Grandma's 80th Birthday Party

From Cokato we went to Brainerd on Sunday for another celebration!

Grandma really doesn't turn 80 until August, but I had made a request.

All of my children would be in Minnesota ...

could we, pretty please with lots of sugar, have this birthday party the same weekend?

My wonderful family agreed.

 

This was Charlene's first trip to Minnesota ...

may as well do it big! Meet oodles of people in one fell swoop and

meet Paul Bunyan at the same time.

 

Heather and Jen did a bang up job of decorating.

So many cute ideas they had put together, including the invitation.

 

 

In the tradition of some Kuoppala get togethers or celebrations,

Liz wrote a skit that covered Mom's life from birth on the farm, close enough to the Cloquet

paper mill to create a stench, to taking photos of state capitols in their retirement.

I think there may have been people there who aren't quite use to our form of

family entertainment, but I'm sure they thoroughly enjoyed it as much as mom did!

 

In the photo below, Tia reads mom's val·e·dic·to·ri·an

(pasted from google so I get it spelled right)

address from her high school graduation.

 

 This photo courtesy of Heather via FB.

 

In this part of the skit, Mom (Liz) is trying to quiet her hooligan children

while she informs Representative Elioff that he has just won the election.

 

Mom was the youngest of 3 children and was the only one who had a tribe for a family.

Her sister Ida had 4 children, her brother Bill had 2.

The gals in this picture are her nieces, Liz and Leona (along with Leona's hubby Terry).

We all have many fond memories of these special people and I know that their

presence at this special party meant so very much to mom.

 



 

The question at one time was what to get Mom for her birthday.

What on earth do you need at this stage of life other than gas/hotel cards for vacationing

or a food basket?

The idea of a quilt was born.

Mom is a quilter. I am an attempter.

I have to say that this turned out rather well.

Not the seams lining up ... the messages written on it.

Every child, every grandchild, every great grandchild was represented.

One square said something like this,

" ... the messages on this quilt will keep you warmer than any quilting ..."

I certainly hope so.

 

 

And Tia with her quilt gift from Grandma.

Grandma has been making quilts for high school graduations for each of the grandkids.

Absolutely amazing and time consuming quilts.

She has spent many hours traversing the country while hand quilting those treasures.

I was fortunate enough to graduate college the same year as the first two grandchildren

completed high school ....

and I also got a quilt!!

 

Happy 80th Birthday Mom/Grandma!

You'll probably get many fun days out of this years milestone!