Happy Birthday, Darling Eliana

Today is our granddaughter's 5th birthday and we wish we could be with her on her special day. But, daughter and kids are all sick and the party's been canceled. We hope we will be able to see her next week on my off day from work so we can celebrate then. Meanwhile, let's skip down memory lane to see how our Eliana has grown through the years.

March 14, 2004, Birth Day

March 2005, 1st Birthday

June 2006, 2nd Birthday

March 2007, 3rd Birthday

March 2008, 4th Birthday

March 2009, almost 5 years old

We wish you a very happy 5th birthday, our little monkey. Love, Grandma and Grandpa

Passages

My, how time flies. Today marks the 13th wedding anniversary of our daughter and son-in-law. When husband and I were married 13 years, our son was already 11-1/2 and our daughter was 10. Allison's children are only 7, 4, and 21 months. As we mark the passages of time, we are reminded of those who went before us and those who will come after our passing. Hopefully we will still be alive when our beautiful grandchildren begin to mark their own passages, such as graduations, marriages, and children of their own. I would love to be a great-grandmother -- but all in good time. Both of us intend to live a long time because we know the future will be as interesting as the past.

Husband and I have changed a great deal since we met in 1967. Husband was a long-haired hippy, straight off a commune in northern California and I was a professional working girl (weekend hippy) from Chicago. We met and our lives changed forever. I even grew my hair very long in the early days of our marriage and was known to wear some pretty hip/funky clothes.

Once we started having children, however, we both changed. We both cut our hair, for instance, and polyester became part of our lives.

1974, Laurel and Tom, Allison 3 and Eli 4-1/2
Married December 15, 1968 (6 years)

1989, Laurel and Tom, married 21 years, Allison 18 and Eli 19-1/2
(At my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary Party)

March 9, 1996, Wedding Day
Allison and Jason

May 15, 2004, Wedding Day
Eli and Aprilyn

December 13, 2008, our lovely children and grandchildren

December 14, 2008, Tom and Laurel
Our 40th wedding anniversary party

March 5, 2009, Allison and children

We've all aged (gracefully we hope), put on weight, and added some grey to our hair. Husband only wears Hawaiian shirts these days and I'm still working (he's retired).

Our children have been a blessing to us over the years. Our grandchildren love us almost as much as we love them. My heart swells and my eyes tear up when I see them.

We wish our daughter and son-in-law many more happy years of marriage on this special occasion. Their marriage ceremony was captured on video and we can go back and revisit the joy of the occasion whenever we want.

If we are lucky enough, based on family longevity, we will still be alive when daughter and son-in-law celebrate their 40th anniversary. Wouldn't that be something to behold?