Sweet as a Strawberry

 Just yesterday she was little.   I have proof.

1983...lets see that was 41 years ago.  Her shirt says Sweet as a Strawberry. 

Today is her birthday...the glue that holds our family together often putting her needs and wants aside to take care of others.   She often asks me "Mom what can I do for you?"

 Always just a phone call away or in the Winter time just a holler away. 

 

We are so thankful to have her in our lives, God has blessed us! 

Me and Jen 1975

She loved those big birthday cookies! 

Me, Far Guy and Jen in Hawaii a few years ago.

Happy Birthday Jen!  Have the best birthday yet!! Love you lots!

Mom

Happy Birthday Jen!

 Our youngest daughter Jen is a bit older today.  She was born a number of years ago! 

She gives her all to everything she does.  She loves whole heartedly and it shows in the people she surrounds herself with. 

She is an especially good Great Aunt.  The children adore her. 

Jen took care of Ree this summer so that Maddie could return to work before Ree was old enough to go to daycare. 

Happy Birthday Jen!  May your day be extra special just like you! 

Far Side

How old?

 Happy Birthday Jen!  How old are you this year...she has been going backwards for about 7 years so she must be 33 now....ha! 

Jen and Sadie enjoying the water last July. 

Hope you have a really good birthday! 

Love you lots!

Mom

Backwards Birthdays

 Our youngest daughter Jen is celebrating backwards birthdays.  I believe she says she is 34 this year...she began going backwards at 40. 

This was her birthday in 1993.   She was 18 that year.  No one ever wants to go backwards when they are 18!  Photo taken at the  house at the Resort on Straight Lake.

She was 18 her whole Senior year...September birthday...

Usually on her birthday...I would cook a favorite meal and invite her Grandparents over for supper and cake.   Sometimes she would ask one friend to come over.  Then on the weekend after a birthday she would have some kind of party with lots of kids invited.... Happy Joes...and all girl sleepover...a party in the yard playing games....   something to make her feel special!

Happy Birthday Jen...she will visit us sometime today.  Hope you feel special spending your birthday with your elderly parents!  

Love you!

Mom

Happy Birthday Jen!

 Today is Jen's birthday.  She was born a long time ago in the first hour of the day so she has a long birth day.  

Jen and Far Guy September 4 2020 by the new old car.

Jen is our can do kid... once she sets her sights on something she follows through even if the going gets tough.   Giving up is not an option for her.  She is a strong woman.  We are very proud of her. 

Here is her birth story. 

She was born at 12:58 AM on a Thursday.  I didn’t labor a long time, I went into labor about 3:30 PM  on the 17th after a Doctor’s appointment when my water broke at Auntie Kathy and Uncle Arthur’s house.  I picked Trica up there and went home, started supper and did some laundry. About 6 ish I called my baby brother to come over to stay with Trica. (Trica was three years and five months old.)  Then I called Far Guy at work and told him maybe he should come and take me to the hospital. Uncomfortable labor that makes you cranky didn’t start until after the 10 PM news.  Some time after that a Nurse came in and asked Far Guy if he was going to be in the delivery room…I said “No, he is a chicken.”  He said “Where is the gown?”  It seemed like we waited forever for Dr. Kolars to show up…don’t push until the Doctor gets here…yeah right…finally the Doc got there and she was born!

Far Guy was mesmerized by his new daughter…although she was a tiny thing she was almost perfect.   5 Pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long…she had some in utero problems that caused her to lose weight…mostly because I was 18 days overdue and a “horrible incubator” ( My Doctors exact words, he was happy she was here and alive…and in his opinion I should not have anymore children.) Out of the womb she thrived…sucked down four ounces of formula and hollered for more, slept all night long when she was just a week old…the easiest baby to take care of ever!

Happy Birthday Jen!  Love you always and forever! 

Mom

Happy Birthday Jen!

