This past weekend was packed with family celebrations. I think it will take a week to recover, but they were such a blessing.
Event #1 – Graduation
My future daughter-in-law, Katy, graduated with her master’s degree in Economics from Texas A&M on Saturday night. She and Peter will marry in November. She’s worked so hard and has earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in only 4 years! We’re so proud of her. Now she can focus on planning the wedding. 🙂
My daughter, Bethany, also attends A&M as she works on her PhD. So Wes and I stayed with her in her little one-bedroom apartment. It was so fun to spend time with her and have her show us around campus (though my stiff back is telling me I’m getting too old for sleeping on an inflatable mattress).
She showed us the lab where she does the majority of her work. Then she took us across campus to visit the Century Tree. This giant oak tree in the heart of the A&M campus is over 100 years old and is known as the “sweetheart tree.” Tradition has it that if a couple walks together under the branches, they will marry, and if a proposal happens there, the marriage will last forever.
Of course, I had to get a photo with my sweetheart beneath the branches of this giant tree. Some of you may recall that a few years ago, I participated in a novella collection called The Kissing Tree. We used The Century Tree as our inspiration for the tree that connected all of our stories. So, in honor of that book . . .
Event #2 – Mother’s Day
Sunday arrived with a double blessing. It started with Mother’s Day. I think this is one of my favorite Mother’s Days in recent memory. Mainly because of my sneaky husband. With the graduation and my daughter’s birthday, I was fully prepared to take the backseat for Mother’s Day. It didn’t bother me in the slightest. I was spending it with the daughter who lived far away and one of my sons and his fiance. I had all I could need. Then, as I was taking down our bed in the living room, an orange envelope grabbed my attention. My daugther was still asleep and my husband was in the shower, so I had a quiet house to savor the moment.
Not only did he get me a sweet card, but he found a way to get all 3 kids to sign it, even the one back in Abilene. Not only was he stealthy enough to get signatures from everyone without me knowing, but he packed his computer bag, which he didn’t need, just because he knew that it would be the one bag I wouldn’t open. I rarely cry over sentimental things, but I seariously teared up. I felt so loved and honored. Not only that, but when we finally got home Sunday evening, my Abilene son and his wife had left a vase of flowers on the kitchen counter for me to find. Such a joy!
Event #3 – Bethany’s Birthday
Not only was it Mother’s Day, but it was also my daughter’s birthday. I was tickled when I discovered a “photo booth” in the church building Sunday morning. I made Bethany take a photo with me. We went to one of her favorite brunch places after church then returned to her apartment with Peter and Katy in tow to open a few presents and wish her birthday blessings before Wes and I got back into the car after less than 24 hours for the 4 1/2 hour journey home.
When was the last time you traveled, or the last time someone traveled to see you? What was the occasion?
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Such a sweet time with your family, Karen, and so special that your husband and kids took such effort to acknowledge Mother’s Day in the midst of everything else. Our May is full of birthdays and anniversaries in addition to the usual graduations and end-of-school activities. Several years, our oldest daughter’s birthday has fallen on Mother’s Day.
I hear you, Deb. We have 3 birthdays in May and one wedding anniversary just for our immediate family. Bethany’s birthday and Wyatt’s anniverary fall next to Mother’s Day and graduation, and mine and Wyatt’s birthdays fall near Memorial Day. May is a party month for the Witemeyers. 🙂
Wow! Same here in our immediate family—3 birthdays and an anniversary! My birthday and two of our kids are in May (always all on the same day of the week!) and our youngest daughter’s wedding anniversary is in May as well. My birthday used to always be ON Memorial Day until they changed that to a Monday holiday. So, yep! Party month for the Raneys too. ♥️
What a fun weekend! I know the joy of visiting a daughter who lives far away. I got to visit my daughter in Boston in March–without my husband! It was lovely to have some girl time and quiet conversation together. And how exciting to have a wedding in November! Congrats!
Your daughter is definitely farther away than mine. 🙂 So glad you had the chance to spend some girl time with her, D’Ann!
My husband is an Aggie, (97) the traditions there are so fun. Funny story of friends that got engaged under the Century Tree- fire ants!! A&M has changed so much since we were there, but the heart hasn’t changed.
Oh, my goodness. That sounds like a story that needs to be told, Shelly. My mind is spinning with fire ant possibiilties. Did they crawl up a pant leg while he was down on one knee? Did he hide the ring box at the base of the tree and the ants got inside? So many crazy possibiilities. 🙂
Thank you for sharing these special events with you family. I love the pictures, especially the Century Tree. I will have to look for that novella collection.
My son is a Mother’s Day baby. He is my first child and was born May 7th, when Mother’s Day was May 8. Last year I was in California visiting my daughter and family during Mother’s Day. My son-in-law and grandson made it a special day with a wonderful brunch that included concha cakes for both my daughter and me. Later we had sheet cake that said Happy Mother’s Day Mom and Grandma, along with flowers and gifts.
What a special Mother’s Day, Betty. That sounds wonderful. And how precious that your son was born on Mother’s Day weekend. Love that!
We did a spontaneous Mother’s Day trip this year. My sister mentioned last Thursday she was having a Mother’s Day dinner (on Saturday) and a snowball fight. The “snowballs” are from her Snowball Bush (Viburnum). Its blooms are almost done around Mother’s Day every year, so she started a tradition years ago of cutting them off and having a “snowball” fight with her kiddos. This was the first time we got to participate.
We drove down Saturday and stayed over at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The kids were in heaven. It had been months since they had seen all their cousins because we live 3 hours away and have sports, band, and general school activities most days of the week, including Saturdays. It was definitely a great Mother’s Day. I got to share it with my mom, sister, sister-in-laws, and our whole family.
What a super creative, fun tradition, Gena! Love those snowballs. 🙂 It sounds like you had a wonderful weekend. What a treat to get the extended family together. Those kids will have memories to last a lifetime.
Our kiddos are spread out, so none here for Mother’s Day. But we did celebrate our daughter’s masters with her last summer at the University of Copenhagen and then Thanksgiving with all of them at our son’s place in New Orleans. The next time we will have everyone together (even grands) will be in September. Like you, we have a fall wedding in the works!
Sounds like something wonderful to look forward to this fall!
Our daughter drove from Oklahoma to be here for Mother’s Day weekend. Our son & daughter-in-law live just a couple blocks from us, so we had a weekend full of fun family togetherness! I’m also blessed to have my mom living across town, so she spent some time with us this weekend. Ronald’s mom & step-dad live in town & she’s not able to get out much, so we ALL stopped by for a short visit with them after lunch on Sunday. It was a beautiful weekend!
*As I sit here typing, eating dark chocolate truffles that I got for a Mother’s Day gift… 😀 Mmmmm!
How wonderful to have so many family together on your special day, Lori! And dark chocolate to boot. Yum!
I loved this update! I’ve had a busy/wonderful May so far and it looks like yours has been busy/wonderful, too. 🙂
May is crazy, but fun. 🙂