Mom's Birthday Party

This weekend was a very busy one. As you all know, we went down to Loganville to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. Saturday was extremely busy. We started out the day going in to town to see the girls new house. This is a picture of Dan, Kim, Crystal, Melissa, and Justin taken in the living room of the new house. I really like the house - it is really a cute place and I think the girls will be very happy there.

After we left town we went back out to Loganville - of course, we made a stop so I could buy a birthday card for mom - then it was out to the house to pick mom up and off to prepare for the party.


The first stop after picking mom up was KFC to pick up the food. Then it was off to the church to get everything set up. My brother and sister-in-law met us there at the church and with their help everything was ready in no time. Then it was just a waiting game for everyone to show up.


It wasn't that long before all the grand kids and great grand kids showed up and then it was time to eat. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Mom was excited to open presents and cards - then the big surprise! My niece (mom's granddaughter) works at Publix bakery and made a special cake for mom as a surprise. This is mom's special cake ----------------

It had pictures of my mom and dad's wedding as well as a picture of them when they were dating - pictures of my brother and I as we were growing up, a picture of mom and dad with all the grand kids - this was a special picture as it was taken while my dad was sick and it is actually the last picture we have of him before he passed away. Then there was also the picture of mom's wedding to Bill. Anyway, it was a very special cake and my mom was blown away.

After everyone had cake - not this one - mom wouldn't let us cut it - we all gathered for family photos ------------------

This is me, my brother and, of course, my mom.

This is my side of the family - mom, my youngest daughter Melissa, her husband Justin, me, Dan, my oldest daughter Crystal, and our other daughter Kim.

Now, this is the whole "famn damily" including great grandchildren and my sister-in-law's sister and her grand kids. The twins in my mom's lap are her great-grandchildren (and I must say, the apple of her eye!). I was really happy that everyone on both sides of the family was there for her party - I know that it meant a lot to her.

We got up this morning and had breakfast - went into Wal Mart and had copies of all the pictures that I took of the party printed for mom. Then it was back to the house to pick up the pup's, tell mom bye, and we hit the road to come back to Unicoi. We weren't able to get away as early as we had first planned, but that's okay - we got here around 2:30. Dan started working outside finishing packing up stuff while I worked on getting things put away inside - doing laundry and getting lunch stuff ready for the road.

At 6:00 we went up to the Lodge for our farewell dinner with Don and Judy. It was really nice to spend a nice relaxing evening with a couple that we have become very close with. I will really miss them and I certainly hope and pray that we will be able to stay in touch with each other. They are very special people and Dan and I both feel blessed to have been able to meet and become friends with them.

We also got an email from the volunteer coordinator here in the park and we have signed up to be back here in January through March of next year. So, hopefully, we will spend November and December in Texas (and if Texas doesn't work out we can go back to Highlands Hammock in Florida for November and December), move here for January, February, and March, now I will look for a job in Virginia for April and May (hopefully around Williamsburg), then up to Vermont for the summer. At least that is the plan.

Well, I think I have bored you all to tears - I plan on blogging again tomorrow night - hopefully, from the north side of Nashville. I hope you all have a great week - and I invite you to follow along on our "GREAT Adventure".

I'll talk to you tomorrow!!!!