She was born at 12:58 AM on a Thursday.  I didn’t labor a long time, I went into labor about 3 :30 PM  on the 17th after a Doctor’s appointment when my water broke at Auntie Kathy and Uncle Arthur’s house.  I picked Trica up there and went home, started supper and did some laundry. About 6 ish I called my baby brother to come over to stay with Trica. (Trica was three years and five months old.)  Then I called Far Guy at work and told him maybe he should come and take me to the hospital. Uncomfortable labor that makes you cranky didn’t start until after the 10 PM news.  Some time after that a Nurse came in and asked Far Guy if he was going to be in the delivery room…I said “No, he is a chicken.”  He said “Where is the gown?”  It seemed like we waited forever for Dr. Kolars to show up…don’t push until the Doctor gets here…yeah right…finally the Doc got there and she was born!

 

Far Guy was mesmerized by his new daughter…although she was a tiny thing she was almost perfect.   5 Pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long…she had some in utero problems that caused her to lose weight…mostly because I was 18 days overdue and a “horrible incubator” ( My Doctors exact words, he was happy she was here and alive…and in his opinion I should not have anymore children.) Out of the womb she thrived…sucked down four ounces of formula and hollered for more, slept all night long when she was just a week old…the easiest baby to take care of ever!

Today our youngest daughter is the big 40, she told me “Mom I am okay with that number, I am happy where I am at in this stage of my life.”

Our baby is 40 how can that be?  When did that happen?  It seems like we blinked just once or twice.

Thirty years ago In 1985 she was ten…and she had a Unicorn cake.

Here we are with the birthday girl.

The other day I took a photo of Jen and her Dad and I put it on her birthday card.

Happy 40th Birthday Jen!  Your Father and I will love you always and forever.

36

Someone is 36 today.

She has always loved the water. I used to worry about her and water, especially when she was little.  She wore a life jacket as part of her summer uniform when she was a little girl.  One time I let her and her sister near a pool in Havre Montana without life jackets on.   It was hot, they went swimming, the pool was fairly deep..there they were in the center of the pool..one would bob up and the other would bob down. Eventually they would have drown each other..but their Mother showed much bravery and jumped in fully clothed and saved them from each other.

I taught her to float..and to dog paddle.  I spent hours at the kiddie pool.  She took every swimming class she could take.  She became a Life Guard and then a Swimming Instructor.  She always had some part time Guard or Instructors job during High School and College.

She loves “her” time on the water.  It helps to renew her watery spirit.   Happy Birthday Jen:)

Thirty four years ago!

Thirty four years ago, I gave birth to our second and last child, Far Guy's dream of two little blond haired girls was fulfilled.

It was a very difficult pregnancy, early on the pregnancy was not very stable, my Doctor said "Put your feet up, and rest, and let Mother Nature take it's course. " Easy for him to say..I had to keep up with a three year old. Trica and I spent the summer at the lake, managing the resort that my parents had just purchased. I was due September 1st, and went back home sometime about then. We had moved in the spring, out of an apartment and into a trailer house, a new 14 X 72 Trailer with avocado green appliances, and a washer and dryer in the bathroom..thought I had died and gone to heaven! No more laundromat! We were located at the end of a culdesac that had a park..it was a perfect place to raise children.

I must have suffered from some strange chemical imbalance when I was pregnant with Jen, I was not in a good mood, I did not smile or laugh..well I did laugh out loud twice during the pregnancy. One time when something that Far Guy was struggling to build..fell apart. And when he hit his knee with a hammer..I nearly rolled on the floor with laughter that time..he said the pain was worth it.

It retrospect I must have been suffering from postpartum depression..before the postpartum part. Leave it to me to do things backwards. Anyway she was born, she was just a peanut five pounds and five ounces..and way overdue. She had been fat, her skin hung from her body..she was pretty ugly..but beautiful. My Doctor took one look at her and said "I have been so worried about this baby, thank God she is here alive." "You should never have anymore children." Sounded good to me, I was happy with two!

I took this last mothering to a new level, I did not leave her with anyone until she was about three years old. I rarely left her with her father..no one could take care of her as good as I could. When she had to go to kindergarten, she had to be weened from time with me. It was very difficult for both of us.

Now she is thirty four years old. I should feel old.I do..but old enough for my baby to be thirty four..not quite:)

Last year when she was only thirty-three.