If You Don't Believe Me . . .

When I was a kid, it seems like the last day of school was nearly always May 27th. I don't remember that as much for the fact that summer was starting as I do because it was Joe's birthday.  It was always a day of celebration, and it's still hard for me to realize sometimes that kids nowadays go to school all the way into June!  A lot of years have passed since I could even remotely be considered a kid, and I have a tendency to forget a lot of things these days.  But I guess May 27th is forever etched on my memory, because I actually remembered a birthday on time for a change!

It's a shame that we can't all be together to celebrate the occasion like we did in the old days - but there's a new generation of Muterspaugh kiddos running around the Wichita Falls area these days who IDOLIZE their DooDad, and I know that he will be treated with the appropriate amount of hoopla.  I was lucky enough to be in town last year for his birthday cookout, and I don't have the words to tell you how heart-warming it was to witness Joe surrounded by his amazingly wonderful family.

I have to admit that there have been times over the years when I could never have envisioned Joe as he is today - most notably, when we lived on Polk & he hung around with Jackie Cameron.  Now, except for Joe and (perhaps) his grandmother, nobody really cared much for Jackie.  In his defense, he had a really crappy home life, but that didn't change the fact that you couldn't believe a single word that came out of his mouth.  Well sure enough, Joe picked up the habit & started coming home with all sorts of wild tales - some were true, of course, but it was difficult to believe him a lot of the time.  If challenged on the "facts", his response was invariably "Well, if you don't believe me, just ask Jackie."  (And of course, we always jumped right on that!)

But time has a way of changing us all, and that was many long years ago.  Who'da  thunk way back then when he was telling us all about quackless ducks (actually true) and other implausible stories, that one day Joe would become the quintessential family patriarch?  Certainly not I, but that's exactly what he is . . . and I guarantee I'm not alone in that opinion.  Heck, if you don't believe me, you could always just ask Jackie!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOE!!  In honor of your big day, I did a layout about another one of your "eccentricities" when you were a kid.  I love you sooooo much and hope you're having a FANTASTIC birthday . . . xoxoxo

Click to enlarge.  (for credits, please see my Flickr gallery - link in sidebar)

The Excellent Adventures of Dee & Jann

Of the gazillion blessings God has bestowed upon me, I'm most grateful for my family - not just Dave and the kids, but my siblings and my nieces & nephews and their children & and all the in-laws!  I feel a little guilty sometimes for having such bounty, but that is tempered by the fact that we don't all get to spend nearly as much time together as I'd like.

Two weeks ago, though, Jann came from California & we had a rare opportunity to get together with at least part of the crew . . . Mary & her family in Houston and Joe & his in Wichita Falls.  Everybody ate too much & slept too little, but it was one of our best visits EVER . . . and I wanted to share just a few pics from the trip. If you weren't there with us, I wish you had been.  If you WERE there with us, I'm ever so glad.  Either way, I hope we can get together again - very SOON!!

Houston leg:

Janneepoo with Miss Emma

3 Old Ladies & A Baby

One More Cute Bunny!

The Happy Little Family 

Grammy Mary & Emma

The Princess Herself - All Worn Out From Her Bath

Wichita Falls leg:

What sort of tall tale is he spinning here?

The lengths we'll go to for a good shot . . .

Joe & Nancie's new "puppy" - Midnight

Aunt Jann with Kayleigh

No telling what just happened . . .

Jofus, Baby Bear, and Janneepoo

One of these days, I'll get his FACE . . .

Go Muterspaugh Kids!!

MOST of the group (Nancie & Casey taking pics, Jennifer absent)

Meanwhile, I miss you ALL soooooo much (even the ones I just saw & especially the ones I didn't) - and I love you even more than that!  xoxoxo

Jofus, The Mayor of Glasgow

 

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Earth Day . . . and in honor of the occasion, I did a layout about one of the earthiest people I know - my brother Joe.  He's occasionally mistaken for Willie Nelson and is commonly known in his neck of the woods as Jofus, the Mayor of Glasgow, but mostly he's just an all-round great guy.  He has also taught me quite a bit about organic gardening . . . and keeping all those nasty chemicals off our plants and foodstuffs is an important step towards not only keeping us healthier, but making our planet a cleaner place for us to live. So, here's to Joe . . . long may he have a hoe in his hand and dirt under his fingernails!

Most of the elements used for this layout are by Shabby Miss Jenn.  For full credits, see my Flicker Gallery (link in sidebar)