Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my Mom's birthday. She would be turning 69 years old today. In honor of her birthday, I scanned in a few of my favorite pictures, and lucky you, you get to see them!

Mom and I went to Hawaii the year I graduated high school, to visit my brother, who was stationed there in the Navy at the time. This picture was taken when we went to the Don Ho show. I love this picture for a few reasons. First, it shows my Mom at what was one of her happiest times in life. She LOVED Hawaii, and was very happy to be there, and to be seeing Don Ho. Second, it shows me at the young age of 18, just as happy as she was to be there. I was young, naive and had no idea of what life was going to be putting me through in the years to come. Third, I really like this picture of my brother, David. He looks so young and handsome, and trouble free. Life has battered him around a bit too, and it's taken its toll on him, but this is how I always picture him.

This picture is of me at two years old, just a month before my Dad died, in my Mom's lap, with my Dad's Mom next to her. I didn't grow up knowing my paternal grandmother, so I'm not too thrilled that she is in this picture, but I LOVE how my Mom looks - so young and beautiful. I wonder if she had any idea of how beautiful she actually was? This picture also captures a happy time before the death of my Father, so it is actually even more precious. Mom wrote on the back of this picture - this is what it says:

"Taken April 4, 1972 on the train ride to Six Gun Territory. Mother P. 56; Myself 34; Denise 2 yrs. Our Easter vacation to Florida - March 29 - April 10th."

And this one, that isn't of Mom, but of my Step-Dad, Wayne. I love this picture of him because it just shows how he really was in life. He's wearing his short-sleeved shirt with pockets and his sneakers, he's smoking his cigarettes (that would go on to kill him later) - it's just him.

So, there you go. A short trip down memory lane with me, on my Mother's 69th birthday. I love you Mom, and I miss you every day and every minute of my life. Happy Birthday.