Special Birthdays

Although one tries to say a birthday is just another day, I think we would all agree, there is something special about commemorating our "birth" day.  There is just something inside that says, "So and so many years ago, I came into this world," and perhaps as we grow older and look back, we think of birthdays past and think about where we were or what we were doing on our birthday.  So, this year, I did a nostalgic look back.

Wow!  As a one-year-old, I already was crying about having to watch my calories! 

Because my sister Joyce and I had birthdays only four days apart, my mother combined our special days into one big birthday party.  We both loved it!  The more friends there, the better!

By far, the best gift I ever received was the birth of our youngest son, Craig.  Although he was born two days before my birthday, I was still in the hospital and kept admiring how darling he was and how grateful I was to have such a special gift for my birthday. 

Here is Craig as a two-month-old.  He was such a good little guy, but mainly I wanted you to see that I did lose my "baby" fat at that time.

Another very memorable birthday, was when my kids and husband planned and paid for a dinner river cruise.  The River just happened to be the Seine in Paris, France.  With John and Alison living there, and Doug and Joyce (my sister and brother-in-law), plus a friend, Sandy, all going, too, it was an ideal way to spend a birthday!

Me with my sister, Joyce.

Yes, the City of Lights didn't disappoint for a great birthday!

Birthday parties are always fun, but definitely not necessary to have a good time. However, this year my sister Beverly in Idaho offered to give me a birthday party in a card since she loves to give parties, but we are too far away from each to actually be where she could give the party. Thanks, Beverly! What a sweet gesture!

Since this year was sort of a special birthday year (I'm definitely not revealing the exact amount, however), my sweet husband planned a week full of activities to celebrate.  I had such a great time, I almost forgot how old I was becoming!

My birthday week began with George taking all four of us women to see the Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors at the Florida Theater.  We had a great time!  These are two great women who work in the Adult Education program with me:  Dawn Guthrie and her daughter Hannah, along with Carmela Middleton.

The show was really entertaining, and we all had such a great time!

Then on Thursday, all of the people at my work gave me a little birthday party after work.

The cake was divine!

On another evening (I'm getting all the days of the week mixed up), George took me to a dinner show at Alhambra.  The production was "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."  It really was one of their best performances I've seen there!

By this time, it was almost my real birthday.  George had asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday weekend.  I told him I wanted to go to Orlando.  First stop was our Mormon Temple for an evening doing church work  It was so special!

We then stayed for the next two nights in an Orlando Resort.  We didn't spend much time there, but it was very convenient to come back to at the end of the day.

On Saturday, we were off for Epcot.  I wanted to repeat exactly what I had done there with my sisters and Dad about a month ago.  We had such a good time, so I wanted George to have the same experience. 

I kept him running the whole day!

There weren't as many flower creations as there were in April--I think it has become too hot for many of them.  But it was still beautiful!

 

We always have "bear" jokes in the Copeland family which make us all smile.  Craig and Kent were the bear cubs in the family, and that always provided for lots of fun!

I couldn't wait to take George to the Chinese Pavilion which is a miniature version of the Temple of Heaven which we saw in Beijing.

Visiting the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an was one of my favorite experiences ever.  The real warriors are over six feet tall, and seeing the 6,000 they have uncovered is just breath-taking when you're there.  No two are alike!  But they have done a really wonderful job in Epcot in recreating the experience on a miniature scale.

This was so interesting of how they first uncovered the warriors.  They would actually make a grid and draw exactly what they took out of each area.  Everything had to be documented.  So many were broken, but piece by piece, they were put back together.

This is like the terracotta soldier that John and Alison actually bought in Xi'an and have in their home. 

(Here is a picture on Easter at the Wilde home.  Do you see the terracotta soldier in their living room?)

When George saw the showcase of the two-hump camel, he started telling about his experience at the Great Wall of China where he got on one.  He soon had a whole group who was listening to his story.  Although he did a great job relating it, you had to be there in person in China to have the full effect.  None of us will ever forget it, nor will be ever stop laughing about it!

Of course, George had to get his ice cream after our Chinese lunch.

And then he enjoyed some caramel popcorn from the Wuerther's factory--the best!

Italy--we want to go back to the real Italy!  So beautiful!

I think the food kept George going for the whole day! 

Outside the American Pavilion, a Fife and Drum Corp came along.  We enjoyed it so much.  They played all the patriotic songs throughout the American history. 

Then the leader had us all join in on "God Bless America."  It just made you so proud to be an American!

The Canadian Pavilion has a miniature Buchhart Gardens.  Absolutely beautiful!  Not nearly as large as the real one again, but every bit as beautiful!

I had to take a picture of the kind of phone that George knows how to use--he still is cell phone illiterate.  Hah! 

This reminded me of looking over the Seine River. 

Epcot is just wonderful in bringing back memories of places throughout the world that are so beautiful.

