Stories and Grandparents Go Together

Thanks to all of you who have been sharing stories about your birthday memories. This is a picture of my aunt Bond who doubled as a grandma for my sisters and me. She made birthdays special the way some of you have been making birthdays special for your children and grandchildren. I’m having such fun reading through your stories and sharing a few of them forward. 

If you haven’t entered my Christmas at Harmony Hill Celebration Giveaway yet, you still have plenty of time. Deadline for entering is September 30 at midnight EST. Lots of time to share birthday stories. I can see some of you out there frowning. You’re wondering if I have Christmas and birthdays mixed up. Well, it’s my birthday month, but my Shaker Christmas book is out, so we’re talking birthdays for Christmas or is that Christmas for birthdays? Now I’m the one confused. LOL. 

But I’m not confused about how fun your stories are. Many of you have said your best birthday memory is when somebody surprised you with a birthday party. That’s one of my birthday memories too. Also the age fifty has been mentioned often. Guess that’s a milestone birthday. It’s one of my favorite birthday memories too. I’m like a lot of you. Never really had a birthday party the way we think about parties when I was a kid. After I got married, we had family dinners or I went out to lunch with my mom and sisters, but no party party with guests and candles on cakes. But then the year I turned fifty, my church family threw a surprise party for me after a church service. And it was a surprise! They had a black cake and decorations and sang happy birthday. The whole bit. And it was such fun. Lots of laughter. And black teeth! That black icing on the cake turned everybody’s lips and teeth black. All I can say is that it’s good that was a few years before everybody started carrying phones around and putting photos out on Facebook at the click of a button. Black teeth aren’t all that attractive, but I did so appreciate my church friends going to that trouble for me. 

Today is also Grandparents Day. Of course, most loving grandparents think it’s Grandparents Day any time the grandkids can come over for a visit. So here are a couple of birthday stories that include the grandkids. 

First up is Jim telling about his grandson. 

My oldest Grandson (now 16!) was very excited about his birthday (3rd I think). We were ready to light the candles and sing. He started blowing out the candles as fast as I could light them. I finally got them all lit at once and he blew them out and as soon as he could take a breath shouted again! Again! Again! So we lit them again and he blew them out. We repeated the light-blow-again, again, again thing several times. We ask if he didn’t want to cut the cake and eat it—No! again! Again! Again! So repeated it a few more times and this time asked if he wanted to open presents—No! again! Again! Again! We final had to tell him the stick lighter had run out of gas (a small fib since what had really run out was the skin on my thumb.  Now his little brother is 4. He doesn’t say again, again, again because all of us do it for him. He just bows out every candle he finds and then says light it! He also helps everyone else on their birthday whether they want help or not.

The idea that no one is perfect is a view commonly held by people with no grandchildren. ~Doug Larson

Gayle also shared her birthday memories with us – first one from when she was a kid and then another years later.

   My best birthday present came two days late when I turned 10. My brother was born, which was a double blessing because I had asked for a baby brother for my birthday. Little did I know the responsibility my Mom would heap on me as the big sister. As children we were never close–I was the oldest he was the youngest, but as adults we developed a very special bond. 

 I think the most fun birthdays were when my grandchildren were younger. They were always so excited to give me my gift and sometimes didn’t wait for me to open it before they were telling me what they had bought me. 

Grandparents are a delightful blend of laughter, caring deeds, wonderful stories and Love. ~author unknown

On the seventh day God rested. His grandchildren must have been out of town. ~ Gene Perret

Thanks for reading. Remember leave a comment with a way to contact you here on my blog to enter the contest or send me an e-mail from my website. Details about the contest prizes, etc. are on the News and Events Page on my website.