OMG!! It was just fabulous! Couldn't have been better! Loved every minute of it. So touched by Jug, Olivia, Grant, and Michelle’s efforts that were above and beyond to make me feel cherished and loved!!! How hard they worked! Wow! It’s just an amazing feeling—on a natural high still yet! And then all the folks that came! So very many! Course family: Jim, Suzy, Rodney, Alan, Carrie, Jackson, Mel, John, Dawn, Lynne, Steve (Patrick and Brandon briefly came by), Pug, TA, Tommy, Bobby, Lisa’s children—Logan, Marisa and Evan, Clara, and Mildred. Friends: Michelle, Joan, Laura, Pam, Keith, Leslie, Anne, Rich, Dick, Sheree, Mike, Kathy, John, Christin, Sandy, Tony, and Kristin—so many! Fabulous celebration! But must say how much I missed Mindy, Aimee, Brian, Adam, Kara and Maddyson! Just hate they were unable to come—and Dick Sheree couldn't stay but a minute—they were all sorely missed!
And I gave a speech! And it wasn’t hard to do! Wow!!!!!! I spoke of how cherished I felt by the efforts of everyone—their hard work pulling it off, their all coming, and then about how I’d had cause recently to read my old journals and how I saw that young Kim so troubled, so insecure, so clumsy socially, so very unsure of herself, and how very much I wish I could take that young Kim’s face in my hands and tell her that it would all be okay, and show her what she would grow into! Now, I’m here to tell you that young Kim would NEVER have been able to do that! But I felt so comfortable, felt the love from everyone and knew it was okay. And I think when you really have something to say from your heart, it is just easy to say it, to express it. How wonderful it is to not be the young Kim that was so concerned about what everyone was thinking about her. Seems the older I get, the more of a what-the-hell attitude I have, and it is so liberating! I feel free!
And then Grant and Jug’s video!! OMG! It was incredibly moving. All those pictures of Kim! And the people I love. They spent so much time getting this together. Jug says it took him seven hours to take photos of the photos, and then Grant said he spent six hours taking the photos and making the video. They worked so hard! Seeing those in my life in pictures on the big TV screen—just an amazing depiction of my life journey—the journey with these people I love so much!! I’m just moved beyond words. And seeing my photos that in the albums are sometimes just photos, and I’ve seen them so many times—well, on the big screen like that I was able to see them individually, and they just had so much impact! I keep remembering particularly the photos of Olivia’s birth. Damn, but you could sure see the emotion, the charged emotional energy! Great photos.
And the “paper walls” of Kim! This was Olivia and Michelle’s little brain child! They worked hard on this too! So many goofy photos of young Kim! I have just had a good life.
Loved the after-party party too! I guess by 8:00 most everyone had begged off and gone home leaving me, Jug, Olivia, Kristin, Mel, John, Sandy, Tony, Michelle, and Joan all sitting by the campfire as the sun set, telling the best stories! It was priceless! Jug told his UFO and ghost story. Sandy told a great ghost story and so did John. We had a kumbaya moment with me sharing about reading the journals (my diary from my teen years) and seeing my denial (of his alcoholism) and why I thought it was I married Jug anyway (wrote about Friday, I believe), and it felt so safe to share that! It was all warm and gooey!! We also trekked downstairs to hear Tony (drums) and Grant (electric guitar) boogie down and must never forget my getting up on the pool table and dancing like nobody was watching and Joan and Michelle doing the same!! So much fun—the entire day!
I just can’t find enough words to describe how wonderful it all was, and how blessed, cherished, and loved I feel! I’ll be soaring high on this energy for days!!
This is my aunt Dawn, my mother's sister. She flew down from PA just for the party!! Really touched me! Thank you Dawn--I love you!
Our Miss Olivia--how very hard she worked!! She looks a bit wiped here! And I KNOW how hard she must have worked to make sure the house was in order so as to please her mama!! They would not let me do a thing! I was told I had to be out of the house all day until 1:00 and Jug and Olivia made the cake, did the decorations--blowing up countless balloons and hanging the photos of goofy Kim! And then making sure the house was in order knowing how I'd freak if my house was a wreck with all that company!! Jug even made the bed!
My brother-in-law, Suzy's husband, Rod Kerley. They live in Mooresville and Rodney manages rental property.
The men gather--from left: John Corneck, Mel's fella, Rod, Jug and Dick Sloop.
Jackson Kerley--Suzy's grandson. My great-nephew. Ain't he cute?!!
My sissy Mel.
Mischievous looking Aunt Dawn!
My oldest friend! Pam Winstead Lenderman--we've known each other since elementary school. Man, do we have stories to tell..... another time!!
My aunt Pug--another of my mom's sisters.
Brother Jim.
My great friend Anne Shumate. Jug and her husband, Rich, are probably related though we've never quite figured out exactly how....all the Wilkes Shumates are descended from William Shumate born 1790 that came to Wilkes from Virginia. --Done a bit a genealogy over the years. And the Virginia Shumates were originally from France, and the name was spelled de la Chaumette!! Shumate is a very common name here in Wilkes, but not so much any where else.
Rich Shumate.
My dear friend, Joan McCord. Now Joan, you gotta like this photo!! You look fabulous dar-link!!
Sisters Dawn and Pug--wonder what they're talking about??? Heehee....
Leslie Clark...me and Pam and Leslie go way back!! A cherished and dear friend!!
My Michelle. Think she'll like this photo! Just call her Wanda from Wilkesboro please. When we were at Metrolina few weeks back, this vendor greeted her as Wanda from Wilkesboro. He had dubbed her that because he couldn't remember her name. So I call her that a lot, and she returns the favor calling me Pearl!! Just two gal pals, Wanda and Pearl,--all we need is to tease up and overspray our hair!
And Pam.
Jug, Mel, and Sandy playing croquet. And that's my very good friend Sandy Hayes from Boone.
From left: Tony Hayes, Kristin, Kathy and Mike Palmer. Mike and Jug are big buddies. Mike is actually my third cousin--my paternal grandmother was a Palmer.
Tony and Sandy Hayes.
Joan and Michelle......
Let the spooky stories begin.....!! You just can't beat moments like this.....
Just a fabulous day!!
