Photo Montage for My Li'l Sister's Birthday!

THANK YOU GOD FOR BLESSING ME WITH A GOOD SISTER,
ONE WHO IS WILLING TO LISTEN!

I wish I could tell my little sister "Happy Birthday" in person, but since she lives on another planet continent, I won't be able to do that. So in honor of her birthday, please indulge me in posting this photo montage for her. We have shared many happy memories, she and I! Of course, some not so happy. Such is life. But for today, we will dwell on the happy ones! :)

I'm happy she has family members near her who will see to making her special day memorable. When I turned FIFTY (did I just say that out loud?) she surprised me and flew to the states. She showed up at a school reunion I was at. I was called out to the parking lot. In the parking lot, I saw a HUGE box with a tag which read "To Pam, special delivery". I opened up that box and guess what popped out? a red headed sister!!!  My sister, who is very claustrophobic, sat on a chair, inside a huge box for quite a long time waiting for me to get out to the parking lot! Now that is sisterly love if ever I saw it! You can look at photos of that spectacle here or watch the joy of the moment  here!

Now an' ad nauseum' collection of photos in no particular order because Blogger likes doing that to me when I upload!

My sister and I while living in Mexico
(and little Jackie Jo too!)

My sister and I in the refrigerator, er I mean AT the refrigerator @ my house in Wesley Chapel, FL.
(We were planning and prepping for her soon to be daughter in law's bridal shower that evening!)

My sis entertaining  Georgianne and eating @ my house in Wesley Chapel, FL
She might kill me for this one!

Oh, these are all of our munchkins, several years ago. We both LOVE our kiddos!
Smyrna Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida

My sister at her son's wedding. (Doesn't she look lovely?)
She is playing with Abigail, one of her grand-daughters.
Condo @ Lake Tahoe, California

My sister with her 4 children, new daughter in law, grand baby, and hubby @
Lake Tahoe

My sister and ... oh wait, I don't see her in this photo, but I do see most of our kiddos and both of our husbands in it! :)
and our little brother Johnny down on the end showing off his arms!
Family Reunion @ Uncle Mack's "property" - ahem - West Virginia!

AW!! My sister and I just a few years ago! RIGHT!
 Fortuna, California

My sister, mommy, and I in our humble little house in Fortuna,California.

My sister on Christmas morning at our house in Arcadia, Florida.
(oh how I'd love to have that big farmhouse now! What I could do with it!)

My sister, in our yard (orange grove) Hillsboro Ave. Arcadia, Florida with one of our many pets over the years.
She always was the pet lover of the family!

My sister in middle school.
Aren't her freckles cute?
I'm not sure where we lived at this point in time. Our dad was in ministry, so we moved - ALOT!

My sister with friends Kim and Jessica at summer camp @
 the Bill Rice Ranch, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

My sister after high school graduation. I think she was actually teaching kindergarten at Arcadia Christian Center.
Isn't she pretty?

My sister on McDonald's playground in Arcadia, Florida with one of my students from Port
Charlotte who was spending the weekend with us. (Rita, do you remember Chrissy Zeeman?)

LOL! My sister and THE ENTIRE RIFFE FAMILY!
(yeah, back in the day!! This was our prayer card we left at churches, reminding them to pray for us as we traveled to garner support to help send us to the mission field of Australia.

My sister and her hubby Clint.
This was their first prayer card as they planned to minister in Venezuela.
The lived in New Hampshire as newlyweds.

My sister in high school, Cambridge, Ohio

My sister and I weeks after she had given birth to baby Jayde. She is holding an album I made for her.
@ our parent's home, Tampa, Florida

One last word for my little sister:

REMEMBER:

 and I love you very much.

Happy Birthday Rita!

P.S. -  the post I did yesterday was about her daughter, Jackie.

Pam's Birthday Surprise Long Version

I just love this video!!! I watch it over and over and over. I'm starting to remind myself of my boys when they were little and wanted to watch the same thing over and over again. I cry everytime I watch this one though. What great friends I have who made all this happen! What great memories I have of sharing this day with them! And to the gal who purchased my sister's ticket, I'm eternally indebted to you! (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!)And to those who bought our dinner at Chi*li's later that night, thank you, thank you, thank you!

