A special birthday

I haven't ever posted about this day before, but today is Matt's mom's birthday. If she were still alive, she would be 88 today.  She died on Christmas Eve 1995, a week after her 73rd birthday.

Matt's mom with Matt & me in Sedona, AZ in 1991 when we were out here for a visit

You know as well as I do that nobody is perfect, and she certainly had her quirks.  But, she was good on the unconditional love end of things and we miss her a lot.

I am sure glad that she & her husband were so determined to have a child together!  She was in her late 30s & he in his late 40s when they married each other... pregnancy wasn't easy for her and she had six miscarriages along the way.  I believe the pregnancy that produced Matt was their "last shot" at having a child together.  The story is that after Matt was born (when she was almost 43), her doctor took off his glove and shook Matt's dad's hand and said, "Next to you, I'm the happiest man to see this baby here,"  or something along those lines. 

It's so surreal now that we live out in her "neck of the woods" and we often drive past places where we used to go with her when we were out here visiting.  I sometimes wonder what it all would be like if she were still alive.  But alas, that is not the way it is and we will not see her again until we get to heaven.

In the meantime, here's another photo from the days before digital photography  (I don't have very many scanned).  You can admire our "youngness" or laugh at our clothing and hairstyles, I don't care.  They are fun memories either way you look at it. :)

The family at the Marquette house in 1991~since Mark & Anita's daughter Jenny isn't in the photo, I'm guessing she must have been the photographer.  She was 11 back then.  :)
Don't you just *love* that beautiful couch?  Trust me, in 1991 it was already hideously out of style.  :)