February Birthdays

 February means some Terrill family birthdays - Phoebe's David and Bonny and Bruce's Esme. Both of whom are wonderful additions to our family.  We know they had fun birthdays - and that both are looking forward to new situations in 2021:  Esme is going on a mission to Finland in July and David - and Phoebe and family - are moving to Idaho in June - although David has been there awhile already.

We are excited for their new adventures!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Today is Hannah's 35th birthday - how can that be?? It does indeed seem like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital!

Hannah came 2 days early - something really unheard of in our tribe - the previous 4 had come 11 to 13 days late! Also, they were trying out a "shortened stay" plan and I came home just after 24 hours. It was hot too! So it was all pretty memorable.

Since she is one of "the little kids" she got in on all the grandkids coming when she was a teen - so she's pretty much one of the favorite aunts!

She is in France right now - and we miss having her nearby - but we are eternally grateful for all the ways we have to connect virtually!!

Happy day Hannah!

August so far!

August is the birthday celebrations for Los Dos Hannahs - my Hannah comes later in the month, but the 7th is Hannah Kerksiek's big day.  Alice and I lived many miles apart - in different states, neither one of us knew we were having a girl, and neither one of us let on that our name of choice for a girl was Hannah! 

So when her Hannah was born, Harry and I weren't sure if we needed to choose a new name - it could be a boy after all. And when it was a girl, we decided that since they wouldn't live in the same state even, it wouldn't hurt to have "Los Dos Hannahs."

It mostly confused them when they were little and together - they mostly thought they were being talked to pretty often! When the girls were small, and Alice and Dale were in the foreign service, they came home each summer for several weeks - and spent some of those weeks with us - good times for sure!

 

My grandpa Stevens was born in 1890 - so this is his 130th birthday!  Loved my grandpa - he was not a member of the church and actually criticized my parents for being active - but he was always good to us. In her later years, my mom would tell me about him when I asked questions - turns out he came home for dinner every night - and they had Sunday dinner together every week. Explains why my dad was there every night for dinner. He had his own machine shop, but would come home for dinner and then go back to work.  I guess my mom felt like if her dad could do it, my dad could too!

 

Marcie Hoopes has a bday to day also - the 7th - loved having her as  colleague at Clifton Middle School. I do not miss working - I do miss our daily lunches in the staff room though!

 

And August also featured Sisters Day -  I have 5 sisters - the best gift a gal could have is a sister - so 5 of them is 5 times as good!!

Love my sisters -  shown here at Leslie's wedding. Eliza had been born 4 days before - I'm impressed I was there!

Hopefully I can keep up with regular posting in August!!

I am so behind!!

So July went by and I didn't do much posting - meanwhile Joan had a birthday - and we had a Clayton Zoom Birthday Party for Joan and Charlie - and it was a hit!

 

Each week I enjoy a Zoom Clayton Sunday School class with Charlie, Jeanette, Donna, Leslie, and Mary. It is a great addition to our Sabbath worship - and a chance to interact with my siblings.

 

  

Robbie had his 35th birthday - in Paris - and we weren't there to celebrate - that makes me sad! The pandemic is messing with our lives.

Joy had her 75th birthday -  along with all the "Girls of '45" - it is sobering to think that we will be 95 in 20 years!!

 

And lest I feel old, Annika Joy had her 16th birthday - and we were able to go and "socially distance" and "mask up" for the celebration.

 

53 years ago, on Bastille Day, Harry and I got engaged!

It's been a good month - looking forward to August - and remembering to post more!!

But does anyone even read it??

If a tree falls in an empty forest, does anyone hear it - does it even make a noise??

Oh happy day!

Happy Birthday Lars!

When he was a small baby, he came with his mom to visit California and meet baby Jonah. Baby Jonah was not expected to live very long, so his Aunt Eliza wanted to be sure to meet him.

He stayed pretty quietly in his car seat and didn't disrupt things. He has proven to be a child who can make his presence known  - but a special spirit was with him during that visit.

A special spirit is still with him - and we are so grateful!

Enjoy your day and the year ahead!

Happy 5th to Francis!

