My Mother had a wonderful life. Born August 28 1925, she grew up in Cincinnati Ohio during the depression, the daughter of parents with strong German heritage. When we celebrated her 97th birthday in August 2022 with most members of her now large family attending, we had no reason to suspect that it would be our last birthday celebration. She took an unexpected negative turn a few days into April with an out of the blue diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. The morning of April 8 2023 she left us. I got to have 74 years with her so no complaints or regrets about our time together.

In mid-March I headed to Orlando to catch up with what was new with granddaughter Lara Jane. She and I had an early joint birthday celebration, played miniature golf and visited Downtown Disney.

From there I headed to Indiana to visit with my Mother and siblings. My sister Kathie put together a small celebration in recognition of the upcoming March and April sibling birthdays. She presented the birthday cupcakes on a platter that had been a wedding present for our Mother and Father when they were married in 1945.

Little did I know that it would be the last time I saw my Mother. 😘❤️

My four grandchildren were together for the first time in early September 2014 for the wedding of Chelsea and Kyle.  Included here are Lara Jane and Fernanda Thompson, Konnie Thompson, Kristin, Isabelle and Logan McDade and my mother Virginia Howell.