Dad and Mom Plattners 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Better late than never!  I’ve been without a laptop for awhile but I’m up and going on my new computer and my files are all transferred, so I will TRY to blog family happenings more often!

Dad and Mom Plattner will have been married 40 years in August.  Since Kirk and Keri are home from Jamaica we decided we should celebrate while they are home.

We went to a beach house (The Hola Bird) on Lake Michigan, Michigan.  We kept as much as we could a secret from Mom till she got there.  The boys (her sons) kept her on her toes trying to figure out where we were going.

The Hola Bird, view from the beach.

Kirk and Mom

Jolene with Grandpa

Grandma and Daisha

Mr Serious!  I couldn’t get a smile so I tried teasing him like I do my children.  I kept saying “don’t smile, don’t smile!”  My children usually can’t help giggling when I say that but not Truitt, he simply said “I’m not!!!!”

The Love of my life!

Miss Patience!  Abrey never complained of my constant shooting.  She was so diligent at her task that it was fun to practice shooting with her because she was relatively still.  I never got her eyes but at least I got a couple without her hair covering her face!

The brothers visiting a few hundred feet away laughed at me for laying on the sand to get on the children’s level! 

Drew climbing the dune.

Laptops and I-pads, we are a family of techy’s; well, maybe I should say “they!”  Just because you own a laptop doesn’t mean you are a techy – my sister got that gene!!!!

Daisha – I thought this picture turned out cute.

The children enjoyed the jacuzzi.  After so many children jumpin’ around it needed more water!

Jubilee, Jolene, and Chelby

Children playing tag (I think) on the beach.  I was too lazy to go down and get some better pictures!

We brought along a janitor and maid so we could kick back! 

We celebrated Chelby’s birthday while we were together.

Mom was surprised by the Candy Bar Story Board put together for her by Clint.  She loves to do them for others and so it was a special treat to receive one personally crafted just for her.

Enjoying fellowship after breakfast.

Jubilee’s hair about blends in with the dried grass.

Sitting still wasn’t a problem, keeping his smile directed at me was quite challenging.  What a cutie!

Grandpa’s treat

You can just about taste it can’t you! 

Clint’s family

Tyler, Chelby, Abrey

Clint, Bethany, Emily

Back – Jesse, Jared, Javan

Chad & I

Front - Johanna, Jonas, Jubilee, and Jolene

Clint & Bethany

Two “Sweet Peas” in a pod.

They could be sisters couldn’t they!

Chelby and Bethany

Jolene and I

The brothers blessed their Mom by singing for her.

There are few people that make Chad laugh so hard he cries (I’m not one of them). 

I had a couple moments over the weekend that I laughed harder watching him laugh with his family than I was actually laughing at the humor among them.  (There’s something special about “belonging” and a lot of our humor comes from moments that connect our shared past with our shared present).

The Jim Plattner family May 2011. 

Forgive the shadowed features ~ explanation in short.

Photographer has great eye but no experience with SLR settings.

Owner of SLR’s eye is inferior and therefore she was timid but should have checked the settings.

Photographer tried flash but it washed out (do to wrong white balance).

Although we won’t have the same beautiful background, we will hopefully have opportunity to get a better family portrait this summer including the newest member of our family Danae Grace (Kirk and Keri’s).

 

Jim and Marlene Plattner

Your children rise up and call you blessed.