Friday's FIVE!

Sunday was a wonderful day! Our youngest grandson, Trevor was baptized at First United Methodist Church in Marion, Indiana. It was a wonderful service - with a wonderful message delivered by Pastor Kaye Patton - Family surrounding Trevor at the alter included his Great Grandmother Isabel ... and his Great Grandparents, George and Dubie .... His GREAT Great Grandma, Mildred Myers, Trevors Grandfather, Steve and his partner, Kent... Trevors Paternal Grandparents, Mike and Michelle Morgan - His Paternal Great Aunt and Uncle ... and his MeMe and Grandpa Bruce and of course, his Mother and Dad and his brother Tyler! Following the service - we all gathered at a local restaurant for a Sunday dinner to celebrate the day!
Trevor was baptized at our family church where I was raised and baptized, the same church my mother was raised... and the same church Trevor's mother and Aunt Betsy were raised and the same church where his brother, Tyler was baptized. So in honor of his baptism - this Friday's FIVE! recognizes five significant events that have occurred at First United Methodist Church in Marion.

1. Our family has been a part of First United Methodist Church for five generations. My mother was confirmed as a member of the "First Methodist Church" in Marion in 1949 under the pastoral leadership of Dr. Benedict. My Mother and Dad were married at "First Methodist Church" May 5, 1951 by Dr. Graham.

2. Although Steve and I are no longer married... We are the parents of Katie and Betsy - and we are the reason our legacy continues in these beautiful grandchildren. Steve and I were married at First United Methodist Church in Marion on July 31, 1976.

3. Katherine Marie Fennimore was baptized in August, 1980 by Rev. Phil Stephens

4. Elizabeth Jean Fennimore was baptized in January, 1983 by Rev. David Byrum

5. Tyler was baptized at First United Methodist Church in 2000.

Friday's FIVE!

I love my Mama! I've always been a Mama's little girl - I loved my Daddy ... but my heart belonged to my Mother. Mom and I have always spent a lot of time together - and I love that I have so many wonderful memories with her. We have laughed and we have cried - and I have shared all my secrets with my Mom. My mother celebrated her 76th birthday on Sunday this week and today's Friday FIVE! is a celebration of five things I think of when I think of my Mama! Happy Birthday, Mama - I love you heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and....

1. When the girls were little, Mom and I went out to lunch every Tuesday! We would often go to Mr. Steak in Marion or MCL in Muncie. Mom was always watching her weight and she would get a salad or fish for lunch - but there was always room for a little cinnamon roll or date bread with cream cheese!!! What fun memories those days are!!! We still enjoy lunches out together - but my work schedule makes it a less frequent event than it was when I was a 'stay at home' Mom. Because we don't do it very often - we cherish the minutes we have together when we do have the chance to be together for lunch.

2. My Mother is an avid reader - and she has been all of my life. My mother always has a book in progress. I can remember when we were children - Roger and I would get her books for her birthday and we would pick out any book with a woman in a negligee running frantically away from a castle. Books have always been - and still are a very significant part of her life.

3. Neatly manicured - long fingernails. My mothers fingernails have been a trademark for her.
They used to be very, very, very long - but she always kept them neat and painted. Even during summer gardening or holiday cooking - her fingernails would be pretty and neatly manicured. My Mother still has long manicured nails - not nearly as long as those really, really long nails of the early 1980's - but she usually has a nail file in every room in the house!

4. COOKIES - COOKIES - AND MORE COOKIES!!! My Mom has to be one of the best cookie makers in the whole wide world - I can remember Christmas cookie platters that would put Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping to shame. There would be chocolate chunk, oatmeal carmelitas, a very rich dark chocolate with a coconut filling, a smal rolled cookie with nuts on the outside and a dollop of frosting in the center - and powder sugar covered Mexican wedding cakes.... oh yum... yum... those cookies were wonderful!

5. My mother loves clothes and she has has always loved to shop! We used to shop after our lunches on Tuesdays - we would shop for clothes or we would shop for fabric to make clothes. I can remember shopping in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Chicago - When I see brightly colored scarves and red and pink or gold colored clothes...I think of my Mother!

Happy Happy Birthday Mom - I love you so much!!! XOXOXOXOXOX

Trevor's first weekend at YCL!

We are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend at Yellow Creek Lake! Katie and Tyler and Trevor have come to visit. We miss Phil, because he works Saturday, Sunday & Monday nights... however, it is Phil's work schedule that gives us this precious time to spend with our grandsons and Katie....So, while we do miss Phil, it is wonderful to have this time with Katie and the boys.

Tyler and Trevor are the 5th generation of my family to enjoy Yellow Creek Lake... the joy of family, friends, fun in the sun, and evenings around camp fires - roasting hot dogs and Marshmallows.

We had a great visit with Grandma today - and we enjoyed KFC and an assortments of salads - and Grandma's homebaked pies!

I'm so blessed - I love living at the lake with my peaceful husband- it often feels like we are on vacation all the time. I love sharing the lake with my children and my grandchildren. I love it when Mom comes up - and we all share this legacy that Grandpa and Grandma Pence started for us in the early 1930's....

PS: Betsy & Debbie - We hope you had a great time at Summer Camp... We Miss You -

Friday's FIVE!

I recieved an email from my Aunt Barbara this week - I've always had a very special place in my heart for my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Ovie. Aunt Barbara is my Daddy's older sister. When I was 4 years old, they moved to California - and to my four year old mind, that was a million, gazillion miles away. I vividly remember the day we gathered for a cook out at my Grandparents house to wish them farewell. I remember that I cried. My sentiment for my Aunt Barbara has always been strong - there is a very, very special bond between us. I'm thankful for this dear Aunt of mine.... and I'm thankful she is still very present in my life, even though she lives a million, gazillion miles away. While I hestitate to focus on 'things' - her email this week informed me of a few items that belonged to my Great Grandmother and my Great Aunt that she wants me to have. I appreciate that I will have these items - but mostly, I appreciate that my dear Aunt wants ME to have these things. So in appreciation of my Aunt's generosity to share these items with me... this weeks Friday FIVE! will focus on a few of my most sentimental treasures....

1. My Mothers Wedding Dress - She loved her wedding dress....and she loved my Daddy.

While the dress is beautiful - the marriage that began the day she wore it is the true sentiment of this dress.

2. A Quilt that my Grandma Pence gave me - A quilt made from my Aunt Barbara's dresses and stitched by my Grandma, My Great Grandma and my Great Aunt Vera

3. An amethyst ring that my Grandpa Alexander had given my Grandmother for Valentines Day before I was born. I was very small when my Grandma promised it would be mine on my 16th birthday - because the heart shaped amethyst stone symbolized my Valentine birthday. She kept her promise and gave it to me on when I turned sweet sixteen.

4. A small black and white pillow that my daughters, Katie and Betsy gave me....that says "Your love and belief in me have been my inspiration. Thank you for being my mother and my guide, I love you" I love my daughters so much - and am so proud of the beautiful women they have become.

5. My 'handcarved' engagement ring from my dear husband, Bruce. When we were engaged, he lead me to believe he couldn't afford and engagement ring, so he 'whittled' one for me. He asked me to marry him with the little whittled ring, and then suprised me with the real thing later that Christmas day. The ring did not matter to me - I was just delighted to say yes to him!