Happy Birthday Mom

There was a time in my life when the last thing I wanted to do was spend time with my relatives. I'm sure there was more than one occasion when my mom and dad would have liked to send me on my way because I was always so obstinate about participating in family events.
When I speak of family, I'm not talking about my immediate seven-member family, but rather my extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins, first and second, grandparents and whomever else was in the area.
But after I had children of my own, I was blessed with the revelation of my own limited life - it was then I realized the circle of life had a beginning and an end. And, if birth was the miracle of the beginning, imagine the miracle that death will bring.
We celebrated my mother's 80th birthday the same year my daughter conceived a child. We do no know what next year brings, but as my Aunt Luella said, "we have hope and faith to carry us."
In the meantime, we celebrated my mom's life with a small family dinner and an open house. It was wonderful. Not everyone could be there because of time, travel, commitments and a few topics which shall remain unspeakable until the time is right; but, those that attended had a wonderful time of visiting and eating and celebrating.
Whether they admit it or not, those Germans from Russia like to party. They don't always act like they like each other, but I'm sure they do - because as my cousin Jennifer says, "If you throw it (a party), they will come."
They don't always enjoy my camera, but I keep telling them the photos I take today will be the history of tomorrow and I want to remember them and I want my children to remember them; and now my grandchildren.
It was a sweet day. We laughed so hard and I got to see people I hadn't seen in a long time. I'll touch on that a bit more later this week. In the meantime; I have had the privilege and honor to be a German from Russia. Our ways are not always understood and I had to find out myself about the history of my people. I wish I could speak German. I wish my aunts and uncles would always be here, but that's not possible. We have truly been blessed with long lives, mostly uneventful - filled with work, but precious, every second of every day we are doing precious things.
And when the time comes all of us, even those who are not with us today, will meet again in heaven. That's when the real party starts.
Thanks to all who came to celebrate. It was the best day of this year.
And here are the photos to show it. Mom's 80th Birthday photos.