MOM'S 75TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS (3)

Dear Family,

This year Mom celebrated her 75th birthday and she had three parities, one in Michigan at Mary's, one in SLC at Cheryl's as Oma and Mary Clare have the same birthday and then a sit down dinner with our grown family here minus all the grandkids.  All were great.

I gave Mom a new Mac Air portable computer and she is taking lessons again at the Apple Store in City Creek.

The party at Mary's was great.  The picture shows Oma with a crown and covered with long swatches that each grandchild and adult placed on her after they said what they loved about Mom and Oma.

I mentioned here and with the other celebrations that a most remarkable thing about Mom was her intense desire to have a large family and reminded those present that if that had not been so, several of the people there would be somewhere else.  Mom was definitely Queen at this gathering.  Al came with her kids as well and it was so much fun.

Cheryl hosted a great family party for Mom and Mary Clare.  Rick and Gemina were there and we were surprised to see Roy who drove all the weay from Denver for a surprise visit.  It was good to see Rick, Gemina and that little chunk, Luken, who is growing so rapidly.  The little kids had a ball on the trampolines and all the goodies at Cheryl's.

Speaking of Goodies, Cheryl and Paul had arranged for Hires to come an do the Hamburgers and Franks.  They were yummy with all the fixings.  It was appropriate as I used to take Mom to Hires on an occasional date.  In those days (late 50's) a burger was 25 cents as was a malted milk so a dollar would cover the cost of the food.  Gasoline at that time was 20 cents a gallon. Hires still has the best shakes and malts.

On the night of her birthday, we had a sit down dinner at our home for our kids and their spouses and that was great.  I bought a huge chunk of beef loin and carved 21 New York strip steaks for the grill with the help of Roy and Doug.  Gemina says those were the best steaks she has eaten.

We all paid tribute to Mom.  Some of the old stories came out even the ones that had slipped my memory like the time the older boys got into a huge paint fight when Mom organized them to paint our three story house in Newton, Mass.  But great love and appreciation for Mom was expressed for all her love and kindness over the years to all.  The stories were great!

So Happy birthday Mom, they threw the mold away after you came along and there are not any like you.

Alles Liebe, Dad and the Gang