This is the "Spitting Gargoyle" in the French Pavilion.  It is a reproduction of the one on the Notre Dame in Paris.  There are hundreds on top of the Notre Dame, but to see them up close and personal, you have to climb a few hundred steps to see them.  I remember the day Craig and I did just that!  It was really a sight to see!

That evening, George and I ate at the German Restaurant at Epcot--the same place I had eaten with my sisters and Dad in April.  I wanted George to experience the wonderful atmosphere, music, and food.  It didn't disappoint--George loved it!

Although George may have had ideas of going home before the park closed, I quickly changed his mind.  No way!  We had to stay for the fantastic fireworks which are like none other!  He definitely was glad we stayed!

We got up the next morning at 6:00 a.m. to drive back to Jacksonville because it was our Ward Conference, and we had choir practice at 10:00 a.m. because the choir was singing and I was playing.  The choir sang two numbers which were absolutely some of the best we've ever done--with a lot of help from above, I have to say! 

After the three-hour block of meetings, everyone met in the cultural hall for the ward dinner.  After the blessing on the food, George stood up and told everyone it was my real birthday today.  Then everyone sang "Happy Birthday."  How sweet!

Whereupon, Jeff came rolling in the biggest cake I've ever seen!

What a wonderful surprise birthday George, along with Amy, had planned for me!

Can you tell how much the kids loved the red punch and cake???

After going home, I heard from my kids, their spouses, and many of the grandkids.  I, also, talked to my dad, and many of my siblings.  Seriously, don't you think this was one of the best birthday weeks ever!  Thank you to everyone who made it so special--especially to my sweet husband who truly made a birthday I will never forget!

Of Geese and and Tortoises and Snakes

Of Geese.  Just about every day when we stop at Jeff and Amy's home on our way home, we see the family of Canadian geese that live there.  They are such beautiful birds and fascinating to watch.  Lola, especially, wants to go see the "ducks" as she calls them and says, "Come on, Papa," while grabbing his hand.

When I was looking up facts about them, I saw all kinds of posts of how to keep them away from settling near you.  I was shocked!  We love them!  Maybe we won't be saying this later, but right now, we think it is so amazing. 

The first year Jeff and Amy lived in this neighborhood, there was just a mother and a father.  Last summer, they had four little ones who have now grown up.  Canadian geese find a mate usually during their second year and stay together for life.  (However, if one mate dies, the other will re-mate.)

As Lola gets closer to them, you hear, "Honk . . ."  Then from another, "Honk, . . .  I found out that they communicate with different sounds.  In fact with about 13 different calls for things like greetings, warnings, and contentment, they may be one of the most talkative animals after humans.  Goslings, or baby geese, begin communicating with their parents while still in the egg! 

Then there was a whole bunch of "honking" and in perfect unison, they all take off together.

They had definitely given the "warning" honk, and they all obeyed!

Of Tortoises.  Another animal that lives near our home, is a tortoise.  They live in holes in the ground which they dig with their powerful claws.  Friday night while Jeff took the boys to the "Father and Sons" Outing with the church, Amy had to help with a school carnival, so George and I took Lola exploring for our tortoise.   

We were disappointed when we found his hole empty and full of leaves, so we wondered where he had moved to.  Soon we found a new hole, but he wasn't home.  After driving about a half mile away, there he was crawling along. 

He doesn't like a lot of visitors, so we didn't stay long.  See you later, Tortoise!

Of Snakes.  Saturday was "clean up the rain gutters" day.  George was outside with the ladder in the pick-up next to the garage since the ladder  wouldn't reach from the ground.  Danger!  I couldn't believe he had started before I was out there to hold the ladder.  Little did I know that falling wasn't the biggest danger!

After George could breathe again and wasn't so pale (Hah!), he re-enacted what had happened.  He had climbed the ladder, luckily with his gloves on, and pulled out the first handfull of leaves, but as he brought the leaves downward, they were wiggling in his hand.  The he noticed that not only did he have a handful of leaves, he had a handful of snake which was about two feet long!

After throwing him on the ground and covering him with the recyling bin, he showed him to me. 

Fortunately, he didn't look like a poisonous snake, but when you grab a snake unknowingly above your head, your heart doesn't care whether it's poisonous or not.  It starts racing!

We called the kids to come over.  Isaac was definitely the most brave at first. 

Then Jeff decides to pick him up behind his head . . .

The little guy didn't like that at all and gave Jeff a bite on his finger--it actually broke the skin!  What if it had been posionous?

George has his gloves on and lets the kids touch the snake. 

Jeff puts the snake in a pillowcase so we can transport him to a new home--a long ways from ours!

 

We released him in the field by the landfill area.  There are lots of critters around there for him to be friends with!

Off he goes.  Bye-bye, snake!  Don't come back!

We had brought all the yard waste to the landfill.  The kids had fun playing while George and Jeff emptied the truck. 

Yes, Florida is a "wild" place to live.  You never know what "wild" thing you'll meet next!  This was enough for one weekend!

