I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me Ann.  I love you with all my heart.  You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, the fact that your heart is on fire for liberty is amazing to me.  You are my hero.  I love the way you care about others before yourself.  You are the best and sweetest person I know.  I love being your husband.  Happy 50^th sweetheart, I love you very very much.

Love  Kelly

And happy birthday from

Gizmo

Pumpkin

Sassy

Lucky

Lucy may

Max

Oscar

We love you too!

Kelly Kisses Annie Pooh!

HAPPY 50^TH!! – My dear youngest daughter.

The years moved up on you in a blink, didn’t they?  But they have been very kind to you – not only in your demeanor and manner (you look beautiful on the outside and your actions and care for others is even more than beautiful in your kindness and words – it’s awesome!)   It’s hard to believe, but when you were a toddler, we all thought you would NEVER talk!  You would toddle all over the place, but very little did you say.  You eventually started talking, and everything you said was either cute, (early on), or informative, happy, generous, upbeat, and showed your care for, and kindness towards others before yourself.  Even in your lunch “rants” you excuse others’ foibles!

You have the very rare attribute of making everyone else feel comfortable around you, and, the bigger thing is, you make others feel better about themselves, regardless of who it is or what the circumstances are – your sense of humor is priceless!

Only one time I can think of when you really, really upset me – big time! – and you probably don’t even remember it, being all of 2-3 years old.  You and the boys were in the front yard at the Indigo Street house in Houston. I had to run inside for two seconds, and when I came back out, you were gone!  All of us looked for you everywhere, in the house, front and back yards, down the block – no Ann.  Got in the car and started searching down the street, then down another block; and finally found you three blocks away.  Guess you had just decided to “scope the neighborhood”.  Biggest relief I’ve ever had was finding you.  Looking back, I think it was just the beginning sprouts of your independent nature.

You have grown into such a grand lady – and I do mean a true gentlewoman – you spark up any room you enter and are at the pinnacle of how a woman is meant to be.  You may not know the whole verse, but St. Paul says all that you actually live by every day: love is kind, love is patient, it endures all, etc.

You have been “there” for me during some hard years, with no complaint, absolute kindness, and anticipating me before I even say anything.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I wish you the best of everything forever! – but in the meantime, I wish you the best 50^th birthday anyone could have!

All my love, peace be with you always, and I know joy will radiate from you forever.

Mom

Aileen Mom Ann

Here is my picture of Ann and me, Mom says it was taken around late 80’s early 90’s.

I also have a story to tell. After my back surgery I went to a rehab hospital here in Midland. Well, one day when Mom and Ann were visiting me I had to go to the bathroom (#2). Remember, part of the surgery they had to go through the front. So I had incisions on the front and back. After I finished with going to the bathroom, I couldn’t wipe myself! It was kinda messy!!So I asked Ann if she would help me out. She did without thinking twice!!!  Only a sister like Ann would do this. She has helped Mom and me so much I really don’t know what we would do without her. She is our rock!!!!

Ann do you remember when we shared the same bedroom and you would get calls from your friends? You would spend hours talking to them at night in the closet with the closet door closed. You were kind enough to close the door because you didn’t want to bother me. You have ALWAYS thought about other people before yourself. I remember feeling agitated, but thinking back on those times I think the reason I would get agitated was I was jealous! You were, and still are, a very easy person to make friends with. You make everyone you come in contact with feel like they’ve been friends with you forever. It seems like every time I see you you have a smile on your face. When you come over your greeting is always “Hey Al!!!” and you always ask how Mom and I are doing. I can’t even come close to all the words that I can use to describe what you have meant to me. So what I am going to do is go through the alphabet to describe my thoughts in words and what you have meant to me. (Some letters have more than one word to describe what you mean to me).

Angelic, Awesome

Beautiful-Inside and out

Courteous, Caring, Coooooool!!!!!!!

Dependable

Easy to get along with

Fun-Always fun to be around!!!! Fantastic Golden Personality, Genuine Heavenly Incredible Joyful-All the time, even when things aren’t going as you’d like Kind-To the enth degree!!!!!

Loving!!!

Magnificent

Neat-O

“Okey-Dokey Arti-Chokey”

Perfect    –  You may think you are not perfect, but you ARE in God’s eyes and to everyone who loves you.

Quick-Witted

Ray of Light

Saint-like

Tremendous

Uncomplaining

Valuable

Warmhearted

eXciting!!!!

“Yes-No Problem”, you always say this when I ask you a favor, you don’t think twice.

Zestful

Love,

Aileen

Here are few more photos of us – “Sisters Forever!”

Woof!  woof! woof!

woof, woof woof, woof, wroof, wrrroof!!!