MY BIG FIVE-O!!!

Wow have I got a story for you! You're gonna just LOVE it! I promise! But first, a disclaimer. This is a long post with alot of photos. I apologize up front but I really wanted to share this extraordinary day with you-A DAY I'LL NEVER FORGET!

Now if you happen to follow me on Face book, this will be old news to you, but I have to share with the rest of you about my wonderful birthday surprise! Are you ready?

Okay, here goes! I was attending a school reunion in Arcadia, Florida the Saturday before my birthday. Mom had also been a teacher at ACC (Arcadia Christian Center) so we had driven over together. It was wonderful seeing old friends and former faculty I'd worked with for several years before I moved to Mexico.

Photo of a former student and her family.

Here I am standing in the doorway of what was once my classroom! The school is now a daycare center ran by the county for un-wed mothers to utilize as they finish their education.

George and his sweet wife Bonnie helped organize the reunion. He was one of my parent's favorite students back in the day. He has such a wonderful personality.

Mom and I with Barbara, another former student. It was wonderful to hear how she is still serving the Lord! In a very touching testimony, she expressed thanks to my parents for their godly examples and for their strong Christian influence in her life. Her words were heart felt and brought tears to my eyes.



Mom with another former student, Ronnie. It blessed our hearts to learn that he serves as a deacon in First Baptist Church of Arcadia.



Another former student, Lori.

It was the typical school reunion: old yearbooks being passed around, tables covered with old photos, delicious food

(Km & Bill)

lots of hugs and loud laughter,

(Marie, Me, Sherry)

and there were babies being passed around, etc. You know the drill. Anyhoose, around five p.m. things had come to a slow down, some of the attendees had left already when all of a sudden, my nephew from Tampa and his wife walked into the school cafeteria. I had to do a double take. At first sight of them, I was amazed at how much that couple resembled Josh Daniel and Naomy! Then it hit me, that was Josh Daniel and Naomy-in Arcadia!?! "They never attended here. They've never even been to Arcadia! What are they doing here now?" Those are a few of the thoughts that were flying through my head for a brief second. Then I started thinking clearly again (Shut up Clint Vernoy) and walked across the room to hug them and ask what in the world they were doing at my school reunion.

Here I am, surprised that Josh and Naomy showed up at a reunion, over a two hour drive from their home,

for a school they didn't attend!

After a few friends who know them came over for hugs and greetings, Josh turned to me and said; "Aunt Pam, we need you to come out to the parking lot. We have something for you." Well that is when my radar went up! Did they bring my friend Shannon with them? She and I had just chatted early that morning and she had asked some suspicious questions now that I thought about! Had she baked me one of her stupendous cakes and was she going to surprise me with it here in Arcadia with this wonderful group of friends?" I was smiling inside anticipating what my cake would look like and how did they get it all the way from Tampa to Arcadia

without harming it?

As we walked out of the cafeteria, through the school's hall, out the side door, I noticed that a few of my reunion pals had grabbed their cameras and were following us out to the parking lot. Hmmm just what did they know that I didn't?

(Me with my entourage!)

Well as I rounded to the front lot, there I saw it! a HUGE box, wrapped up in newspaper and a big ol' tag which read: "To-Pam, Special Delivery". Oh and by the way, this was the morning after mid-term elections. I was in a great mood due to the gains of conservatives the night before and I noticed right away that one of the headlines on the wrapped box said something about the Energetic GOP! woop woop! So I continued walking and bantering with my nephew, my mind racing the whole time. When I saw that big, ol' box I was convinced it had a mighty big/ tall cake in it because there beyond the box, filming me and my entourage as we approached was Shannon, her husband Michael, and their young daughter Sydney! I started squealing with glee. "Shannon!!! What are you doing here?"

(behold, THE BOX!! and Shannon, Michael, & Sydney in background)

everyone starts yelling at me: "OPEN THE BOX!"

Guess what happens?

Let the screaming commence!
Boy Shannon, that is some cake. You really out did yourself this time girl!
A dear friend paid to get my little sister to me all the way from Paraguay for my birthday!!

Who said fat girls can't jump?

Here we are, still screaming and giggling and crying and ...

Rita, Mom, and I

It was a most glorious of days!