My Baby Is LII Today

 

I was almost 28 when my surprise bonus baby was born fifty-two years ago today.

He was 2 months old in this photo with my mother, Ruth. He had such pretty, curly, golden hair later on that I sometimes forget that he was born with very dark hair with a patch about the size of a quarter that was pure silver.

This was his first studio photo at seven months of age.

Already his hair was becoming blond.

Celebrating his first birthday with three year old sister Kari and soon to be ten year old brother Douglas.

A little over a year old in September 1972.

I have no idea where this photo of him and Kari was taken. 

It must have been an early Easter year judging from the coat and the Easter eggs Preston is holding.

I would say about two years old?

Again with his siblings around age three.

This photo was taken at The Little Brown Church in the Vale near Nashua, Iowa in the fall of '75 or '76. If I would dig my journals out I could pinpoint the date.

Mom went with us. It was a great weekend of sightseeing.

I've always loved this photo of Preston with his Grandma Ruth in her kitchen.

This was definitely taken in 1975.

A summertime picture with me, Kari and our dog Nadette.

Probably 1976.

We still had Nadette when we moved 'back home' in '78, though she is not in this photo of the three of us having fun and acting goofy.

We were sitting in the swing on the side porch at the house on Tuck Corner. Preston was seven, Kari, nine and I was almost thirty-five. It was a good time in our lives except for leaving friends behind and adjusting to a new school.

In 1980 we moved to "The Little House".  Douglas had graduated highschool and was attending DMACC in Ankeny.

This has been a favorite picture of me and my youngest. Christmas '82, I think.

In '84 the three of us moved back to WDM and both Preston and Kari graduated from Valley High School where their Dad taught.

Preston was a junior when this photo was taken. Neither of us remember what the ribbon was for.

This picture was taken just a few years ago when Preston and I took a sentimental journey back to Adams and Taylor counties visiting places where we once lived. Even though all those houses were now gone we still had our memories.

Whatever that once was that we looked at in a ditch near the Little House, we both imagined what we could make out of it - but how would we get it home?

That was an enjoyable day - just the two of us. 

Preston is father to five, two boys and three girls,  and grandfather to three boys - so far.

 

Happy Birthday to my baby. 💝😽