Kevin Had A Birthday

That was rather bittersweet, for me. This was the year that he turned 21, (on July 4) a day that my mother had looked forward to for many years! Mom has been gone from this earth for nearly five years. She so wanted to show him all the ropes, and see his thrill the first time he was able to pull that arm down, or push a button whatever it may be. I was not happy that she was not here to get her wish, so I was happy to have Nicole in town to send along with Calvin so I didn't have to go (she got to take the pictures for me, as I felt I would look rather silly sitting at a machine with tears running down my face) plus I got alone time with the grandkids! From the picture's I think his grandma would have gotten a kick out of his first gambling experience. Kevin showing off his casino card.Dad showing him you have to take money out of your wallet to put in the machine.
He hit a little something, oh boy!

putting the ticket in to get his money out.

Just like his sister, take the winnings and run . . .

Kevin has been gambling a few times since then, today we went again. I decided that it was time for him to learn video poker as that was one of grandma's favorite's. I'm not a very good teacher, if I understand something, I just figure every one else does also. I kept saying things like" what two do you want to keep," meaning the pair, Kevin thinking the "2". Then I figured it out and saying "the one's that are the same", well, that worked until he got four hearts and I was saying no keep the hearts. Poor kid was like the same what? Make up your mind the shapes or the numbers? He was down to his last dollar, put his hand up and said, "I do it myself, o hey?" I figured OK do it yourself. He did it and got it right, by George (pun intended) I think he's got it!
I must say that after five years I still miss and think about my mom every. single. day. Usually with a smile as the memories are great but, today as I write this, it is with tears, because as much as she wanted to be here for this milestone of my boy's, I want her to be here also. To my children who I've always taught life isn't always fair, here is a prime example.
Now to those of you who still can, GO HUG your MOM!

Happy Father's Day!

If roses grow in heaven Lord, then pick a bunch for me. Place them in my dad's arms and tell him they're from me. Tell him that I love and miss him, and when he turns to smile, place a kiss upon his check and hold him for a while.

My dad is the one in the middle.

Being a jokester and planting a kiss on his brother, Mark!

Calvin's Dad.

Decorating

I've probably mentioned before, how my mother and I use to compete (friendly) over who had the most decorations for each holiday. It's been awhile since I've put up decorations for most holidays, as I have lost my friendly competition. As silly as it may sound it was fun, she would usually call and say something like " I've just bought a new purdy, how many do you have"? She knew that the new one she just got meant she had one more than I did, I probably ran right out and bought two more just to be ahead again! My favorite was going in the day after while she was at work and buying some more at 50% off, I'd wait until she got home from work and inform her of my new purdies. Of course by the time she got there the next morning everything that was any good was taken. This year I decided to either put the Easter ones out or get rid of them, since I couldn't bear to part with them this is what I had Kevin do this morning.

I love the way he needs to examine each ornament before it goes on the twig.

Still missing my mom, wishing she was here to tell me how far ahead of me she was this year . . .

Ma and Pa go to Hawaii

Mom and Dad's friends, the Copelands, had moved to Hawaii a couple of years earlier so mom decided it was time for them to go visit. This is the photo Dolores got as they were stepping of the airplane.
Here they are on one of the beaches, although I don't know the name of the beach or which island they were on. They had a good time and that is all that really matters.

Siblings

Family was always very important to mom. Then again I think it is to most people. Mom loved her siblings. She was always so exited every time one of them came to visit or she was going to see them (although the trip to them always made her anxious). Here is a picture of some of the sibs: Olive Hughes Hodges, Alice Hughes Welch, Helen Hughes Coulter, William Hughes (Baby) and Wilma Hughes Lewis. I love all the old pictures, they never encouraged a smile.Robert "Butch" Hughes, William "Bill", Wilma, Sharon Hughes Casper Waters, Shirley Hughes Woolam, Helen, Alice.

The Family Surprise

Not sure why, but mom didn't like any new life changes or surprises. It always took her awhile to adjust to any change, but she always did. And never ever surprise her! That's a whole different post! Any way when she was pregnant with me, dad and mom decided not to tell any family back home (IL), they would wait until after the baby was here. Grandma Welch, Helen Rose, would come out most summer and stay most of the summer, that would be when they made the big announcement.

The day of her arrival dad and Mike took off to the train station to pick her up while mom stayed home with me. Dad said once they had her picked up and in the car it was all Mike could do to not tell her. He kept saying, we've got a surprise for you at home Zam, we've got a surprise for you (he always called her Zam). Once they arrived home they sent her into her bedroom and I was laying on the bed . . . aw. I guess that would have been quite the surprise!After that they shared with the rest of the family. It was always funny to me to go through my baby book and see all these letters about what a surprise I was and the shower notes every wrote to mom after they were told!

