SAMANTHA TURNS 12

Samantha with gifts on her 12th birthday. She had a swim party with friends the following day.

STEFFINEE AND SAMANTHA MADE AUNT CINDY A BIRTHDAY CAKE

The girls worked hard this afternoon making their Aunt Cindy a birthday cake. She has probably never had a cake baked with more love. They were proud to deliver it to her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLOS

Happy 15th Birthday Carlos. Wishing you a happy day and great year ahead. Love you, Bud.

THINKING OF GRANDMA

I am thinking of my Grandma Sowders today and how much I miss her after all these years. I spent a lot of time at her house as I have an aunt only fourteen months older than me. I loved sleepovers with my Aunt Sue at grandma's house. I know there must have been times when we almost drove her crazy!

After I married and lived in New Mexico she rode a Greyhound bus from Indiana to New Mexico to be with me when my first child, Cindy, was born. I was so thankful to have her there as I ended up very sick and paralyzed from the waist down for a period of time. I was so weak when I was finally released from the hospital I don't know how I would have made it without her. She loved seeing New Mexico and I believe that trip was one of the highlights of her life.

In her later years she moved into town and my children and I would take her places and visit with her often. All three of my children enjoyed her very much. I wish we could celebrate her birthday with her one more time. Now she celebrates in Heaven and we can see her again someday. Happy Birthday Granny.

Christy and Cindy with Granny, December 1975.

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY ISABELL

Another teenager in the family as Isabell turns 13 today. The grandkids are growing up way too fast.
Happy Birthday Isabell.

ISABELL WITH HER 13TH BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES

Samantha made cupcakes for Isabell's 13th birthday. Isabell was very happy with them as they were made according to her specifications - chocolate with white chocolate inside, blue raspberry icing, topped with a piece of cookies and cream candy.

CHRISTY'S 43RD BIRTHDAY

I am running a little behind as usual but here is Christy on her 43rd birthday with the cakes Samantha made her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY AND LAUREN!

February 17 is a very special day in the Wilson family. Two of our special young ladies were born on that date, one in the 70s (that's all I will say) and one in 1995. I don't think I have ever known Christy to be more excited than she was the day Lauren was born on her birthday. Lauren was born a month early so it was quite a surprise to Christy to find out she would become an aunt on her birthday. As you can imagine, Lauren was no doubt the best birthday present ever. For the first few years Cindy made them matching shirts to wear at their birthday parties. Christy was always happy to wear a cartoon character of Lauren's choosing. Here they are in their Winnie-the-Pooh shirts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN AND CHRISTY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE

Happy 68th birthday to Steve. I'm sure he will celebrate his day by reading a book, his favorite thing to do. This evening we will go to Cindy's for a small celebration. I enjoy teasing him by calling him the old man for the next few months until I join him at 68. Even though his health isn't what it used to be (it has remained steady the past few years) he is content reading, get out once in awhile and spending time enjoying the grandkids.

DUSTIN'S 22ND BIRTHDAY

Saturday our oldest grandchild turned 22. It was a quiet day and he helped me with yard work, quite the birthday celebration. Thank you Dustin for all your help. Our annual birthday ritual is that I make him his favorite Coca-Cola cake. This year he ask if I could make it a cherry coke cake so we added some things and he was very happy with his cake. We got him a new desk chair and his mother gave him a tablet. His Bowman grandparents are in Vietnam but he got a card and a check from them. All-in-all, he had a pretty good day.

Once a Grapevine Mustang, always a Grapevine Mustang!

SAMANTHA STILL CELEBRATING

Samantha can stretch a birthday farther than anyone I know. Here she is this evening ready for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and then a movie with the Harts. She is going to see Alexander's Horrible , No Good, Awful Day or something like that. She is excited because she read the book at school and wants to see the movie.

CELEBRATING SAMANTHA'S 10TH BIRTHDAY

On October 22, 2014 our last grandchild was born. Samantha Jewel Wilson has been a great joy to our family these past ten years and we thank God for sharing her with us. We celebrated her birthday tonight because tomorrow is church night and you cannot miss church to celebrate a birthday (just ask Samantha!).
She wanted to serve the cake so here are a few pictures (no we didn't make her bake her own cake).

More Pictures of Mary's Birthday

A few more pictures of Mary celebrating her birthday yesterday. Here she is with presents and her kiddos.

With Carlos

With Isabell

With Samantha

MARY'S BIRTHDAY

Celebrating Mary's birthday today after a birthday lunch at Chili's.

Lindsay and Samantha Celebrating Lindsay's 16th Birthday

These two are my bakers and have a special bond formed while baking together. Here they are celebrating Lindsay's birthday, after a V-ball game, of course. Love my grandkids.

Lindsay and Samantha Enjoying Cake Pops

I think the cake pops passed the taste test. I was told they were yummy.

Samantha Baking For Lindsay's 16th Birthday

Last Friday we picked Samantha up at school and brought her home with us so she could bake for Lindsay's birthday the next day. Here she is with her creations of Oreo Pudding/Chocolate Cake Pops and Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Pudding Filling. I have always called Lindsay my Ladybug so Samanth decorated the cupcakes with Ladybugs. This was a lot of work for a 9-year-old's after school activity. But she worked hard and completed 8 pops and 12 cupcakes. Then we spent the entire day in Arlington at Lindsay's Volleyball Tournament on Saturday. Sure wish Grandma had some of Samantha's energy!

More Cindy Pictures

Since tomorrow is Cindy's birthday and I have been laid up after surgery, I am trying to make up for lost time and post two old pictures of her today.

Cindy with her little Air Force playmate Curtis Bannert. Curtis lived behind us with his parents Danny and Linda. His daddy was also in the Air Force. They were from Brownsville, Texas.

Cindy's 8th birthday. Shown here with little sister Christy and her best friend Amie Scott.

AHA CINDY!

Aha, Cindy, you just thought you were escaping the birthday pictures! So I have been sofa bound from surgery but I have managed an escape long enough to get a picture of you out there in cyber world.

Cindy and Rodney in 2001 in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Thanks to Chad's Family

Thank you to Chad and family for this skillet I have been wanting. I told the kids it would make a good weapon and perhaps we should try it out on Carlos!