Happy Birthday Christina

Today is Christina Dittmar's 19th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Tina!  I miss you and love you very much.  I hope you have a wonderful year.  These are pictures from Julianna's wedding.  The bottom picture is Annemarie, me, Sara, Tina and with his back to us, Nathanael Pfiester.  The bottom one was taken last year on December 19th in front of the San Antonio Temple. The top one was taken at the Winston's where the reception was.

A Day at the Zoo

When we lived in Texas, we always had a yearly pass to the zoo.  We would pick up and go whenever we wanted and that was quite often.  Sometimes we would stay for 45 minutes and other times for hours.  This trip we decided to to pick up my niece, Christina Dittmar and take her with us.  I think this was in Christina's phase when she was calling herself "Nina Nina Ballerina".  She would only wear dresses and they had to have full skirts so they spun around.  This was taken by an elephant statue in the zoo - which interestingly enough is by the elephants.  My girls were horsing around and posing and Christina stepped up and posed too.  I loved the moment and love the picture.  I have to say that trip to the zoo is still one of my favorite memories because we had a little one with us.  Little children and zoos just go hand in hand.  (Pam is sitting on the elephant and acting like the monkeys on monkey island across from the elephants.  Love you Pam!  I think this Pam's Gilbert Grape phase.)

Grandma Sarah Tuttle

Tomorrow or the next day is my grandmother, Sarah Anne Sessions Nielson Tuttle's birthday.  Though she has long passed to the other side, those of us who knew her, remember her and try to live up to the legacy that was hers.  She was an amazing woman.  She was widowed twice, once when her oldest daughter was 10 and her youngest was only 3. Yet she still made a pretty good living for her three daughters as a Home Extension Agent for different counties in Utah and eventually working for an insurance company in a similar capacity in Salt Lake City.  That is where she met the man that I came to know as Grandpa Tuttle and how we became shirt-tail relatives to the amazing Tuttle family.  The above picture is a picture of the 'Nielson Family' when my mother was little.  It is my grandfather, LuDeal Nielson, my Grandma Sarah (or Omi as she came to be called by the family) and my mother, Carolyn.  I have no idea how old Mom was in this picture but the mystery of some of our children and grandchildren not having hair for a while has been answered!

Cousins

When we lived in Texas, the cousins spent a lot of time together.  My sister lived in an open two story house.  Heidi and Pam with their Dittmar cousins all laid down in a circle on the dining room floor and my sister, Marianne shot this picture.  We were down there for the 4th of July - which is why everyone is wearing red white and blue.  I think this was taken about 1995.

Happy Birthday Doreen

10 years ago my father asked Doreen to be his wife.  It was a very smart move on his part.  She has made his life so happy for the last 10 years.  I will always be grateful to her for the joy she has brought him.  Happy Birthday Doreen.  We love you and are thankful to have you in our family.  

Doreen Brugger

Tomorrow is Doreen Brugger's birthday.  I have been going through pictures on my computer trying to find some of her and found this one.  This is a picture with my dad of her holding her grandson, Bobby Brugger.  

Christina Marie Dittmar

My niece, Christina, has a birthday the end of the month.  I ran across this picture this morning, looking for another one.  Since Tina's birthday is so close, I will start running pictures of her along with some others.  I love this picture.  This was taken one night when Carianne came to pick me up at the airport in San Antonio.  The thunderstorms were so bad we were literally stranded at Marianne's that night, so everyone found a spot to sleep and borrowed pajamas. Marianne and I snuck in and snapped this picture.  I have the printed copy on my refrigerator to this day and every time I see it, I smile.

Pam and Chris

Another picture of Pam and Chris in honor of their birthdays this month.  This one was taken in Las Vegas again.  

Pam and Chris

I love this picture of Pam and Chris.  It was taken at the Pfiester's house several years ago.  I have to say that we have a great family!

Happy Birthday Chris

Today is Chris Davis's birthday.  I think it is his 30th, so he is well on his way to middle age now!  We are proud of Chris and his accomplishments.  We love having him as part of our family.  He is a good husband, father and son.  I imagine he is a good health care provider too.  He is patient and calm, so I would think he has a good beside manner.  Happy Birthday Chris.  We hope you have an amazing year!   

The Girls in Ephraim

This wouldn't have been too long after we moved to Ephraim for two reasons.  #1 is we still have the white couch in the background and not the green sofa and love seat and #2 is the girls are together and so young.  I think this is just right after we moved in to the house on Main Street.  It also looks like it was a Sunday afternoon.

Pam and Chris

This is Pam and Chris in Las Vegas when Heather and Brandon were still living there - so this picture is over 3 years old.  How much older I don't know.  The reason I am posting pictures of Pam and Chris is because Chris's birthday is the 22nd and I am trying to keep my resolution to post pictures of family members with birthdays in that month.

The Paper Bag Princess

Pam is very creative.  She is a writer and an actress.  To be honest, the whole time she was growing up, I thought she was going to be an actress when she became an adult.  That was really her one ambition from the time she could climb up to a mirror and practice her expressions in it.  Instead she has become a wonderful author, wife and mother.  These are the things she was destined to become and you know it - if you meet her now.  This is a picture of her when she was conducting a reading group for the children in her apartment complex when she and Chris were attending the University of Utah. The title of the book was obviously 'The Paper Bag Princess'.  By the way, if you haven't read this delightful children's book, you need too.

