Sunday we celebrated my grandfather, Grandmax's 80th birthday!
Can you believe he is 80? Doesn't he look great! He has no wrinkles!
Lots of family and friends gathered at Wintzell's Restaurant on Lake Guntersville to celebrate!
We watched a sweet picture slide show that my Mom created of old and new photos
from all ages and stages of his life.
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| Elizabeth & Aunt Janet |
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| Aunt Janet, Aunt Jean, Aunt Louise, Laura, Holly |
And, we gathered around in a big circle and shared all sorts of stories and memories about Grandmax! I loved hearing all these sweet and funny stories and quirks about him.
Grandmax always knows the price of gas and where to get the lowest price in town.
He calls Walmart "Walmarts."
He always says, "Hey, Bup" to my Dad.
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| Annie (12 weeks), Dad, Grandmax |
He loves a bowl of cornbread and milk.
He never rips the paper when opening a present
but instead carefully opens it with his ever present pocket knife.
Except for this day - I guess he figured it was about time to just go for it!
When we were little, my sisters and cousins, Holly and Laura, used to spend time visiting my grandparents at their house in Tuscumbia.
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| Eleanor, Laura, Grandmonie, Emily, Grandmax, Elizabeth, Holly |
Grandmax and Grandmonie used to love to square dance and we loved to dress up in my grandmother's square dancing skirts! We also loved to ride bikes together. We helped them garden, hang clothes on their closeline, and make biscuits in the morning. And we loved to jump in the big pile of leaves in the backyard after we helped rake them all up! My grandfather also loved Hardee's biscuits and gravy and would take us to breakfast. I still love Hardee's breakfast for this reason.
Grandmonie and Grandmax also loved to go camping in their RV. The 5 girl cousins loved to go too!
Grandmonie and Grandmax loved kids!
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| Grandmax & Emily |
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| Grandmax & Jeffrey 1998 |
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| Grandmax meets Annie - August 2011 |
Mom remembers that when Emily and I were first born and Mom and Dad were living in Tuscaloosa, Grandmonie and Grandmax would come down every weekend to help. Mom and Dad would then walk to the Alabama basketball games for a little time away. Mom became a huge fan of Alabama basketball that season:)
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| Jeffrey, Grandmax, Mom |
Every summer, the entire Jones family including Grandmonie, Grandmax, Dad and our entire family and Aunt Janet and her entire family would vacation at Fairfield Glade. The golfers in the family golfed every day and the rest of us rode horses, played putt putt, rode our bikes, and enjoyed spending time in the mountains! We have so many pictures from Fairfield Glade and one just about every year on these steps in front of our Oak Knoll unit.
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Dad, Grandmonie, Grandmax, Elizabeth
Emily, Eleanor |
Our entire family also spent Christmas with Grandmax and Grandmonie!
I remember we could hardly wait to get to their house on Christmas night to celebrate!
Looks like VCR's and walkmans were the presents of the year!
This picture was taken on our way to college in the Fall of 2001! We stopped in Cullman to have lunch at the Cracker Barrel with Grandmax.
Grandmax is a very patient and kind man who has been a great example of love, devotion, and wisdom to his family. Dad said the greatest wisdom he has ever received was from his father and that is "that any job worth doing is worth doing well."
We love you Grandmax and are so thankful for you! Happy 80th Birthday!
