We (her children and step-children) had a lot of fun planning and preparing for my step-mother’s birthday party on Sunday, June 8.

Her oldest son, Meredith (light slacks) welcomed everyone (about 100 of us) for lunch.

This included her children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren, step-children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Prayer

Going through the food line.

About seventy of us fit on the picnic tables.

The rest sat on lawn chairs.

The birthday lady with a pretty birthday cake.

Our niece Kate was the baker and decorator of the beautiful family cake.

She cut the cake while our granddaughter’s Jana and Diana served ice cream.

Emma and Grandma

After the family lunch was over and some of us shared favorite memories, the afternoon drop-in party began – with a new cake.

It was a nice afternoon for visiting.

Our granddaughter Abby with one-month-old Anthony visiting with my aunt Lois and Anthony’s great-great-great aunt.

Abby brought a quilt that Cerwin’s mother made for her when she was a baby.

This little guy was oblivious to the party – he just enjoyed playing in the stones.

I didn’t realize how valuable these flat marbles would be on the centers of the tables, as it was quite breezy.

We did our best to decorate with flowers, instead of birthday “stuff”, by asking the family to bring flowers – real or artificial.

The above tables were for gifts and photos.

Mother loves flowers.

We were pleased to honor a very special mother who stayed strong during a very tough time in her life – after her first husband and two sons drowned in a boating accident.

My siblings agree that her best gift to us was loving our father after they married in 1975. (Our mother died of cancer in 1974). She became a widow a second time in 1997 when Daddy died.

She continues to amaze us with her attitude and energy.