My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it. – Boris Johnson
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July is the birthday month for four our immediate family. If you count our extended family, there are three or four more birthdays this month.
This month I celebrate the birthdays of three of my one and õn-lies:
The Inimitable Mother Ruth Metzler Longenecker
Mother and her morning ritual, reading her Bible, age 96
My One and Only Son
Joel with one-and-only daughter-in-law Sarah at cousin’s wedding
My One and Only Grand-Daughter Jenna Skye Dalton
July Birthdays
July birthdays in our family span four generations. Apparently, I tried very hard to become my mother’s first birthday present after her marriage the previous year, having missed being born on her own birthday by just one day. Our son and grand-daughter are birthday presents to me – Joel born two days after my birthday and Jenna preceding my birthday by a mere five days.
Who are your one and ôn-lies – birthdays or otherwise?
Coming tomorrow: Birthday Butter Shake Sequel
You are blessed! What a blessing that mom is 96 today and how handsome is Joel with his beautiful wife Sarah. Jenna your granddaughter is beautiful. To me these are our rich treasures. Our parents, children, their spouses, and our beautiful grandchildren. I have eighteen grandchildren. August is my month of 5 grandchildren’s birthdays, our wedding anniversary, my husband’s birthday and a son’s birthday. Yes, it is a very busy and joyful month. I making my granddaughter’s 1st birthday cake with a pink castle with a glowworm. Too cute. You enjoy your family and making great memories.
You are right – they are rich treasures. You are blessed with a quiver-full yourself, children and grand-children galore. I wonder if your grand-daughter who likes castles gets up in the morning and puts on a tiara and Cinderella shoes. Jenna did that as a tiny tot. Children tell us early on what their interests are. Thank you for commenting, Gloria.
Did I tell you my mother’s birthday is in July too–July 30 we celebrate her 90th with a blow out bash … Other than that, my one and on-lies are: one brother, one remaining living uncle, one husband. 🙂 December is our busy birthday month with three on one day, Dec. 26, and more sprinkled throughout the month, including me on Dec. 2.
How exciting your mother is reaching this milestone. We had a “twin” 90th birthday party, yes, a blowout bash, for my mother and aunt, both with the same names including the middle initial, and both born in 1918.
Mother had lots of relatives and Aunt Ruthie was an elementary school principal and tax collector for her township, so there were probably 150-200 people present. Farm families often had weddings in October (after the harvest), which may possibly account for many July births.
It sounds like you July is super-busy for your family. How wonderful to celebrate life before a memorial service requires it. And how privileged to have the older generation with us for such a long time. “Length of days” runs in your family too it seems. I’m sure we’ll hear about the party for your mother in a coming post.
happy, Happy, HAPPY birthday to YOU and Yours!
I love the photographs that you shared. And your mom — at 96 — points to doggon terrific genes!
Len’s birthday is two weeks before our son’s. My birthday falls two weeks after his, but because of where they fall on the calendar, we represent three different zodiac signs: Len-Leo. Evan-Virgo. Me-Libra.
Interesting the configuration of birthdays in your family too. Guessing from the astrological signs, Len must share some characteristics like mine while you, my dear, must be even-handed, fair, and balanced as Libra’s are ascribed to being.
Thank you for the birthday wishes!
Happy Birthday to you and all of the members of your July birthday club! What lovely photos of your “one and onlies.” I hope all of you are having wonderful celebrations! Today is actually my brother-in-law’s birthday (my husband’s brother), but February is the big Smith birthday month–my husband, both daughters, and his mother. (Also his uncle and some cousins).
You are welcome! Yes, I pulled out all the stops for this birthday-themed post. It’s interesting to see all the “clusters” of birthdays in other families. Now I wonder about your birthday month, Merril.
Mine is in December, and all of my siblings were born in different months.
Happy Birthday to Mother Ruth, Marian! Please tell her I’m sending love and admiration all the way from South Africa. If you’ve had yours, belated birthday greetings and if still to come in the few days left in July may it be a wonderful celebration and the best year yet!
There’ve been no family July birthdays on my side but so many friends coming up ..Leo’s all of them.
Thank you for sharing your lovely family photographs with us Marian.
And yes, I’ve never understood the saying you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Puleez, what else is it for?
I will relay your wonderful greeting to Mother. I’ll say, “Susan from South Africa wishes you a happy birthday,” and she’ll be dumb-founded. Naturally, she has a hard time wrapping her head around all this digital technology having been born in 1918 with all the dramatic changes intervening. Thank you!
Also…Happy Birthday to my one and only wife on this 24th day of July.
Thank you – let’s keep it that way – one and only!
Belated Happy Birthday to you. We have a cluster of family birthdays around Labor Day, that is the biggest group. That works out nice to have a large party then, picnic style, with swimming and fireworks and campouts in the backyard. There are also a couple anniversaries. It seems to work out that way with Memorial Day weekend too…birthdays and anniversaries around there also. That is why my son and his wife chose Mem Day (2 months ago) for the wedding as they knew it would be a good chance to get folks together.
Same thing, picnics, fireworks, camping. Too cool to swim yet except for the show-offs–our pond is spring fed and quite chill.
It’s not belated, Athanasia. Today’s the actual day. How thoughtful of your son and daughter-in-law to plan their wedding to coincide with a family gathering. And you’re right – the activities don’t need to change a bit for the get-togethers to be meaningful and fun. I see your family has show-offs too! 🙂
Happy birthday to you, Marian! December is our family birthday month: a son, his wife (just one day earlier) and 5 of 7 grands.
It’s interesting how birthdays in families seem to cluster in months. I see you have noticed it too. Thanks for reading and adding to our conversation, Ruthie.
Happy belated birthday, Marian! August is a big month for our family. I was born ten days after my dad and my nephew was born three days before I was. We also have an anniversary in there, too. I guess good things come in fours 🙂
Yes, good things do come in fours and in clusters it appears. Several commenters mentioned a gathering of family birthdays in 1-2 months’ time. I guess we could read something into that, but I’m not sure what. Thanks for posting during this busy time – I believe you may be moving soon.
Happy birthday to you!
Thank you, Marie. It was lovely!
Happy Birthday to all of your one and onlies – and especially to you. Love the photos. 😉
Thanks, Judy!
Happy Belated Birthday. How wonderful you could celebrate it one more time with your dear mother.
Thank you for making the connection – Yes, it’s such a cliche. You never miss your mother till she’s gone. Many happy memories though.
The number 10 seems to be important in my family. January 10 – my husband, April 10 – my brother-in-law, November 10 – my Son, December 10 – my daughter. Others are close but didn’t quite make the # 10. 🙂
It sounds like “10” is the perfect number in your family. You have read about our July birthday clusters. We also have the same thing happening in October, none on the 10th, however. This weekend we celebrate five of them: my Aunt Ruthie, brother-in-law Larry, grandson Patrick, and then Ian and his mother Sarah, who share a birthday on the fifth. You may have read the latest post on Ian’s miraculous birth:
I know family is so important to you also. Thanks for sharing, Anita.