Pam and Chris

Yesterday was Pam's birthday.  In a few days it is Chris's birthday and according to Pam he will be an 'old man'.  Here is a picture of the two of them celebrating Pam's birthday.  I think they got more of this cake than they did of Pam's birthday cake this year.  (Dutch dumped it on the floor, frosting side down).  Celebrate your birthday as long as you can get away with it, Pam.

Happy Birthday Pam!

Today is my baby's birthday!  WOW!  I am getting old!  The top picture is Pam with her father when she was a baby.  I don't have many pictures of Pam as a baby.  The next picture is when she was 4 and we were living in Kerrville, Texas.  The last picture was taken just a few weeks ago when she visited the Bahlmanns and us for Mallory's blessing.  As I was going through the pictures I have no 'family' pictures of the Davis' from their visit.  In fact I have no pictures of Chris at all.  I only have the group grandchildren pictures with Dutch in them - but then he was such a blur.  He is a very busy two year old.  (I wish they lived closer still!)  I don't know what I was thinking.  I need to take some lessons from my daughter Heather and think more about documenting family moments better with the camera.  


Happy Birthday, Pam.  Your father and I hope this is a wonderful year for you.  

Pam in London

Several years ago, Pam was able to do a semester abroad in London, England.  It turned out to be her last hurrah because not too long after that Dutch came into her life and now she is expecting a new little one.  But in tribute to her birthday tomorrow here are some pictures.  Maybe for her next trip to England and Europe she and Chris can go together.

Pam's Birthday at the VA

These are pictures of Pam's birthday at our quarters on the VA grounds in Kerrville, Texas.  This was the last year there - in fact we moved the next month.  I can't remember if this was a surprise party for Pam.  Heather and Heidi did so many surprise parties for her - she started to expect a surprise party for her birthday every year.  Okay maybe not on the outside but I think subconsciously she knew her sisters would take care of her birthday.

Happy Ninth Birthday, Marcus

Today is my grandson, Marcus Andrew Bahlmann's ninth birthday.  The top picture was taken when he was 4, just after his mother's graduation from SUU.  It is one of my favorite pictures.  The next two pictures are from the "Old Mormon Fort" in Las Vegas on a wagon.  Being the every watchful older brother,  he was concerned Luke was not sitting properly.  We went to the fort and then on a picnic while we were there for Christmas break.  It was so cold that I was wearing a coat that day!  Happy Birthday Marcus.  I hope you have a great year!

Frank and Marcus

This is a picture of my brother-in-law, Frank Dittmar,  with Marcus at my parents home.  (Marcus is the one on the right in the patterned pajamas.)  Tomorrow is Marcus' 9th birthday.  I can't believe he is 9 years old this year!  I am so lucky to have such amazing grandchildren. 

Happy 10th Anniversary Bahlmann's!

Today is Heidi and Andy Bahlmann's 10th Anniversary.  Happy Anniversary.  I thought I had other pictures but the picture posted yesterday and this one today are the only ones I have on the computer from your wedding. 


We are in the middle of a Nor'Easter - in other words a winter storm that has even Clyde home from work today.  Hartford Connecticut has 19 inches of snow - we probably have about 8 or 10.  It is blowing now with gale force winds.  I am glad I can just stay home and be warm in the apartment.  The missionaries are coming over for lunch.  We are having homemade bread and chicken pot pie soup.  We had a new elder come in yesterday and so this is our opportunity to meet him.   

Bahlmann's Anniversary Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Heidi and Andy's 10th wedding anniversary.  I am posting this picture today because we are expecting a big storm and I am not sure I will be able to blog tomorrow and because I love this picture of 3 of my girls.  Carianne would have been here but she had just had Carlye Anne 2+ weeks before and was not up to traveling yet.

Traditions

In our family we make aebleskivers on special occasions.  It is a special treat that has been a part of my family literally for generations.  Though this picture is of Anneke and Luke helping Heidi make pumpkin pancakes, the scene was much the same when we made aebleskivers on Christmas morning and then again on New years.  It isn't just on major holidays we make aebleskivers either.  Our girls used to request them for their birthdays and on occasion we would have them for Sunday Supper.  We are super jealous of my sister.  Somehow not only did her family have aebleskivers but they had Texas shaped waffles too!

My Bahlmann and Davis Grandchildren

Here is a group picture of Marcus holding Mallory, Luke, Anneke and Dutch, just before Dutch left for home.  I have beautiful grandchildren with very distinctive personalities.  This was such a fun weekend.

