 2007.  By God's grace, he is here with us and still laughing with his mom 64 years later.

Lois, Phil, and daughter Lauren (they have 4 children but the other 3 live out of town. We missed you guys!)

Genevieve with Uncle David

Smoooooooooch!

I find it incredibly awesome that my daughters know their great grandma

Three cute women

6 years down, 59 more years to go to make it to 65.  You game, babe?

Why are you making fish faces at me, Poppie??

This is one of those moments that make your heart stop.  I know Genevieve will treasure this picture her entire life.  She will share it with her children and tell them about her Poppie.