Happy Birthday Grandma Jan!!

First of all, I just want to tell my Mom that I love her!! Here is a tribute to my Mom for her birthday....sent to her on MY birthday!! Yes, my Mom labored on her birthday to give birth to me on the day after!! Thanks, Mom!!

Here is a picture of Gma Jan holding Derek in 1981. Uncle Brent was 12 when Derek was born, and 14 when Tyler was born, so they all ended up being kind of like brothers. Derek loved to go to Grandma's house. The story goes that Uncle Brent helped Derek be a tough guy.

The big memory I have of Grandma Jan and Derek is that she cried when she heard how big he was at birth!! It was a 2 hour drive to Des Moines to see Derek, and Mom cried most of the way, so Dad says.


Tyler was born in 1984. Mom cooked and cleaned for me after Tyler was born. It was a big help!
Tyler was around 20 months here and getting ready for his first haircut. I don't remember who cut it, but we took this picture because of his curl! Tyler loved coming to Grandma's house!

Mallory was born in 1990. Gma Jan did her traditional week of cooking and helping us when we all came home from the hospital!! (Little did Mom know that we were going to have a big family!!) Mallory and Grandma have enjoyed a close relationship over the years! Now Mallory could hold her!!

This is a picture of Grandma and Grandpa with Derek, Tyler, and Mallory while we lived in Hinton, Iowa. From 1989 to 1992, Dale was an air traffic controller in Sioux City, and we enjoyed living only 2 hours from Mom and Dad's! Needless to say, we made a lot of trips home on the weekends!





Mom and Dad came to Wichita to help with the move to our new home. Here we were living in a Residence Inn. The story goes that when Gma Jan and Gpa Gordie arrived in the parking lot, Mallory screamed so loud from the balcony that the whole city of Wichita could hear her.....well almost the whole city! Derek is making a fun face on this shot. He has outgrown this habit now!





This is a picture celebrating the September birthdays. We finally designated spring, summer, fall, and winter birthdays now that the family has grown!! Here Trey is excited about his birthday!!






This was taken in 1996 when Drew was born. Mom and Dad came to spend some time with all of us. You can see that everyone was excited, even Derek showing off with a high powered squirt gun!! Probably Tyler, Trey, and Mallory got wet after this pic!! Grandma was protecting Drew!



Mikiah name means "An offering of praise to the God who is incomparable." Grandma loves her and she loves Grandma. The last time we were together Mom was amazed how much Mikiah has grown. This picture was taken in Colorado when we all stayed in a condo as a huge family with Brenda and Bruce's family, Brent, my family, and Mom and Dad. It was a wonderful week with family.

I've known Mom for 48 years now! She is a remarkable woman that has never given up in the ups and downs of life. She loves her family and is a hard worker. She is an amazing cook, organizer, and gardener. Our lives have been touched by her perseverance and faith. I'm thankful for what God has done with our family over the years. He continues to bless us and lead us in the right way. Thanks again, Mom for your role in my life. God has used you in big ways to touch and influence all of our lives. We love you!!