June Bug's 90th Birthday Celebration Part 2

                                                        October 1, 2016

After the Sneakers Sports and Grill lunch Birthday Party for mom, we all went back to the Marriott Hotel. It was free time for what ever everyone wanted to do. Some went swimming in the ocean. Tiffany and Traci were way out in the deep, making mama bear  (me) very nervous about undertows and sharks. The waves were very large with Hurricane Matthew just a couple days away. And there had been a lot of shark attacks along the Atlantic Ocean side this year.

I also kept my eye on Lennox even though his dad was right with him.

From the left to right: Karen (my big sister,) me, Birthday Girl June Bug, and Nancy (my little sister).

Nancy and Jim

My nephew Dustin and his son Bentley (5) and girlfriend Ashley, and Bentley's step sister Alena.

Alena, Nancy and Bentley (5).

Madalena, Hayleah, Noah, (grandkids) and Alisha  (my oldest daughter).

My mother June, 90 years young now!

After beach and pool time, most people went back to their rooms and ordered pizza delivery or take out, then enjoyed some quiet time. I had ate at the $15 breakfast buffet at the hotel that morning, like many had, and then lunch at Sneakers, so I just grabbed a snack at the restaurant small grocery store and called it dinner.  

 I stole this pictures of my daughter and grand kids she sent to my phone. Alisha's husband Jamie, was unable to come to this family gathering because he was still recovering from his double knee cap tendon ruptures/tears and surgery incurred from jumping at a local trampoline business. He was still using a walker and barely getting around.

Around 5 PM mom, Tiffany, (my youngest daughter) and I  were hanging out on the patio for Happy Hour. Mom had a V-8, but some how it landed on her, the chair and the floor. "Call the clean up service"!

" We cut her off on all cocktails (even V-8), but we though she was safe with Cheetos"!  Family ppictures in our Grandma June's Birthday T-shirts and eating  Birthday cake was planned for 6:00 PM.  The group, who didn't wait and go out to eat the night before with everyone else to Poe's, decided they were going out for dinner this night. (refer to older blog button below to read about this story) At 6:00, we were still waiting for them to return from dinner. The below video was a  message from mom that I sent them.

Waiting.

At 6:10, we got the family together, trying to practice with a selfie stick for our family picture while still waiting for the last family members. The sun was setting, and we wanted a picture before it set. A nice gentlemen asked if he could take our picture. Sure we said. Right after this picture, Traci's girls, Falon and Cairy's showed up, so I suggested we take another picture with them in it. Traci said no, lets wait for the rest of the group. (8 of our group are missing from this picture)

While we waited, the kids watch a guy who was operating a drone.

He showed them how it worked.

We were glad he was entertaining them while we waited.

The rest of the group showed up after the sun set and not in their T- shirts. They were more concerned if someone had got some utensils and plates for the cake. The cake and dinnerware were their responsibility. The sun had set so we asked if we could use a reception room for the picture and cake. They told it was set up for a wedding, but being kind, they started to move things around. Some of us felt this was rude to expect the hotel  to move things around for us, because of others who didn't plan accordingly.  I won't go any further with this story, except to say there were many words exchanged leaving hurt and angry feelings. Half of us ended up calling it a night because of  the emotional out burst and to end the disagreement. So much for a birthday cake let alone a family picture!                              

 

After putting this pictures in the blog, I realized, we also failed to get pictures of mom and her 6 grandchildren, and another with her 8 great-grandchildren. I don't know if we will ever have the opportunity again to get these pictures. Getting a family of 23 organized is like herding cats!

My sweet granddaughter Hayleah, woke up at 4 AM, so she could drive me to the airport 45 minutes away. Her extra effort saved me $70 in taxi fees for my early morning flight. Thank you so much Hayleah for  being such a sweet and considerate granddaughter.
 I never got to say good bye to my mom or other members of the family because of the frustration that built up and spewed out the evening before

                                                                   October 2, 2016

 My flight left from Jacksonville, FL. to Atlanta, GA.

Cool area in the airport in Atlanta.

As you walk through this area, you could hear birds chirping and see them flying by. In the video below was of a corridor connecting two terminals in the Detroit Metro Airport, that my Atlanta flight flew to.  I really enjoyed these new (to me) looks in the airports.

From Detroit Metro Airport I flew to Traverse City. Our smaller jet flew through at least 30 minutes, if not longer, dense thick cloud. I was so glad to be finally back on the ground. I use to enjoy flying, but I have had several flights that has caused me anxiety.

This is the logo on the T-shirt that Alisha designed: Grandma June's Wild Ride 90 years.

