July 4 is always cause for celebration, but this year set the bar awfully high! The matriarch of my father's family turned 90 fabulous years old on Independence Day and we all high-tailed it to Fort Wayne to celebrate in person with the birthday girl herself.
She goes by many names--Mom, Grandma, Granny, Ella Lue--but is loved equally and deeply by everyone who is blessed to know her.
With all of our extended family in town, we did our best to get together a few times over the holiday weekend. Saturday night, everyone came by the house Rocket rented downtown so that all of the Texas crew could be together. It was wonderful to catch up with cousins, aunts and uncles and meet many little ones who joined the family since the last time we all saw each other!
Sunday, we headed to the greatest zoo in the U.S.A.
Somewhere at the farm, there's a photo of me at this age with my head stuck inside the same lion's head.
Monday! Party day!
These girls looked a little too grown up sitting at the bar, working on cards for the party.
Eleven great-grand children (+ one on the way!), eight grandchildren, three children, several (very!) significant others and one amazing woman.
The great-grands
The grands
The kids
The Tidwells
The Indiana Feighners
The Texas Feighners
Happy 90th Birthday Granny Lue! We love you!