GG's birthday

I meant to post this yesterday but didn't get around to it-see the next post to find out why!   10-10 was my mother's birthday.  About this time 2 years ago, we found out that she had lung cancer.  She came to stay with us in Greenville for chemo and radiation and I would not trade that time with her for myself and my children for anything in the world!

She decided that her grandmother name would be GG (short for Grandmommy Gayle) and she was a terrific grandmother!  I loved watching her with my children because she enjoyed them so much-see pictures below!

Some things that have particularly made me miss/think of her since we have been in Manila are that she would love all the tropical climate things that can grow in my yard here that wouldn't survive even the cold of Atlanta's winters-like hibiscus and plumbago.  She loved to grow things and was teased about reviving any nearly dead plant or that because she cared for them so lovingly, talked to them, and counted them each summer as she picked them-she could grow more tomatoes than the rest of her neighbors. 

She fried the best okra-I have been trying for years and mine doesn't taste quite as good as hers.  I was excited to find that I can buy okra here and thought of my mom (and pictured her in the kitchen of the house where I spent my entire childhood frying okra for me and my dad to fight over who would get to eat the last biteful) as I spent a long time frying okra this past Sunday afternoon.  It turned out the best I have ever made-but still not quite as good as my Mom's.

One of the biggest ways my mother's life spoke to me is in the story I heard her tell often of a day that I came home from school in 4 year old Kindergarten-all the way across the street at our church.  She was planning to go back to work the following year when I went to school all day but changed her mind when she saw how excited I was to show her a workbook that I was bringing home.  I don't share this to knock working moms today AT ALL but to say how much I appreciate that my mother valued spending time with me.  She was a professional at being a grade mother/room mom and rarely missed any activity at school.  She supported me in all that I did-except once. 

I wanted to enter a drawing at school to win a mouse that had been in a school play.   I had to have her sign a permission slip saying that I could be entered.  After pestering, begging, and pleading, she signed and I got my name entered into the drawing.  Later though she admitted to praying that I would NOT win. 

Well here are some pictures to make you smile of my mom enjoying our three little ones-Happy Birthday Mom-I miss you! 

Just a warning-I lied about the "some" pictures part and got seriously carried away!

 Holding Scott for the first time!

 Holding Ryan for the first time-only parents were allowed to hold in the NICU

 Holding Ashley for the first time

 "See Scott these are hydrangeas!, day lilies, Mommy's rosebush, and my special tomatoes"

 Showing Scott off to cousins Betty Jean and Becki-I'm sure she was saying "isn't my grandson adorable?"

 Scott's first Christmas-the red rocker he is sitting in was a first Christmas present that my dad got as a baby.

 Playing on the bulldozer at the church construction site

 Scott's first birthday party at GG's house

 With Ryan at a few months old

 Riding the carriages at the Forum at Christmas-Ryan did decide he liked it in just a minute

 My mother gave the boys this Little People Nativity set and we will bring it out for Christmas in Manila!  This was something that she really wanted to get for them and I am so glad she did.

 Mom usually came up to our house sometime soon after our family Christmas at home to see what the boys had gotten for Christmas.  Here is Ryan looking at the Hess truck GG got the boys that year-she continued that gift with them that she and Daddy had given me for years growing up-the boys now have a fleet of them to play with.

 At the park

 My mother always wanted a Radio Flyer wagon to pull her grandchildren around in-she had the wagon long before the children arrived but they put many miles on this in her yard

 Next to the Chattahoochee River at Jones Bridge Park-a fun part of her and Daddy's growing up in Norcross as well as where we had family Thanksgivings for years, and where Greg and I got engaged.

 She liked getting the boys to help her set up her nativity scene at Christmas

 GG and Ryan at the beach-She LOVED the beach!  This was the one time she ever got to go with the kids and she had a ball picking up seashells and playing in the sand with them.

 Reading with Scott in the beach house

 The traditional picture upstairs on the porch before you leave the house

 All 3 at GG's house-summer 2008

 Playing in the firetruck with Ryan-she would do anything with a grandchild!

 sliding at the park!

 swinging Ashley

 These are the fountains in Duluth and she loved to watch the boys run around in them and get soaking wet

 She bought Ashley these beautiful Christmas pjs for her 1st Christmas and the hat too-not necessarily to be worn together-but Mom never let me out of the house without something on my head so I thought it was hilarious that she got Ashley a hat.

 Playing trains-as I said earlier-anything with a grandchild.

 with Ryan

 with Ashley-winter 2010

 Spring 2010-on the way to Ryan's K-4 graduation-this was a HUGE effort for her but she was determined not to miss it!

 These 2 pictures (above and below) are at her dear friend Theta's house-the children had to come briefly to see her friends and then she spent the night with several of her Navy wife friends that she had kept up with for years-they call themselves the "She Crab Sisters" and Mom thoroughly enjoyed getting to see all of them again.  I'm impressed if any of you are still reading/looking to honor my mom on her birthday-The kids and I also went to Fruitti Froyo this afternoon to have frozen yogurt to celebrate GG on her birthday!