Sunday, February 21, 2010

Happy 90th, Great Aunt Helen!

Last weekend, after we woke up to a snowy Saturday, we hit the road for the short trip to High Point. Most of my dad's family got together to celebrate my great aunt Helen's 90th birthday. My dad and his two sisters drove from Kansas, one of my uncles flew in from Iowa, and my dad's cousins came from Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Virginia. It was great, but kind of strange, to see second and third cousins that I hadn't seen since I was a kid.

Aunt Helen lives in a really nice retirement community with lots of friendly people who didn't mind a curious 18-month-old exploring their hallways (and golf courses and ballrooms). We all got together on Saturday night for a casual dinner and then again on Sunday afternoon for the official party. Everyone had a great time catching up and Daniel was a big hit, as usual. He did great in the hotel as well, which was a pleasant surprise, after our Myrtle Beach debacle. (: All in all, it was a great weekend and we're looking forward to getting back to High Point to see Aunt Helen again (and to do a little furniture shopping!).

Working out some energy on the golf course:




Hanging with various family members:



Helping Aunt Helen with her walker:

Delicious desserts:


Aunt Helen was a nurse in World War II and served on Guadalcanal in the Pacific. She has a lot of great stories, including how she earned her Air Medal (Zach was impressed). I wish my Grandma and my great uncle Barney could have been there to help us celebrate, but they were definitely there in spirit!

3 comments:

Layne said...

haha, i like how we have to wear nametags at our own family reunion.
but that cake looks awesome

~Kimberly said...

Happy Birthday! What a neat lady! Loved the cake and cupcakes by the way! Awesome!

Ladners'Latest said...

What a beautiful cake and I love the photo cupcakes!