Two Birthdays

On this day, many years apart, two women were born. Women that would become incredibly important in my life.

One was my Oma. She would have been 96. I've been in the house that she was born in. It still stands on my parent's land, just a few steps away from the house where I grew up.

blanketed in a very rare snowfall

How am I just realizing that we grew up on the same piece of land? I walked in the same woods she did, ran across the same fields, probably fell down in the same places and got scraped hands and skinned knees. She was tougher than me when she was seven years old than I have ever been. She walked miles to school by herself and had to cross a creek to get there. If it rained while she was in school and the creek rose she didn't get to go home; she stayed with a family on the other side. Could you imagine doing that at 6 or 7 years old? Incredible.

She moved to San Antonio and eventually got a job in Comfort working at the retirement home. This is where she met my Opa who was working there as well.

 

This is them on their wedding day.

I love this picture

She had three sons. Eventually she and my Opa moved back to her family's land and built a house (one of many... my Opa was a builder) She designed the plan and he built it. She always had a garden with tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. Her pickles were the best. She always had homemade bread in the house. I have her recipe for cornbread dressing that is a must have at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. She always made a smaller pan of it for me and my uncle (we don't like raisins). I still have a corn-husk doll she made me. She never made me eat peaches... even though she had peach tress and canned them. Once she caught me pretend smoking a white lego piece (one of the long skinny pieces) and I thought I was going to be in so much trouble, but she just laughed. She always wore a coral shade of lipstick to Mass on Saturday nights. I am tall like she was.
I am so proud to be her granddaughter.

The other important lady is my mother-in-law. Without her I wouldn't have my husband... or my children. She has been a wonderful mother-in-law to me. Never nagging, never into my business, always respectful of my decisions and very, very supportive. My sister-in-law, Shauna, wrote a beautiful post about her. I'd suggest you read it so you can see her flying a plane. How cool is that? Happy birthday!!