 My mom was a single mother for 3 girls, when there were very few single mom's. Her oldest daughter Karen, was in a boating accident and became a double amputee at age 16. She had to deal with 3 not so thoughtful and sometimes selfish teenagers by herself. We didn't have much, but mom made sure we had everything we really needed. From there she became the Matriarch of 6 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. She was always there for us, being the after school babysitter for Hayleah and putting down payments for homes, for myself and my sisters when we became single moms.  My mom sacrificed throughout her life for us, like all mothers do. (Hence June Wild Ride 90 Years)
When mom visited us this August in our Michigan home, the last thing she said to me before she left was, " You don't need to come to Jacksonville, Fl. for my 90th Birthday Party. I see Mallery is going to live forever." My 15 year old Yorkshire Terrier, Mallery, had been many health issues which I had been nursing for almost 2 years. Truth be told, from the time we started planning hotel rooms and flights in July for her party, I had been stressing about leaving Mallery. The only person I felt comfortable leaving her with, was Joe. In June I had flown to my daughters to help care for her after a surgery. Because I was going to be gone so long, I took Mallery.  She had never flown before, and because her health had deteriorate considerably from that flights there and back, I knew she could not fly again. After mom left our home, Mallery stopped eating all foods except crackers. We took her to the veterinary to find she had yet another health issue. I knew I could not leave her with Joe this time. I was unsure how he would handle the sleepless nights. I had struggled with that and knew how wearing it could be. Worst yet, I could get a call from him, telling me Mallery needed to be put down. Ultimately, I was the Alpha dog and she depended on me. I knew she felt my pain; choosing between my mom and my much loved girl friend. Mallery continued a downward spiral forcing me to put her down. She knew I could not put her before my mom. She knew this because I was her mom. The mother daughter bond is strong wheather human or dog. She gave me a month to bury her and morn her before I had to fly to Jacksonville, Fl for my mom's 90th Birthday. My mom sacrificed all her life for me and my sisters. Mallery sacrificed herself for me, and I sacrificed Mallery for my mom. Life is  all about sacrifices. 

John 3:16 "For God so Loved the World, that he gave His only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
 1John 3:16 " This is how we know what Love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for others.
John 15:13 "Greater Love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friend.
 God, Jesus, and Mallery had no greater Love, there for, the least we all can do is learn to scarifies for others! 

John 15:12, "My command is this: Love each other as I have Loved you.

My mom forgave all of us, as mothers do, for the disrespect, selfishness, and unkind words to each other. She forgave us the minute it happened. After all, that is why she has made it to 90, from the "Wild Ride" of learning to roll with the punches! 

# Marriott Hotel, Jacksonville, Fl, Atlantic Ocean, June Bugs Wild Ride 90 Years.

June Bug's 90th Birthday Celebration Part I

                                                        September 28, 2016

The end of September , Joe and I drove to Traverse City so we could spend the night at the Beach Haus Resort Hotel.

Front view of the Beach Haus in Traverse City.

Back side of the resort hotel. No we didn't get a backside balcony room. It cost a little more than the room we got.

The resort sits on the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan.

This would be a great place to stay during the summer, but not the end of September.

The room did have a large Jacuzzi tub, which I enjoyed that evening though. You ask, why the stay in the resort the end of September, when the weather is cooler?

Because I had a flight out of the Traverse City airport at 5 AM. I had to be up at 3 AM, to be ready to leave the hotel, get to the airport 4 miles away and through checkout, and on the plane for the take off at 5. Here I had arrived to the Detroit airport, and looking for my next flight to Atlanta, Georgia.

In one of the bathrooms at the Detroit airport, it took me awhile to figure out the facets. It was old and outdated, but still updated for our times. The pipe sticking out of the mirror was the facet and you had to wave your hand under it. The bathroom counter ran a slope to the back and the water ran off the back edge into a trough.

Here is a model of the Detroit Metro Airport. Looks like a airplane to me. My mom was turning 90 years old in a few days, and our family is so spread out, it took some planning to get us all together for her party.  My flight from Detroit to Atlanta went through some storms with lightening striking just outside our window. The girl who sat next to our window, ask the guy who sat in the middle between us, to trade seats with her. It scared both her and I with the very loud cracking sound that accompanied the bright flash!

