today

Jess & Matt have a beautiful blooming tree in their front yard, crazy middle of March

G-daddy shared a balloon with T & it kept floating to the ceiling

pushing her new wheel barrel around

She stayed with us tonight while Mom & Dad ran some errands, she loved dipping the cinnamon sticks i the icing

We needed a bath after our hard day at play

Gma had to make due, she didnt have any pj's, brings back memories of my mom putting my girls in a tshirt after an unexpected bath.. Love those memories of my girls being little, I am blessed to be reliving them all over again with Taylor. She is such a joy & a blessing

Taylor Tiger outfit

Taylor trying one of cousin Christina fruit rolls up she sent for G-daddy birthday, she didnt really like them. My sister sent Chuck stamps & I put LD in his basket so all of his jobs were represented for his bday basket..

cute little Tiger outfit. She really fills it in, saw a lot of her belly & diaper today..Good thing it was warm enough to wear it now, might have outgrown it before she got to wear it. She was a cutie

Reading Grandma KINDLE...

getting the mail

of course we have to read it..

Tried to make a towel cake for a shower gift. I didnt have the right sizes of towels so it didnt really work

I ended up taking the silly thing apart..

Played i the playroom in the basement love her face

It was actually a little cool down there, compared to the 84 degrees upstairs, felt good who knew in middle of March it is HOT!!!

She enjoyed a miniature of her car. Fun to see her play with toys Jess & Nat played with when they were her age, takes me back...:)

Chcuk bday continued....

A friend Carla did 50 lifties ( 50 scriptures written were you pull one out at a time of jar, a couple other did words of wisdom or scripture)

Natalie got Chuck a Dr Seuss book- You're Only Old Once & she typed out 50 songs that she has memories about with Chuck, she is singing to him.:)

Believe by Cher (they used to sing it in the car on the way home from PAL Club Basketball Practice, Another one Bites the dust -danced & sings at weddings, Baby Baby by Amy Grant, Natalie learned to play on the piano for Chuck, Green green grass of home, famous home video of Chuck playing the guitar & the girls singing back up, Nat was about 3 or 4 & she would say cut cut cut to get them to stop, lots more fun songs with memories.

Chucks Birthday

We interrupted this regular blog that seems to be mostly about Taylor...... LOL
Started Chuck birthday off by making him a special lunch (heck even a regular lunch since I dont ever make his lunch).

I put a special little birthday message on his steering wheel

And let him open a gift from me, some golf balls, a golf towel with he & T's picture & a coffee mug with photos of Taylors 1st year

After we got home from our play date I decorated up the table for the "basket" of love everyone helped contribute to.

I was running behind so I bought most of the little decorations but I made this 50 ROCKS & so do you !!! sign for the basket

G-daddy was surprised when he came home from work...

Everyone did such great things, he got lots of yummy candy, some of the ones with stories behind I took photos to share, the bag with the blue stuff in Chucks left hand (looking at him), is from his great nephew Logan, we really got to know this family when we all met up for Chucks real dad funeral in NC a few summers ago. While at the restaurant one day Chuck was drinking his coffee with creamer & joking around with Logan & said want to do "creamer shots" & so they did, so he sent Chuck 50 creamers....His sweet great niece sent him lots of "hugs & kisses" candy

Here is a lot of what came out of the basket

Nephew Tommy wife sent Chuck 50 lottery tickets, she knows him well...

He had several winners...

Katharina our exchange student sent Chuck gummy candy, she brought it with her to share with our family when she came to live with us.

His niece Christina sent fruit roll ups, she said it was the closest thing to a jelly roll she could find, when she was little Chuck & one of his siblings would roll her up in a blanket like a jelly roll & they would swing her around.

I believe we counted that Chuck received exactly 50 cards, lots of sweet cards & notes from our First Christian Church family. We love them & feel very loved by them...

Jessica did a bag of peanuts , we called her peanut growing up, & a bag of goldfish from the new baby who looked like a fish in the ultrasound, T did a book of 50 picture of her & g-daddy & Matt did 50 golf tees ( Chuck & Matt have already played several rounds at the Elks- both families joined there this year. It was 84 degrees today on this 1st day of spring, it has been unseasonably warm)

A family from church who the 2 girls ( they are now 40 & 43) worked for Chuck at Wendys donated along with their mom (we all go to church together) to the Dave Thomas Adoption fund. And they got Chuck this Where's the Beef shirt...

A friend Jon gave Chuck 50 pictures of himself- the story behind this is one year for our sunday school Christmas party White Elephant gift Chuck blew up a photo( 8x10) of Jon & framed it and wrapped it as his white elephant gift. It was so funny we all laughed for months about that, well he got Chuck with this 50 bday gift.. We got such a good laugh out if.. Thanks Jon

Cousin Diane got Chuck a set of 50's music CD. I think we will enjoy a lot of the songs. & Ronnie & Barb gave Chuck 50 marbles with a certificate that said...

Collins Institute for Mental Health.

According to a recent research project, under the close supervision of our Chief Medical Old Fart, Ronnie Collins, it has been discovered that males reaching the age of 50, are prone to losing their marbles. This phenomenon occurs when males riding in government vehicles turn their head to listen to their wives, upon tilting their head, marbles tend to tumble out of their ears.

To counteract this occurrence, one must replace their marbles with generic ones, using shooters to stop up the ear hole, so replacements do not spill out as well. CAUTION!!!When doing this, you may experience turmoil from your wife, caused by not hearing her when she speaks to you.

For further information on this subject please submit questions or comments to out CMOF, Ronnie Collins at 765-664-9907 or stop in at our local office at 1326 S Baldwin Ave Marion IN

Submitted by

Barb Collinsbc

Another friend did 50 "blows or sucks" which ever you prefer with 50 suckers & I did 50 Rocks with 50 rocks