Monday, July 14

Fun Monday

I thought I would participate in Fun Monday this week. The hostess is Dungaree's Ablaze and if you'd like to participate, just follow the link.

This week the subject is birthdays, so I want to tell you about a very special person and the birthday party we had for her.

Meet my mother. She turned 80 years old in September 2007 and my siblings and I put on a birthday party for her. We invited all of her friends and neighbors. Lots of people showed up and she enjoyed visiting with everyone.

Let me tell you a bit about Mom. She was born and raised on a farm. Yes, born. She was born at home, not in a hospital. She is the eldest of six children and while she was still very young, she helped take care of those children and also worked in the barn and fields.

In 1945, she married my Dad who had just been released from the Army. They eventually had three children of which I am the middle child. She stayed at home and brought us kids up while Dad worked until he was hurt in a work accident. Because he would never work again, my mother went to work at Woolco. She was now the breadwinner and she did a great job of it too.

We are very blessed to still have Mom with us. She has had lots of birthdays but her 80th was the most special. She has 3 kids, 7 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She will soon have another, as my niece is scheduled for a C-section on August 1st. Mom helps each member of her family celebrate their birthday each year, either by sending a card or by enjoying a meal with them. I can't begin to count the number of birthdays my mother has taken part in. When I stop and think about it, that's awesome.

Next week the host for Fun Monday will be Irish Coffee House. Have a great week. ~Blessings, Mary~

28 comments:

  1. It's Great that you still have you Mom. And if you added all those birthdays up you would have quite a few.

    I got you on the list now thanks for Playing

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  2. I loved reading about your mom! And she is just lovely! I enjoyed reading about her life...and her 80th b-day party sounds SO nice!

    As you know, my own mom is 81...in fact, my girls and I just got back from a visit with her which I just posted about- with pictures!

    The women in my family tend to have our children later in life for some reason...so no great grandchildren for my mom- just her only grandchildren, 6 and 9!

    But just like you, I feel so grateful to still have her!

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  3. Your love for your mom simply shines through in this post. She's quite lovely all dressed up like that.

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  4. Your mother looks great ! That's wonderful when you still feel good at that age and can enjoy the family !

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  5. Your mom sounds like an amazing woman - you're so lucky to still have her with you.

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  6. That is such a lovely post - a great thing too that you and your family did by having a very special celebration for her on her 80th birthday.

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  7. Your mother does sound like a kind and lovely lady. Her friends and relatives must have loved celebrating your mother's birthday with her.

    Happy Fun Monday to you.

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  8. Your mom is beautiful! And you are so lucky to still have her. It sounds as if you know this already!

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  9. she is beautiful! and your post is so lovely.

    congratulations to your niece too.

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  10. Your Mom is very beautiful! Happy Birthday to her! 80 is a big deal!

    I was born at home in the same farm house my Dad was born in 35 years earlier! I guess I am old too!!! LOL Where oh where do the years go!!

    I will be 70 next month! I can't belive it! Well, when my knees ache I can!! Love and hugs Grams

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  11. How great that you have such super memories of Mom and that she can still share with you. I hope you are writing all her memories down.
    Meeko and friend are super, gets you out for a walk and makes them happy. I have many great memories of fishing, mostly with my Grandfather. Nice visiting with you, Barbara

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  12. What a great tribute to your Mom. She surely sounds like a special lady. She is beautiful and doesn't look 80!

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  13. This is my first visit to your blog~I clicked on over from MJG at WordPress. I LOVE IT HERE! Just had to tell you that.... (((((HUGS))))) sandi

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  14. Oh Mary, your mother is just beautiful, I hope I can look half as good when I reach 80! lol I so enjoyed reading about her life...it certainly couldn't have been an easy childhood with all the work she had to do but then that's how life was back then. My mom was one of 15 children and she remembers her older sisters taking care of the young ones while the brothers and parents were out working in the field. Our moms are so special, enjoy every moment with her as I do mine:-) xoxo

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  15. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!!! I'm sure glad you decided to join Fun Monday this week. And what a fabulous story. I can 'hear' your pride too.

    And now I can really, see her helping you with your renovations. She is probably very pleased to be able to help!!

    Terrific May. I loved it.

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  16. oops, I typed "May" instead of Mary...but, to be honest, I was thinking about your Aunt too. Sorry...forgive me?

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  17. How wonderful that you still have your Mom with you. What a wonderful woman.

    God bless.

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  18. Your mother is lovely! How wonderful that you & your siblings were able to invited friends & neighbors to celebrate her 80th birthday last September. Thanks for sharing today and for dropping by Small Reflections earlier this morning. I’ve been gone most of the day, visiting with retired friends in the real world, but am visiting blogs now.
    Hugs and blessings,

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  19. I am so glad that you are blessed to still have your dear mom, may she be sweetly blessed.

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  20. I just cannot believe how much that photo of your mother looks just like my mum as she was a few years ago. I just showed her your picture and she asked if it was her. They say everyone has a double!

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  21. How sweet! I loved reading about her history. What a legacy she is creating!

    Happy Fun Monday! And that M*Donald's trip sounded like quite the trip!

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  22. when my grandma cilla passed away, she was weeks from her 92nd birthday. I remember her passing as a time of peaceful release for a beautiful woman who had four children, seventeen grand children, twelve great grand children, and two great-great grandchildren on the way...

    I feel blessed to have family I want to celebrate

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  23. eighty sounds so young. I hope she has many more. Thank you for sharing

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  24. Mary,

    I love the picture of your Mom. She is beautiful, and you are so blessed to still have her around.

    Hugs.

    Renie

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  25. Mary,

    What a wonderful post! Your Mom is a beautiful lady. And she's pretty awesome, too. It's obvious that you are her daughter!

    Hugs,
    Tina

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  26. Sounds like your mom has a huge family. And the story seems similar to my own family. My grandma is 82 and had three children, my mom is the middle child (born at home) and grandma has 5 grandchildren, 7 greats and now 1 great-great :)

    Your mom looks like she still has lots of spunk, by the photo. I hope she sees at least 3o more birthdays. :)

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  27. what a wonderful memory and birthday for an amazing woman...I hope she has many more birthdays.

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  28. What a beautiful photo of your mother! You are so fortunate to still have her. I lost my mom a little over 4 years ago and miss her sooooo much! She lived with me, so my home still feels empty. Her mother, (my grandmother) lived to be 105 years 4 months old! When she passed, someone asked my mom's oldest sister, age 80, why she wasn't crying. "Well," she said, "there's not many people who can say they had their mother for 80 years." That really is quite a record, I would say!

    So enjoy your mother every day. I am so glad she had such a lovely birthday and can participate in everyone else's special day, too! That is keeping her young! She certainly doesn't look 80!

    A belated Happy Birthday to her!!!

    (((HUGS)))

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