Pam and Heidi

Here is a sweet picture of Heidi and Pam.  But the reason they are laughing is the picture underneath.  Clyde took the picture and it took a second for my cheap camera to react.  He flipped the camera up to see what was happening and got a great shot of Heidi's ceiling and heat vent instead of our daughters.  We were all laughing for the next shot which is the first one of this blog.  It was so much fun to have Pam come down for the blessing.  I know it was hard for her.  She is like my sister and basically sick or extremely uncomfortable the whole pregnancy.  I know the trip could not have been easy but I was happy to see Pam, Chris and Dutch, and I was totally selfish about it.  It has been a year since I have seen any of them and after being able to take off and go and see Dutch whenever I wanted to, I needed my 'Dutch hugs'.  

Mallory's Blessing Day

Here are some pictures of Mallory just before she was blessed.  As I stated before this is the dress her mother was blessed in.  I should have put her on a contrasting blanket but this is the ensemble she was blessed in.  It was a beautiful day, full of joy.  She was so sweet during her blessing.  Like I have stated before.  It was a great trip.  More pictures of the trip will follow but I will be focusing more heavily on Marcus, Pam and Chris and the Bahlmann's for the next few days because if their birthdays and anniversary.  

Home Again, Home Again...

 I apologize up front for this lengthy blog.  I had made a pledge to myself to keep them short this year.  Unfortunately there is no other way today.  We are back home in Middletown, Rhode Island once more.  We got on the plane and looked across the aisle and a sweet young family from our ward - the Harpels - were sitting there.  They were coming home from California.  We have gotten quite close to them and his parents because his parents live in Connecticut, where our stake center is.  It was quite fun to be greeted by a friendly face at the airport and get a big hug on our arrival from Connecticut Harpel family!  Our flight was  textbook perfect - left on time, arrived on time.  Our suitcases were the first ones off the plane and we were home literally 40 minutes after we left the plane.  It was because of the great prayers of our grandchildren and daughter - I know it and I will put the praise where it belongs.  It was hard to leave the Bahlmann family.  We had a great time with them.  Mallory is a joy and this time Luke warmed up to us immediately so we had a great time with the whole family all along.  Plus we got to see the Davis family and that was just wonderful.  I will post pictures tomorrow but right now I am playing 'catch up'.  


I read 4 books on the plane but one just keeps haunting me.  It was titled "Unwrapping Christmas" by Lori Copeland.  It was basically my autobiography at one time in my life.  This woman was so busy with church and her children's school's charitable activities that she didn't have time for her family.  She didn't know how to say "No".  Finally she fell down on Christmas Eve and couldn't perform her family responsibility and the extended family had to step in.  The world didn't stop.  It took a nervous breakdown for me to realize that the world could go on without me and that my family and marriage were the number 1 priority in my life.  Up to that point I thought I was being so benevolent when what I was really being was a martyr - not to the outside world - just to my family.  I almost lost a daughter during this time.  Thankfully the Lord has given me a second chance with her.  It was just a reminder that the Lord and family are always our first priority.  My daughters are far better mothers than I ever was.  It makes me proud.

Hello, Goodbye!

For the last 2+ weeks we have been in Las Vegas spending time with the Bahlmanns.  We were able to have Christmas with them and share in our newest granddaughters baby blessing on January 2. Pam, Chris and Dutch also came down and spent the weekend of January 1st with us and that was a joy so we were able to see two of our daughters and 1/2 of our grandchildren.  It has been a pretty incredible trip.  I am having a hard time going home to reality but it has to be done.  Tomorrow I will be in cold, dark Rhode Island.  The only plus side is our wonderful Church family there.


The above pictures are the Bahlmann family picture that Jodi Carpenter took last summer in Kerrville, a picture we took in Cedar City, Utah when our family was there for Heidi's college graduation of Anneke and Marcus and a picture of Anneke taken last summer.  

Pam on Rollerblades

Here is a picture of Pam on Rollerblades when we lived in quarters on the VA grounds in Kerrville, Texas.  She received them for her birthday.

Pam at 18 months

In keeping with my idea of posting pictures of people whose birthday and anniversaries it is this month, here is Pam at 18 months.  Pam is our youngest daughter.  The whole time I was carrying her, I was calling her Diana Eloie but Clyde was calling her Jenny Rebecca.  When she was born, I looked at her and knew her name was Pamela Eloie.  It was a name we never even considered up until the minute I saw her.  Pamela means 'all honey' and she has had platinum blonde hair her whole life.  Eloie was for a very special neighbor of my parents that our daughters grew up calling 'Grandma Eloie'.  Eloie Martin's birthday was January 19 and Pam's birthday is January 17.  Once again I apologize for the pink picture but this is what happens when you lose the roll of film for years before developing it.

Blessing Day!

This is a picture of my father and Carianne on the day she was named and blessed.  Today we are doing that same thing for Mallory Hope Bahlmann, our newest granddaughter.  Mallory will be wearing the same dress as Carianne (and her mother and aunts wore) and that her sister and cousins wore to be named and blessed. I will post pictures later.  

The End And a New Beginning

This really has nothing to do with January except that it does portray 'The End' very well. This is Heidi and Pam's graduation day with their bachelors.  Pam had already graduated in the morning and we were down in Cedar City for Heidi's later that afternoon.  That is Anneke in the middle.

This is the group coming back after Heidi's graduation, hence the beginning.  Here is hoping this New Year is the beginning that you each want.  Happy New Year!