Maureen's Birthday celebration

Maureen chose to celebrate her 50th birthday with all her siblings in Lake Havasu.  Thanks to Karen and Dale for hosting this big group and planning our special time there.  Five of us from the great Pacific Northwest arrived at the Phoenix airport and were greeted by Maureen and adopted sister, Christel.  We piled into a rented van and breathed a sigh of relief when all the luggage fit!  We Kop kids feel blessed and grateful that we enjoy spending time together, telling stories, eating "Bertha" food, walking and hiking a little, working on art projects, and mostly sitting around talking to each other.

 Karen greeted us with home-grown fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and a picture mug for each of us

And we could take our pick of the lovely rocks she paints.

 When we flew out of Spokane it was 32 degrees, so imagine our joy to be able to enjoy breakfast outside in 80 degree weather!

It actually got really warm, 95 degrees, so we arranged to do our walking and hiking in the morning.

 We first walked to the wildlife reserve near Karen and Dale's home.

We also took a little tour of Havasu and had our picture taken in front of the famous London Bridge

 All these pictures were taken during our hike and boulder scrambling in Sara's Crack!

I've done this hike several times, but it was pure joy to share it with Connie, Allan, and Larry, who experienced the rope and ladder for the first time!

 We all made it through!!  Thumbs up.

Success for us, but we actually had it easy!

Dale and Christel hiked up to the picnic table and met us in the canyon

After hiking we met Don, Marilyn, and Joan for lunch and beer samples!!

Friday night we celebrated Maureen's birthday with wine from the Illinois cousins!  Larry brought the bottle in his suitcase and had duct tape wrapped around the corks.

 We laughed out loud when Don told the stories of being on PHS track team, a freshman star!

Most of us had no idea he played football and our parents probably never attended a game.  Those were the days.....

Conversation got a little more serious when Connie told her stories of prayer and faith.  We never tire of hearing the stories, laughing, and even crying a bit. We also toasted Maureen and "sang" of her virtues and other qualities that make her our favorite baby sister and prayed this blessing in her honor.

Gracious God, today we celebrate that Maureen

Has been Your gift to all of us,

A gift that grows more precious in our hearts

With each passing day.

Bless her on her birthday with

Blessings of good health, of laughter and happiness

Blessings of wonder and awe, amazement and playfulness

On this birthday may her heart overflow

With love for You, for us, and all of your creation.

On Saturday our Reed cousins, who live in Earp, California, during the winter, joined us for dinner.

Judy, Peggy, Jim, and Carol Reed shared more stories and hopes for our retired futures!

Sunday we did a little rock painting and added glass pieces to Karen's mosaic Circle of Life.  

 I took this picture to determine which one had the darker skin!

Some of us took a little walk to watch the sunset on Lake Havasu.

We all went to Mass and took this picture before Don and Allan left to drive back to California.

Happy faces, warm hearts!  

Celebrating Karen's birthday

 I remember being overwhelmed with joy when the doctor told me I'd delivered a healthy baby girl!  It seemed too good to be true because I'd expected to have another boy.  She came into the world on a lovely spring day and I remember noticing the blooming forsythia, bright yellow and my life suddenly filled with the sunshine of a new baby girl.

I love this picture of Karen - another image of the light that emmanates from her smiling personality.

These two happy kids could not resist having some fun on their wedding day in 1992.

Lots of things changed in her life when Jacob and Bradleigh took over all her attention.  No matter that they gave her gifts that were things they really wanted for themselves.

Karen ensured we preserved history with lots of pictures of my Mom and the four generations.

Now these two work in the same hospital and I think it's so cool that Bradleigh's following in her mother's footsteps and enjoys the heart-wrenching hospital work.

They both love Disneyland, especially the most scary rides.

We've enjoyed working on lots of projects over the years and now we like to decorate our winter pots.

 Here's a short clip of Karen doing target practice in the snow of the Blue Mountains

And her attempt to get all of us in a selfie along with the gorgeous Blue Mountains in the background.

These two are the best gifts of my life!  Each unique and so different from each other.  Now we can celebrate birthdays and some holidays together!  I'm grateful for all the ways I'm included in their busy lives.  

Now there are three generations and I can't help but miss my Mom when we take pictures at these special events.  At the same time I look forward to great grandbabies when the time is right.

I whisper prayers of gratitude every time I get a phone call or an invitation to share the life of my precious daughter.  You continue to bring light and joy into my life.  I love you!

50 precious years of life

I can't believe my baby sister is 50 years old.  How can that be???  It's only when I look at the calendar that I become a believer.  I think this song was popular in 1967!

Maureen was born just six weeks before Duane - the Easter babies, she on Ash Wednesday, he on Holy Saturday.

 It's a little weird to have a sister, growing up in a home that I was no longer a part of.  I spent time with Maureen, in her younger years, only when our families visited each other.

She came to Oregon City when Karen was born.

And to Moscow for Thanksgiving in 1992,

but my best memories of Maureen are of our travel trips together.  

We met in Leavenworth in the fall of 1993 and it's the first time I ever ate a scone, prepared in our little hotel room by Maureen

She and I visited Duane in Bolder and he drove us to Rocky Mountain State Park

 We visited San Francisco in 1995, sharing Allan's hotel room.

And watching Phantom of the Opera for the first time.

She invited me to join her four girlfriends on a cruise to the Caribbean in 1996.

It was on that trip that we agreed to be old and still wear purple.

She once encouraged all her family to vote for so purple would be the new color for M&M's.

Our travelling together ended in 200o when she married Paul, but now I travel with Marilyn every spring to celebrate Grace's birthday and enjoy the lives of her busy family.

 An answer to our years of praying for her babies

Once the kiddos arrived, our travel vacations ended.

But I love to make an annual trek to Colorado to celebrate Grace's birthday!

 We get to enjoy the end of the year celebrations, and special occasions like First Communion and Mother's Day.

 Maureen loves to come back to Idaho, do a little hiking, and watch her family enjoy summer activities at the Lake

She's taught me how to find bargains at thrift and consignment stores.  She can find shoes, school uniforms, party dresses, and coats at any consignment shop in the world.  I love that about her.

She's always ready for a hike or walk with her sisters!

She's a master at cleaning, doing laundry, and making incredible meals, while being aware of allergies and food preferences!  

She encouraged us to decorate trees, Trees of Hope

Happy Birthday, dear Sister!  Thank you for all the years of traveling, walking, cleaning, reading, and plans to give others a sense of hope.  I look forward to our visit in March and many more precious years of life for you!