From Atlanta, I had to take yet another connecting flight to Jacksonville, Florida. My mom, sister Karen, and my niece Tami (Karen's daughter), flew from Cedar Rapids, Iowa on a straight flight to just north of Orlando, FL. From there they rented a car and drove to Jacksonville, FL. With my niece driving the rental and no GPS, or map, they struggled to find the airport that I flew into. I kept looking at google maps on my phone, trying to tell them where I was. They ended up at some other airport close by. It took over an hour after they arrived in Jacksonville to find me. My phone's battery went dead, so there was no communication for a while. Once recharged enough to talk again, I could hear all the frustration that was going on in their car between driver  and passengers! It was a miracle they found me. Our next challenge was to find a hotel for the night that everyone was happy with. We ended with the Microtel in Jacksonville. Here is my sister Karen next to the sign.

 September 29, 2016  

The next day we drove from Jacksonville to Jacksonville Beach about 45 minutes away. We had booked many rooms at the Marriott Hotel in Jacksonville Beach. One by one everyone started to arrive. My daughter and her kids from Gulf Shores, AL arrived by car. Here is Noah standing on their balcony after arriving to their room. After some of us arrived, we went to lunch at a nearby restaurant. In the next video, our waiter sang a song for mom. I wish I had got my video out for the whole thing, but only got the last part.

She got a free birthday desert ( warmed apple dumpling) which we all par-took of. Yum!

Back at the resort,  more of the family showed up. My daughter Tiffany, Blake, and their son arrived by car also from Gulf Shores, AL. My niece Traci and her daughters from the Orlando area also showed up. Lennox (my grandson), Falon, and Caiys (my niece Tracy's girls) are in the pool.

The resort was perfect for a large family reunion. It had many outdoor and indoor sitting areas for such a large group. This area had tables and chairs around a fire pit that was really nice for the  nights at the hotel. I spent hours looking for hotels in Jacksonville Beach and sending links to everyone, so the family could vote on which one they liked and could afford, with all of us in different income brackets.

It had a nice size pool with a hot tub. Note how Lennox has already figured out the pretty girl in the group.

Lennox hanging on to pretty big cousin Falon.

My granddaughter Madalena (6) with Falon (14).

The Marriott Hotel had an poolside bar which us adults enjoyed.

View from the bar stools at the poolside bar. There was also an inside bar in the lobby. After everyone arrived, it took until after dark, before we could get a consensuses of where all 21 people wanted to go for dinner. Most of us sat around the fire pit and enjoyed a few drinks, making the decision making more difficult since now who could drive since we all had been drinking. There was a restaurant inside the lobby, but the prices where high for what you got. One of our family groups got frustrated with the indecisiveness and settled for the expensive hotel food.

Finally Derek, my nephew who lives in Jacksonville came up with a close by restaurant area, and others found a van that hauled people to restaurants for tips. We walked around the restaurant area and settle on Poe's Tavern

Noah (8) and Cairy's (10) my sister Karen's granddaughter.

It took 2 large tables for us. If the other group has came, it would have taken 3 large tables.

Our 2/3's group for dinner at Poe's Tavern in Jacksonville Beach.

                                            September 30, 2016

I shared a room with my daughter Tiffany, Blake and Lennox. Joe didn't come on this trip because when it was planned, Mallery was doing really good, so he was going to stay home with her. He wasn't keen on spending the ton of money it was going to take for a 3 day celebration, let alone spend it with my crazy family too! I let my grandson use my phone to play Pokemon. After getting home I found this picture with the rest of them. He found a pokemom and got a picture of it. Did he mean the picture to turn out like this or was it an accident. I am sure since he is only 8 probably an accident, but who knows. The kids are always laughing about butts, farts and body parts!



September 30, 2016

My Nana Girl 1 Hayleah (19) and Nana Girl 2 Madalena (6)- (sisters).

For lunch the next day, my daughter Alisha found and reserved a sports bar on the internet for mom's birthday party.

It was kept a secret from mom until everyone showed up. There she was presented with her boa and crown purchased by Tiffany.

Alisha picked this place because mom is a BIG fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and they had a game that afternoon.

My older sister Karen, and my little sister Nancy.

Everyone had their special tee shirts on (except for a  couple who missed the meno and had to go back home and change) that were designed and ordered by Alisha. The kids enjoyed the pool tables since they have a hard time sitting still.

My sister Karen's daughter Traci and her boyfriend Eric.

My sister Nancy's husband Jim and their grandson Bently and Bently's sister Alena.

The group with a few missing at the pool tables.

Cairys, Noah and Maddie.

My little sister and her oldest son Derek who lives in Jacksonville, Fl. Nancy just got braces at age 61.

Blake, Alisha and I.

Mom and my sister's youngest son Dustin (who also lives in Jacksonville, Fl) and his girlfriend. The Birthday cake was suppose to come to the party,  but the party who was responsible  for that didn't get the meno! To be continued: