Happy Birthday FORT!!!!

You did and you did. Happy Birthday Melissa Marie...we love you!


(just a note...as soon as I started on the blog today, the puzzle went off. I hope that means she's OK with me posting...I know she just wants to let me know she's watching over me - and making sure I don't post anything she wouldn't like!)

But she knows that every year on her birthday, I tell the story of the day she was born. It was usually when we took her to China Cottage for her "traditional" birthday lunch. And by the way - we're going today to celebrate her birthday - and always have them put out a place setting for her. I know she will be there with us.

So. Today we have lunch and YOU get to hear the story AGAIN of the day she was born, because I have to tell SOMEBODY.

34 years ago today, Thursday, January 5, 1978 @ 5 a.m. I woke up in labor. My bag was packed, including a deck of cards (because we were expecting a long labor) and we were on our way to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton. It was an unusually warm January morning. Arrived at the hospital around 5:30 - labor progressed pretty quickly. No time for card games! Melissa Marie arrived at 1:19 p.m.. She weighed
7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 inches long. Lots of dark hair. BEAUTIFUL. HEALTHY. And in those days, they gave moms a couple of days to get acquainted with their new babies before they sent us home. That was nice.

It had started snowing while we were in the hosptial and by the time we were ready to go home there were several inches of snow on the ground. The day we were to come home - our car wouldn't start. So "Uncle" Rick (George) Kayser came to the rescue, picked up Donny (daddy) and came to bring us home. I sat in the front seat HOLDING Melissa (no car seats required 34 years ago!)and daddy was in the back seat (since we had a chauffer!) Had to swing by the Fortener's on the way home (they lived just a few blocks away) so Grandma and Grandpa could see their FIRST grandchild and Donny's seven brothers and sisters could see their first niece! (which meant LOTS of babysitters!).

Two weeks later the "Blizzard of 78" hit - we were pretty much stranded in the house for about a week. It was a LONG winter. But it started the most wonderful journey of our lives.

We had ALMOST 31 years with Melissa. Not long enough, but so blessed to have the most beautiful, caring, funny daughter every day of her (short) life.
We love you and MISS YOU every single day Melissa. Happy Birthday.


And without further ado...here are the pictures (as Melissa would ALWAYS do!)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This was Melissa's first birthday. She had no idea what was going on, but she loved her birthdays from then on...it was always a party because of her dad's big family, then add my family and a couple of friends...no WONDER she loved a good party!
(Oh - and those were the days when you made your birthday cakes on your own!)

















...and some birthdays in between...




















































This was Melissa's last birthday. We had a 30th birthday party for her...no surprise - it was REALLY hard to surprise her - she ALWAYS found out and really didn't want to be surprised. It was a GREAT party and I am SO glad we had it. I know she was too!


















So another year goes by and we celebrate without her. But we will ALWAYS celebrate her birthday. And you will ALWAYS hear the story. Because if YOU don't listen, who can I tell? Thank you so much for joining us on OUR new journey. You help us get through each day.

Enjoy YOUR birthdays, and don't forget to take LOTS of pictures!