Just for Sweet Brande

Even her name has an unusual spelling and today is this special person's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR BRANDE!!!

She doesn't know about this because I have purposely avoided posting any pictures of these flowers. They are special to her because she chose them for her wedding and to give to each of the mothers (me, being one) of the couple. I wanted to surprise her when they came to visit from Arizona, but it won't happen this year...sniff...sniff..., but here are the calla lilies, or just one lily in this picture.

There is a photo of before it opened up and then a photo taken from the top. It actually bloomed after this with TWO flowers that were pink! But, puke, I can't find them for the love of me...I searched through the pictures I downloaded and can't find them. If I had more time, I could have put some fake plastic ones in there, but I was sure that I'd find them, dagnabbit (pretty colorful language, huh?)
Hopefully my sweet daughter-in-law will not 'have a cow' when she sees this picture that I posted of her last year at the Georgia Aquarium with cute Myla Smyla, but it is SO her. she is such a GREAT mother...she get down and plays with her children and gets messy with them and oohs and aahhs at all the right times!


Here are all four of them. For this vacation trip my son Mario, a very loving father, and his son Corbyn got matching Mohawks. But see how Brande is always being such an 'on hands' mom, explaining and caring and giving massive doses of love???

I call Myla the Smyla, but you can see she gets it from mommy!! You would be hard put to find a time when Brande isn't all smiles and sweetness. She laughs easily and with gusto!! Her laugh is infectious and always make me laugh.

One of my strongest prayers when she and my son got married was that they would be able to have children. Brande is loving with all babies and children, a real born mommy, so I was thrilled beyond words when she got pregnant with Corbyn a few years after they were married.

I know my loving late husband would have liked it this way, but this is the day to celebrate both a wonderful young woman and to honor the passing of a wonderful husband, so I will do the post for Mario on Sunday, so that this day can be just a birthday celebration.

And a joke for Brande's day:

It was the teacher's birthday and all the little children in kindergarten had brought her presents.

Little Myla's mommy worked with designing chocolates, so when the teacher shook her the birthday box from Myla, she asked "Could this be chocolates"? Myla smiled her big smile and said "Yes".

Then came the gift box from Corbyn who proudly brought his up with a little shy smile. Knowing that Corbyn's daddy worked designing lego sets, she shook his and guessed again correctly and Corbyn beamed.

Now came little Brande with a big beautiful box that wiggled. Knowing that Brande's mommy worked in a fun toy store and her daddy sold exotic liqueurs, she shook it and guessed "Is it a battery operated toy that wiggles?" Brande grinned her winning grin and said "Nope". The teacher noticed the box began to leak and feared she had broken some liqueur, so she licked the dripping spot and asked little Brande "Is this some wonderfully exotic liqueur?" Brande just giggled and giggled. Finally, the teacher said "Okay, I give up. What did you bring me"? Brande happily told her, "A brand new puppy!!"

~~~For the blessings of loving people who become our family by means other than birth, I thank You, Heavenly Father.