Strong Women

Throughout my life, I have been surrounded by strong women.  By strong, I mean they have been not only physically strong, but strong in spirit, strong in their love of their mates and children, and strong in their love of the Lord.  They have been great examples to me of what a woman should be.  For example:

My great great-grandmother, Sophia

 

She had 14 children!  While my great great-grandfather was helping with the colonization of several areas in Idaho and Utah, Sophia worked hard to keep up the daily chores.  She would feed and milk the cows and make the butter, tend to the chickens, gather the eggs to sell at market, help with the planting and the harvesting.  Additionally, the family had a large herd of sheep and when it was sheep shearing time, Sophia could shear as many as 30 sheep in a day.  She, also, did a lot of spinning, dyeing, and soap making.  An interesting note:  She and the children gave water to an army regiment who was traveling over to Wyoming.  The grateful soldiers tossed the boys a dime for their troubles.  Unbeknownst to them, these men were under the command of Lt. Colonel George A. Custer, and they were sadly marching off to the fated Battle at Little Big Horn.

Anna Cecilia and Josephine

My great great grandmother Josephine sailed alone with her mother, Anna Cecilia, from Sweden to come to America after they joined the Mormon Church in Sweden.  It took eight, long dreary weeks to cross the ocean.  After traveling by rail to Wyoming, they still had to cross the 1000 miles in order to reach the Salt Lake Valley.  However, they were willing to do this because they knew the Church was what they wanted in their life, and my great, great, great grandmother was willing to give up everything, even leaving her husband behind because he didn't care to have the Lord in his life.

Mary

My great grandmother Mary's husband (my great grandfather) was called on a two year mission for the Mormon Church.  This left Mary with five children under the age of 11 to care for, in addition to the farm to take care of.  (They had a total of eight children eventually.)  Her brother came to help her, but during those two years, Mary saved enough above the expenses to clear the debts and keep the farm running.  Later, her husband would be called as a Bishop for 23 years, and during that time she took care of the people in their ward, plus she boarded many of the school teachers in the area.  The young and old were welcome in her home where they were greeted with mountains of bread, cakes, and pies.  They say her fried chicken, once tasted, was never forgotten!

Hattie

My grandma Hattie, the grandma that lived only about a mile away while I was growing up, was the one I got to know the best.  She was one of ten daughters.  She could do anything!  Even though she was tiny, she could plant a garden, bottle every vegetable and fruit there was, kill a chicken, have it plucked, and in the pot for dinner a couple of hours later.  She and her husband served a three-year mission for the Mormon Church in the Samoan Islands shortly after they were married.  Their first son was born there, and she nearly lost both him and her husband to illnesses while they were in Samoa.  So she made a promise to the Lord that if He would just allow her to bring them home to bury them, she would serve him the rest of her life.  Both her son and husband lived to a good old age, and she did as she promised--served her family and the Lord the rest of her life.

My mother, Lola

What can I say!  I could go on and on about the selfless life my mother lived.  She wasn't out front where many could see what she did--but the countless hours of service that she did for the people in the community as well as the seven children, their spouses, and their children, will never truly be known by any of us.  We are still discovering many things that the others didn't know that she was doing for them.  There was no grey area in her life--right was right, and wrong was wrong.  You could count on her word as gold.  And always, she showed her love of the Lord in her daily life.

My four sisters: Beverly, Joyce, Beth, and Natalie

To this very day, we still love to be with each other and know that we can always count on each other, no matter what.  Although we live on opposite sides of the country, we keep in touch almost weekly.  They are all fantastic wives and mothers (and some are grandmothers, too), strong in their communities, and there is no doubt of their testimonies of the Lord.  We seriously are like little kids when we get together--we just spent three days in Disney World with our 88 year old Dad, and had the time of our lives! 

 

My mother-in-law, Ruby 

Very fortunately, I was able to marry into a family with a strong mother.  George's mother, Ruby, was one of the hardest working women I have ever known.

She would have her wash out on the line by 7:00 a.m.  (She liked the fresh, clean smell of the outdoors, rather than putting them in the dryer.)  She was the epitome of organization.  She had all the cakes, pies, cookies, roast beef, ham, potatoes, vegetables, everything started by 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon for dinner--and everything was always ready on Saturday so she didn't have to do all of the arrangements on Sunday.  She loved the Lord and helped my husband to love and to serve Him, as well.

I have only mentioned a few in my past--there are so many more in my ancestral line.  I salute all of them for the wonderful mothers and women they were.  But today, I want to tell seven other women how much I love and appreciate them--my fantastic daughters and "daughters" in-law.  They are truly strong women in every sense of the word.  They, too, teach me so much.  I feel welcome in any of their beautiful and tidy homes, I know that every Sunday they will have all of our grandchildren all scrubbed up and attending church, I know they love their spouses, and I know that even through difficulties in life, they will always support one another. 

Angie

Alison

Kim

Amy

Anne

Natalie

Cassie

Thanks so much for all you do.  George and I truly love all of you!  Happy Mothers' Day! 

Thanks, Kevin, for the beautiful Mother's Day flowers.  They were a wonderful surprise on my doorstep!