Monday, August 27, 2007

65 years

My grandparents, Horace Carl Brooks and Norma Faye Huffman Brooks, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on August 21, 2007. My mom and sister, and Maggie and I were able to be with them on this most auspicious occasion. Mom and Aunt Peggy (her sister) brought ice-cream, dozens of letters from loved ones, and decorations to the hospital where Grandma was staying (she broke her ankle 3 weeks ago). Grandpa loved wearing his lei and playing with Maggie. Uncle Bill (Peg's husband) enticed G&G to tell us their story once again. All those years ago, it began with a bowl of ice-cream. She was eating in a local parlor in southern Oklahoma and he sat down beside her (a total stranger), grabbed a second spoon, and started to eat out of her dish! As they say, the rest is history. Many of my childhood memories involve them: playing on their farm (picking fruit, driving the tractor, playing in the playhouse and treehouse Grandpa built for us, playing in the cellar), listening to stories of long ago, going on road trips, having picnics, and always eating good, country food. My grandparents have left an incredible legacy of marriage for us to follow. Here's to many more!

What an AMAZING looking couple; I just can't get over how attractive they are in this photo. This is the closest to a wedding photo they have. They married weeks before he left for the south Pacific during WWII.

Re-enacting their first encounter

7 comments:

  1. what a great story! i love it! fun seeing your g-parents. i bet they were SO happy to have you there. xoxo

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  2. Ben and Laila's Oklahoma GmaAugust 28, 2007 at 4:41 AM

    I love the picture of your grandpa and Maggie! That is absolutely precious. You may not remember that I grew up in a military family - so we moved ALOT. (I went to 12 schools before college) My mother - a very wise woman - taught us that home was wherever we (my dad, my mom, my sister, and I) were together! Yet we rejoiced whenever we could be with the extended family - great grandparents, grandparents, Bud, Nettie, Hazel, Oriel,Judy, David, Jackie, Darlene, Wes, Les, Christie, Ann, Randy, Roger, Gala. It was a big crowd and we called them "The Clan" Some of my very best memories are around going to Pawhuska for Christmas, It was absolutely magical, but...home was still the four of us! WAsn't (isn't) she a smart mom, who gave us a very healthy outlook?

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  3. How amazing and inspiring! 65 years! wow!

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  4. I *love* this!!! SO SO SO cute that they are re-enacting in the picture! How special!

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  5. how amazing to celebrate such a huge milestone. how special that you got to be there to celebrate with them.

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  6. I was also going to say how fun it is to see old pics of our parents/grandparents and to think about them being our age. It's funny how we just assume they have always been the way they are now.

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