Arf, arf, arf, woof, woof!

(Translation from the dog language . . .)

“Hi Annie Pooh, 

You know, you and I are the same relative age.  I’m 50 too, in doggie years.  However, I think that I got the short end of that stick. 

Nevertheless, HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY FROM TUX!” 

Here is a baby photo of me from 1964 (in doggie years) — now I’m 50, just like you!

My Annie Pooh luvs me . . . wuuf!

Happy 50th to our little Annie Pooh!

Tommy, Brian, Charles, Aileen, Tony, Mom.

Wow. What can I say that hasn’t already been said a thousand times before by EVERYONE in this family at one time or another? Ann, you’re the best!

Just saying “Happy 50th Birthday Ann” is not quite enough, although it is still all well and good to do so. So, Happy 50th Birthday, from me, your sibling # 2.

This is truly a milestone year for you Ann. You’ve reached the half-way mark in life and you’ve arrived in mighty fine shape if you ask me! Your next 50 years are sure to shine even brighter.

When I think about all that you’ve meant to me as my younger sister, well, it’s hard for me to come up with appropriate words that won’t sound too gushy (you know, it’s a guy thingy.)

I have so many fond memories over the years, but I must admit that my most treasured memories have been during the past ~ 20 years or so, from around the early-90’s and forward – mostly during my many treks home for the holidays over Thanksgiving or Christmas, or during Mom’s 65th and Mom’s 75th Birthday celebrations; even during dad’s funeral. Regardless of the circumstances or the occasion, it’s always good to see Annie Pooh!

So, while I’m not so good with “mushy” words and such, I can tell a story with pictures because pictures speak louder than words if you ask me. So here are a few of my finer memories over the not too distant past . . .

Every time I see you, you’ve got a smile on your face. You’ve got such a cheerful disposition. When people meet Annie Pooh, smiles and laughter break out spontaneously;

You have a humble servant’s soul – you are always giving of your time and resources to others as an act of sacrificial love. You never complain, you never gripe about doing anything and you give to others freely because that really makes you happy! It’s obvious to me that you derive great joy in giving to others, no matter the occasion – even when it’s Christmas!

Not many people can do that. I wish I had that same sunny disposition myself, but alas, it’s just not in the cards for me . . . I’m more like this guy . . .

When you and I worked at clearing out the shrubbery, ivy, bushes, trees, and other overgrowth during mom’s 75th Home Improvement Project, you worked until the wee hours of the night; it was back-breaking work and we laughed through it all. In spite of how hard that was on our bodies, it was still fun because you made it fun! Remember? We had a truck. We had this long-ass chain. If it had a root attached to it, we were yanking that sucker right of the ground! Yahoo! I’d do all over again in heartbeat!
Remember these “before” and “after” scenes?

And do you remember that debris pile from hell? OMG! We loaded that sucker piece-by-piece onto a flat-bed trailer over the course of two days before that pile went bye-bye to the Midland landfill. It was quite amazing that Tony was able to create that pile all by himself and yet it took you, me and Tommy two whole days to clear it! However, it is still a good memory for me in the end. And I know mom appreciated all the hard work we did together as a team and a family.

And how about all those shrubs and bushes in the backyard? We pulled those suckers out by hand, before we learned about . . . the “Truck & Chain magic trick.” My oh my what a chore that was, but how nice it turned out in the end. You never complained. Never grumbled. You just gave of your time and your sweat and got the job done – and then you single-handily painted that fence! Nice.

And then we got that really nice storage building for mom and we set it up just so . . . nice and tidy!

And then Andrea planted that awesome little garden for mom. How cool was that!

Team work really paid off here . . . and Ann, you were an integral part of that entire project – start to finish. Way to go Annie Pooh!

But I suppose that above everything else, just knowing that you’re “being there” for mom and Aileen over all these years has meant the world to me and to the rest of the family. It is such a comfort to know that Ann is there and always available for whatever need may arise. Whatever is needed – anytime – Ann is there to help with a cheerful smile and a giving heart!

I know that mom and Aileen really appreciate all that you do immensely. Plus, you’re pretty good with guns, and I’m confident that you’ve got their backs at all times!

I could go on and on here. But, I’ll stop now . . .

I don’t say it enough, but I will now; you are loved by all of us!

HAPPY 50th Annie Pooh!

Love,

Brian

Annie Pooh, you did Real Good!

Congratulations on reaching this milestone in life.

And now, may I also be the first to say . . . 

You go Girl! Just don’t burn your face off when blowing out all those candles! 

Or, you can just make the best of the things and have a Winnie roast while you’ve got all that fire handy . . .