Mom Goes to Disneyland

Like all kids, I'd always wanted to go to Disneyland. Although we took lots of vacations when I was a child they were all to visit family, mostly in IL. When we did go to CA, I would beg to go to Disney, dad always said NO! Amusement parks weren't his idea of a good time, or money well spent. We did go to San Fransisco and do all the fun stuff there and San Diego to the zoo and Sea World, just not Disneyland. Fast forward to 1977, the year i graduated high school, mom offered me a trip to Disneyland!!! I was overjoyed! My friend, Sue, along with mom, Leola and Grace all headed off for 10 days in southern CA and we did it all! We went to Disney in fact we stayed right across the street, this was back in the day when you bought ticket's at the gate not the all day passes . . . any one remember the E ticket? I think what surprised me the most was how mom and Leola went on every ride! They figured they would never go back so had to do it all. We also went to Knott's Berry Farm, San Diego Zoo and Sea World i can't remember all the little things we did but, we made the most of our time there.

Here is Grace, Leola and mom with one of the Three Little Pigs. Going through the turnstile's and getting on the train!

Front Porch or Back Stoop

My mother's birthday would have been this month, February 14, to be exact, in memory of her I'm going to post about her until her birthday date!

Mom was not one to like getting her picture taken. If she seen a camera she'd quickly stick out her tongue, turn around or simply run away! She would be horrified if she were here to see this post! On a few occasions she'd agree, these shots were quickly taken on the back porch AKA back stoop. I think she did this so she could quickly get up and run back into the house. Here she is with her parents, Thomas Bishop and Ethel Mae Hughes(grandma's birthday was also in Feb.), myself and Kelly. Don't we all look thrilled?
Here is a front porch on with Mike, Helen Rose Welch (dad's mom) dad, and of course me and Kelly. Mom was strategically planted behind the camera.
Back porch with Mike this time, we all look much happier!
Mom on the front porch on the Kline Road.

Me.

Nicole is another one who likes porch pictures, especially the ones taken at the grandparents house!

Some From the Rutter Side

Calvin's dad, Leonard , receiving an award of some kind.With the hockey team he played on, he's fifth from the right holding part of the trophy.

Here they are with the trophy again. Not sure what they won it for (divisional, regional I know it was for hockey!

Here he is with five others being inducted into the Sarnia Sports Hall of Fame.

Tiffany's First Christmas

This is my niece, Tiffany,22(?) years ago. I just loved the way this picture is taken.

Christmas 1980.

Grandma Welch and Grandma Ola spent most of the day arguing over who got to hold the new baby. They spent alot of time sitting next to each other so they could keep snagging Nicole! Not sure what year this is, but again it's Alice and Leola Anderson.
Here is Leola sitting upon Santa's lap. It is at my day care in 1978.

The Girls First Santa Pictures

Nicole was just three weeks old in this picture. Now Nicole, before you get upset about me handing you off to Santa that young, I want you to know that this was not just any Santa! He was one of my best friends dad, and I had known him for years. You were so good for the photo opp.!! Most kids cry ( as you'll soon see) for there first picture's with Santa, not you, you slept right through it.
Heather's first picture with Santa was a bit different!! Heather is 11 months old here and not happy one bit! Again I took her to the mall that my friends dad, Wally Dubowicz, was at to get it done. Yes, I'm one of those mother's who know matter what is going to get a Santa picture every year. Let them be traumatized, they get over it!

Travels With Kevin and Dan

WOW! What a blast from the past. I must say I have loved going through the older photo's these last couple of weeks. They have dusted off so many memories for me. One look at these and so many memories came flooding back, we had so many with Dan and his family. I can so clearly remember this day, the laughter Maureen and I shared as Kevin grabbed the map and "directed" us every where! He's very lucky that Dan was such a good friend and was happy to take his direction. We had a great time exploring Seattle, taking the time to stop and see all the cows decorated, and the statues in the square. This time was all about the boys and what they would enjoy doing. We went down to the water for some eats!! Stopped by Red Robin for a hamburger and fries. Took the trolley along some of the streets, don't think we went any where really, just let the boys enjoy their day. Look at the delight on Dan's face!

One the train ride home we had two tired but very happy young ones!
We treasure all of the memories with Dan, he was a very special young man. We will love Dan always and always think of Dan with a big smile. Dan loved his life and are thankful you let us be a part of it.

Miss you buddy!

Grandma Helen "Nellie" Rose Welch

In February of 1981, I took Nicole and Flew off to IL, wanted to introduce her to her family back there (my mom was also going to be there after the toy show was over). It was a surprise, the only one's who knew were my Uncle Mark "bud" and his girlfriend, Liz Webster. Grandma was very surprised and didn't quit believe it, I even had to show her my ID! She keep saying 'taint my Trudy Rose! So once we convinced her that yes indeed it was me with the baby she was very excited. So here is Nicole getting her bottle from her great-grandma in her living room at three months of age.Here I am at about a month of age at the house on King Street with my Grandma.
It truly is kind of ironic how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Santa Pictures

Some fun Santa pictures of Heather and Kevin. Not sure the year, but Kevin wasn't very old. It was taken at one of the Whatcom County Parent to Parent Christmas events. Always a good time.