Pandemic restrictions said no party at the park, but how about a parking lot party??

Fun for the birthday boy!!

 

A Mimi Cake for Francis!!

 

Seems incredible that 5 years have gone by - and this sweet boy is still the best boy!!

Here's to a great year ahead - it can only get better, right??

Oh happy day!

This is a photo on my birthday in 1979 - I was turning 34 - and we had just recently made the decision to move back to California.We had built the house amid much hoopla about how this would be our "forever home." Thus we made design choices and decisions that would reflect that idea. And we had just moved in 3 months earlier. So it was the only birthday we ever celebrated in that house.

Over the years, birthdays have occurred on convenient days, happy days, inconvenient days, busy days, lazy days - and until this year, I had felt that May 23, 1979, was maybe the most "historically eventful" birthday in our family. 

But its place has been usurped. A pandemic birthday seems much more "historically eventful" to me. And there have been several in the family now - all kinds of new ways of celebrating have emerged - we are certainly a resourceful bunch - but the fact that we can't be together, can't hug and sing around each other, can't cluster together as the candles are blown out - takes a little of the joy out of the mix.

Zoom birthdays are fun and wonderful - but sort of make you wish you were together in person. Drive by birthday celebrations are the new normal - and a big hit. But once again you wish everyone could stop and get out and give you a high five at least. Cards, packages, phone calls - love is shared - and we should be grateful for technology - but there is the "human touch" that is missing.

And it makes us a little sad. Birthdays are a recognition that time is marching on - and can't be brought back. 

So let's at least learn something - and treasure the "now" - even if it's over Zoom!

More happy days to fete!

Happy Birthday Noah!!

 

Happy Birthday Dawn!

May is positively FULL of birthdays. There are 48 on my personal perpetual birthday calendar. I send cards to most of them - unless they have not kept in touch and I don't have an address. Then, if they are on social media, I send them a greeting there.

And it's my birthday, my mom's birthday, my son's birthday, 4 of my grandsons' birthdays, and I am Birthday Buddies with 5 folks that I know of!

It's a good month!

Now it's being a somewhat not as good month, owing to the pandemic. Oh my, that colors EVERYTHING doesn't it??

I am getting more and more slothful each day. I started out pretty well - I think that not going to a regularly scheduled HIIT class 3 times a week has impacted how I face the day. If something is not required - I just don't seem to get moving. The other thing I notice is that I can get up, get moving, get a couple of things done - and then feel like I've done enough - time to go sit and read!!

And phone conversations are really using up large chunks of time. They are very enjoyable though - and may be what is keeping me sane.

And I do have student still - but he works online with another teacher for math - and hasn't yet gotten all the English work done. Perhaps I need to take note and push him.

I will put that on my To Do list.

After I finish a chapter.

Behind before I start!

Alice had a birthday in April - which I noted on IG and FB - Blogger gets short shrift it seems.

Frances had a birthday too - in fact, lots of people had birthdays, but I don't think I noted them here!

 

And we had a lovely, though different Easter, of course due to COVID 19.  I guess I should do a post about that - for history's sake anyway!!

happy day to eliza!!

It was indeed a happy day when Eliza joined our family.

 

It had been 6 years since we'd had a baby - and we were a little discouraged!

 

  

A whole new world was opening up for us - and the adventure has been wonderful.

Eliza is bright, funny, talented, patient, smart and kind!

 

And we love Matt and the kids too - a win-win for us all!

Enjoy your day - and the year ahead!!

I am getting more and more behind!!

Love that sweet Keesa! 

When Noah married Taylor, a side benefit was adding Keesa to grandchildren roster. She is a lovely young woman - and I just can't imagine our family without her now!

Happy day to you this month!!

Welcome to the double digits!!

A short month - will be gone before I know it!!

A busy month, even if it is the shortest - but it's a day longer this year!

And Esme turns 18!!

 

Ara will have a bridal shower!!

 

We celebrated Pop!

 

Hopefully Valentine's Day will be a winner - it usually is!

 

And David gets to celebrate too!

 

And Henry has a mission call - to Mongolia!!

A jam-packed month - at least we are in SoCal and it's cozy and warm!!