80 IS GREAT-Y! PART 1

MARCH 12, 1935

MARCH 12, 2015

80 YEARS!!!

WOW!!!

MY MOM WAS 23 WHEN I WAS BORN.

SHE TAUGHT SCHOOL FROM AGE 23-63.

(ALMOST 24, TO BARELY PAST 63)

38 YEARS!!!

MOM'S BIRTHDAY HAPPENED TO FALL ON A JAZZ GAME!

I CONTACTED MY JAZZ TICKET AGENT IN JANUARY

ABOUT HAVING BEAR COME TO VISIT HER FOR HER BIRTHDAY.

I TOLD HIM, "IT'S NOT EVERYDAY THAT YOU TURN 80!"

TWO DAYS BEFORE, IT WAS CONFIRMED.

ALSO, SPENCER, MY AGENT, SAID WE COULD EAT

DINNER IN THE VIP DINING ROOM!!!

SCORE!!!

I HAD TO TAKE A GIFT UP TO SPENCER ON

THE DAY BEFORE FOR BEAR TO DELIVER.

THE GAME BEFORE, I TOLD JAMES, THE GUY

WHO BRINGS MY MOM IN IN THE WHEELCHAIR,

ABOUT THE DINNER.

HE DECIDED TO JUST TAKE HER TO THE SAME SPOT.

THEN, HE'D WAIT FOR ME TO PARK AND COME IN.

WHEN HE SAW ME, HE'D BRING THE WHEELCHAIR BACK.

WHEN I WENT TO PARK, JAMES TOOK HER IN.

WHEN I GOT TO THE DOOR, ONE OF THE USHERS

SAID THAT JAMES STOPPED HER WHEELCHAIR IN FRONT

OF THE DOOR, AND ALL 5 USHERS SANG

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO HER!!!

WHEN I GOT IN, AND JAMES CAME OVER,

SHE WAS UNBELIEVABLY SURPRISED!!!

WE WENT DOWN TO THE WILL CALL TO GET THE

DINNER TICKETS.

SPENCER CAME OVER TO DELIVER THEM.

SHE WAS OVERWHELMED!!!

THEN, WE WENT TO DINNER!

I TOOK A FEW PICTURES, TRYING NOT TO

LOOK LIKE A TOURIST!

WHEN I CALLED JAMES TO COME AND GET US,

HE STOPPED ON MAIN CONCOURSE,

AND BROUGHT HER AN AUTOGRAPHED BEAR CARD,

AND HIS BIRTHDAY CARD WITH ALL OF HIS MASCOT FRIENDS!

THEN, BEAR CAME TO VISIT HER A FEW MINUTES

BEFORE HALFTIME.

BEAR SPRAYED SILLY STRING ALL OVER THIS

LITTLE GIRL AND HER FAMILY

(I REQUESTED IN MY EMAIL TO NOT HAVE HIM SQUIRT MOM)

THE MESS THE BEAR MADE

HALFTIME BIRTHDAY GREETINGS

THE JAZZ PLAYED SOOOOO WELL!!!

THEY MUST HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR MY MOM!!!

JAZZ WON

 105-91

AGAINST THE HOUSTON ROCKETS, AND "THE BEARD."

HOUSTON NEVER HAD THE LEAD!!!

I POSTED A PIC ON FACEBOOK, AND STACY ASKED

WHERE OUR SEATS WERE.  SHE WAS AT THE GAME.

STACY IS MY 2ND COUSIN.

OUR MOMS ARE 1ST COUSINS.

MY GRANDPA HOWARD AND HER GRANDMA FAY MORGAN, 

ARE BROTHER AND SISTER.

WHEN I WAS WALKING OUT TO GET THE CAR,

SPENCER WAS COMING BY.

HE WAS GOING TO CHECK TO SEE IF BEAR

HAD COME, AND BROUGHT HER A HAT.

WHEN WE GOT HOME, BROTHER JASPER FROM ACROSS THE STREET,

CAME WITH A FLOWER DELIVERY.

THE FLOWERS WERE FROM

BRAD & DANA SMITH!

THEY USED TO BE OUR NEIGHBORS,

AND HE WAS OUR BISHOP.

I WORKED WITH DANA WHEN WE WERE IN

THE STAKE YOUNG WOMEN TOGETHER.

HE IS NOW THE MISSION PRESIDENT

OF THE FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE MISSION.

WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE!!!

WE ARE CELEBRATING MOM AND CAMILLE'S

BIRTHDAYS ON SUNDAY.

(AT LEAST IT'S OUR WARD CONFERENCE,

AND OUR CHURCH IS 11-2!

MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENCY AFTER

WILL BE OVER BY 3, AND PARTY STARTS

AT 5:00)