My First Christmas

Here is my first Christmas! Not that I remember it of course, just the stories told from it. The doll with the pink blanket attached to it was from my grandma Welch. To this day I still have that doll. She's starting to wear thin in some places and her dress is fraying ~ I still have her and that's what matters to me.

First Christmas

Looky here! It's Trevor and Zach's first Christmas. This picture was taken at Yeager's Sporting Good's, were my mother, worked for many, many years and so did many other member's of the family!

How I remember this picture too. Martha had taken Zach back to Missouri for an early Christmas with her family. Little did we all know what the weather had in store for us after they left . . . fog. Now fog doesn't seem that bad, however, it closed the airport for days! They were diverting flights to Portland some had to land in other places far away, oh the stress that caused daddy Mike! We lived in Seattle area at the time so I was to pick her up from the airport, I think Mike was phoning me every half hour the day before she came home and the day of their arrival! Their plane did get to circle several times before a small patch of air cleared enough for them to land at Boeing Field, what a relief! Prays were answered that day.

The following weekend we took the boys in for their first Santa pictures!See Nicole and Heather eagerly waiting their turns?

Me and My Daddy!

More memories today! This one I only remember through pictures and dad retelling it thru the years. He always go a big kick out of the fact that I would do this for him, stand up in his hands. He felt it demonstrated the amount of trust and love I had for him, known he wouldn't let any harm come to me.

Tlhrough the years he tried to get the grandkids to do it, with know luck, also after the first two came along he injured his had in a trucking accident and had little use of it, so he was afraid he'd drop somebody.

However, Mr. Kai, he would have been so proud and happy to see the way you stood in the palm of your mama's hand! Missing you today, on your birthday and everyday!

Bags of Pooh

I'm going to try and do something different this month . . . post everyday about memories or Christmas things we are doing, yes, I know but this time I think I'll do better! The Christmas post may be past, present or something I want to do in the future. Memories may be mine and might only be a few days,weeks or even years ago (which most memories are)! They might be my memories or they could be some one elses as told to me.

This first memory is one my mother told me long ago, I remembered it as I was playing one of my face book games and one of the collectibles for the Halloween collection was a bag of pooh. It made me chuckle when I saw it as I recalled the story, especially if you knew my mother, she always seemed to take the high road and never wanted to do anything wrong! Any way when she and her siblings were growing up on the farm as Halloween drew closer her and her sisters would start planning whose porch they were going to put lighted bags of pooh on! This was the trick all the kids pulled back then. They would get paper, make them into bags, fill with cow pooh, put them on some one's porch, light them the knock on the door and run and hide. They would be in the bushes or behind a tree as the (usually)man of the house answered the door then proceeded to start stomping on the bags of pooh to put out the flames! Needless to say they had pooh all over them by the time they were done stomping. Oh, want to know the person they most often played the trick on . . . their preacher! My mom, Alice Irene Hughes Welch, her sister Wilma Hughes Lewis and her oldest sister Helen Hughes Coulter.

Thanks for the memory ladies!

My Baby is Turning 30!!

WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO?!! I can't believe it's been 30 years since we welcomed you into our family! What a glorious day that was.

All the things we did in your first year:

The first time your grandma Alice got to hold you(babies weren't allowed in the room with visitors back then). She was so excited to finally "get her hands on you". Then we flew off to IL when you were three months old to meet up with my mom, and you to be introduced to the great-grandma's.The first time you met your grandma and grandpa Rutter. We went over to the island for a few days so you had your first ferry ride also! The picture of you sleeping has all your favorite things: cabbage patch doll, your favorite outgrown nightgown (on her), your blanket, care bear sheets.
Love these shots! Remember, we didn't have digital in the 80's so we didn't always get pictures of everything like we do now. Your daddy never missed a chance to throw you onto someones bike. The only one however that I would allow you to ride was the little one in grandma's backyard!

All our travels!! Let me think, you've been to Niagara Falls three time now! Many trips to Disneyland and most recently, Disney World! What great times and now we are even adding some with our grandchildren, priceless memories!! I'm also thinking of a song by Trace Adkins . . .(wonder were you get that from)

Then they're fightin' in the backseat, and I'm playing referee. And someones got to go, the moment that we leave. And everybody's late, I swear that I can't wait till they grow up.

Then they do, and that's how it is. It's just quiet in the mornin', can't believe how much you miss. All they do and all they did. You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true: and they do.