Gallery 3 - Birthdays

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60th Birthday Dancers

Benny's 60th Birthday Outing

Birthday Outing

Karaoke

Benny's Birthday Outing

Karaoke

Benny's 60th Birthday Outing

Happy 60th Birthday, Benny!

Benny's 60th Birthday Outing

Barb Alward at Mom's 80th Birthday Reception

Mom's 80th Birthday Reception by Guest Photographer Benny Winstead

Mom's 80th Birthday Reception

Mom, Aunt Irene, and Aunt Claudine

Mildred and Patty

Jack and Delores. That's Benny in the background

Looking over the crowd

Looking back ... pictures we grew up with

Centenarian Centerpiece

The first weekend of April,2008, Aunt Irene held her 100th Birthday Celebration at the Federated Church in Marshall. It was the first warm, sunny weekend of the year, warm enough to leave the church door open. A lot of people came.

Phyllis, Raymond Laverne, and Claudine

Birthday Serenade

I remember when we attended Aunt Irene's 90th birthday celebration at the Fairgrounds in Rockville. Her daughters Debbie and Delores and their families did a wonderful job at both events. This time the grandkids had grown up, married, and brought kids of their own!

Blowing Out the Candles - these shots were sweet but not too clear. I used Photoshop's art feature to make them look like paintings

Blowing Out the Candles

Blowing out the candles

Birthday Serenade

The lady who sang wrote the song - If I had a hundred years, it wouldn't be enough to thank you, Lord. Afterwards her husband and accompanist on the guitar told my husband Benny a story about when he was a boy, he was at vacation bible school and a lawn mower accidentally ran over his fingers. He lost two of them. Aunt Irene wrapped his hand with one of her girl's clean diaper rags and brought him to Marshall to the doctor who stitched him back together. Who would have thought he'd be playing the guitar at Aunt Irene's 100th Birthday Party?

Birthday Serenade

Cousins

All Aunt Irene's Cards

Last summer Aunt Irene surprised us all by arriving at the Alward Family Reunion at Marshall on foot! She had walked the three blocks from her house. Back in the good ol' days she managed Turkey Run Inn and later she and Uncle Bob ran their own restaurant out of their country home - The Country Kitchen. The cooks were Aunt Irene and local cooks from Turkey Run high school. The food was fabulous! I worked at the Country Kitchen on Sundays during my teenage years. I was so blessed - I had a great-aunt who had a fabulous restaurant and a great-aunt who painted!

Aunt Claudine and Aunt Irene

A rare occasion - Several people made the observation that they had never been to a 100th birthday party before.

Benny's 65th Birthday - all these pix were taken by some great guest photographers with Bonnie's HP camera!

Hazel

Hay Riders

Bonfire in the pasture

Friends and neighbors

Hazel

Friends and Family

Time-out

Friends and Family

Gather round the barn

Cookin' Hot Dogs

Friends and Family

Friends

Birthday Cake

Friends

Friends and Family

Friends

Friends and Neighbors

Friends

After an honest to God old-fashioned winter and a lovely early spring with lots of time to garden, dig, and mulch, I was surprised when Benny told me that Bonnie wanted to do a cookout for my 60th birthday. They invited everyone, and set up the pole barn and went shopping - she manned the grill, Benny harnessed Kate and Annie and Bonnie's friends Tony and Gary helped with the day. Gina contributed chairs and Rodney offered the invocation and generously supplied the beer and wine. The event took place on a mild misty Sunday the 2nd of May and I enjoyed and savored every single minute of it! And made sure to get pictures! My step-granddaughter had a birthday party that weekend too - so we went to her birthday party on Saturday and she came to mine on Sunday. :)