The Minches are spread out all over the country. We live in Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. We are busy people with a lot of exciting things going on! On this blog, we can all share what is happening in our lives.
July 11, 1980 Ozark Alabama
Grandma, Jessie and baby Beckie
Today would be Grandma's birthday. This picture was taken the day after Beckie was born. Grandma, Grandpa and Karen started driving to Alabama from Georgia right after Beckie was born. Beckie was born two weeks early, during the worst heat wave in years and no was expecting to her. Aunt Karen and Grandpa stayed a few days and went back to Atlanta. Grandma was going to stay to help my mom with Beckie and I. But the house had no air conditioning, Grandma told my dad, you are driving Donna, the girls and I to Atlanta. So Grandma saved us from the heat and took us home with her.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Grandpa with me, Grandpa is so handsome and classy in his tux. This picture also proves what a fun grandma Clara is, letting me cut in on a dance at their wedding!
Happy Grandparent's Day to Grandpa & Clara (Grandparents & Great-Grandparent's!) & Nana & Poppy! All of the Minch kids (the third generation) are so lucky to have grandparents like Grandpa & Clara. They are easy to talk to, love to have fun, are very supportive and love us all so much! Luke (the beginning of our forth generation) is even luckier that he gets to have GG-pa & GG-ma along with Nana & Poppy! Nana & Poppy are awesome grandparents, they love Luke so much. Happy Grandparent's Day to all the amazing Minch Grandparents! (I have to mention that Aunt Karen, Uncle Mike, Aunt Alice and Uncle Robert will also be fantastic grandparents someday!) Love to you all! xo
Another of my favorites with Grandpa, when I was a little girl. Sharing a bowl of ice cream with Grandpa in his chair was just about my favorite thing in the world!
Happy Mother's Day to all the Minch Moms! We are all so lucky to have such great moms in our family. Moms are the glue of families and ours keep us all close. Moms are always there to support us. Here is Grandma Minch at the hospital after Beckie was born. My mom always said that Grandma treated her like a daughter, not a daughter in law. Clara dancing with Matt or "Superman" at our wedding. Here is my mom with Beckie and I in a rare picture of her, since she is always taking pictures of us. Aunt Karen with her girls in Cozumel. Aunt Alice with Taylor and Cassidy. Beckie and Luke in Scottsdale.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the Minch Moms. You all support your children by listening and encouraging us. You make us feel special and loved. We love you.
Jessie and Matt
"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take." -- Cardinal Mermillod
Today is Grandma Minch's birthday. When I was thinking of what I wanted to say I thought of all the things I remembered and admired about her. She was an amazing mother, with a heart so big she had plenty of room for her son and daughters in law who she treated as her own. I love the story of my dad's flight school graduation, my mom was pregnant with Beckie and had nothing to wear. Grandma tried to make her a beautiful dress. The dress was finished, in yellow (my Mom & Grandma's favorite color), Grandma took one look at it and said you can't wear that it's ugly! I love that she tried and then was willing to say no, that is not going to work. (Side story: My Mom did find a dress to wear, one that she had worn in High School that her Dad mailed her to wear!)
She was such a fun Grandma, Beckie and I were always so excited to visit. When we stayed with Grandma & Grandpa while our parents found us a house in Plano, I remember wishing my parents would just come back to Atlanta and we could all live in the house on Harris Trail forever. (Even though when Grandpa put us on the airplane to Dallas he teased Beckie and me that we were only crying because we wanted to stay with Beezus, he inexplicable nick-name for Kristin!) She always spoiled us, Beckie and I were the first kids that we knew to have Cabbage Patch Dolls.
She was the kind of wife I hope to be, one who always supports her husband and family. I love the story my Dad tells about how she became such a great cook. Grandpa was in between jobs and was working at a gas station and clamming to make money. Every night he would bring home clams for dinner and Grandma would come up with new ways to make the clams so her family always had a great meal even if it was clams again! Thinking of it now, all these great qualities: having a big, open heart, spoiling your kids and supporting your family no matter what; are all traits that she has passed on to her daughter, daughters in law, sons and son in law. She is one of the thousands of reasons that it is super to be a Minch.
Last night when I went to Safeway the Salvation Army Bell Ringers were there and that always puts me in the Christmas Spirit. So I changed the background on the blog to something that reminded me of Christmas when I was a kid and I found some fun old Christmas pictures. Later today I am going to add some vacation pictures! This first picture is my second Christmas riding my horse Grandma & Grandpa bought me :)
Grandpa and Clara excitedly opening presents at Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike's house.
Jessie and Beckie on Cait Island, one of my favorite Christmas memories and Grandpa's too!
Grandpa & Aunt Karen in 1977.
Cassidy, Taylor and Alec when they were little.
Steve helping Robert cook.
The famous Johnson Christmas photo complete with Beau & Bailey!
I will be walking in the 2008 Komen Denver Race for the Cure on October 5th. I am walking in memory of Grandma...but I will have each of you in mind as I do so :). Sadly, one in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime. Please help me to raise money to find the cure for breast cancer.
July 11, 1980 Ozark Alabama
