A special 16th birthday....

A very happy 16th birthday to my "other daughter"...Elissa Virginia Papantonakis! Tonight, Lissa came straight from school to have her special birthday dinner with us...her favorites...tacos/burritos....and brownies for her dessert! We were so glad she could come and celebrate her birthday with us!

Below...it all started when Jamie moved in across the street from us. I was still working, so didn't really get to know her really well until we were both expecting our daughters..Meghan & Elissa...I love this picture from my baby shower, summer 1993. (sorry about the pictures being weird and the captions seeming off...I just learned how to use my scanner and was in a hurry to scan these while Ty was sleeping!) Above, Jamie and Elissa and Meghan and I, summer 1994...and again tonight....we hope to do pictures like these every so many years...watching our precious daughters grow up into beautiful young women!
Meghan and Elissa at one year old....Playing together summer they were 2 years old....
Elissa's 3rd birthday party... below....The girls before starting kindergarten...And tonight...both beautiful 16 year olds!

Meghan, and Elissa 13 years old...Sara almost 11 years old...

And tonight...3 years later.

Sara and Elissa...

Jamie and I and our oldest daughters....living across the street from each other....the girls went back and forth as if each home were her own...playing like sisters, fighting like sisters...sharing everything. So many memories....from playing house, dolls, dress up, building people pyramids, sled riding and making snowmen, swimming and sprinklers in the summer...baking cookies together...so many special memories...and a lot more to come!

Happy 16th Birthday, Elissa! We love you very much!

The Quaint Sayings of Anna Banana

Our little Anna, so cute and lovable, and so witty! Recently she has been saying some really funny things! She is always so cute, she is at the moment writing a Jesus Letter... she said, "Can I put it in an envelope and mail it to heaven? Will the Mail Man take it there?" We had to explain to her to hang it on our artwork wall so Jesus could see it... she is so sweet!

Her letter says:

DEAR JESUS,

I LOVE YOU!!!

*ANNA*

Now is that not the cutest thing? Here are some funny Anna-Isms:

• When stepping outside at the lake she hollered, "TURN THE WIND OFF!"
• When pulling into the drive-through at McDonalds, she commented, "The M looks like an upside down butt!"
• When talking about heaven (deep) she said, "Heaven must be so cool... it must have like 20 bathrooms!"
• When at the lake in the kitchen, my grandpa commented to my mom, something to the form of, "Just heat it up in the microwave." Anna promptly asks, "What is a microwave Mum?"

Thats it for now folks tune in next time to hear Ronnie-Isms!

Quote of the day...

"When one door closes, another one opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." Alexander Graham Bell

~I'm learning to be content with the 'closed doors' in my life...whether they be friendships, health related, job opportunities for Ron that didn't work out....not to worry or stress over them, knowing that they are doors that God has shut....for my good and His glory.....I'm also learning to value the doors that He is opening for our family...not necessarily doors that I would have chosen, but knowing that if He opened them, then they are good...to be content wherever and with whoever in our lives that He has sent! God is for us...it doesn't matter who could be against us! Knowing that God has full control over EVERY aspect of our lives is so freeing and so reassuring...and every time I open His word, I'm reassured even more! So....have a great day in the Lord today!!!! ~Sue~