Ted's dad (Gramps) recently decided to retire. Not wanting to be left out of the celebration, we hopped a plane to North Carolina for the weekend. We weren't there very long before I looked out the window to see this...
Not to be left out, Madigan jumped in the "cool" car.
And the brainwashing started. NCState gear and a Corvette. What more could a boy ask for?
We really didn't take many pictures that weekend, but thankfully a family friend and wonderful photographer took pictures at the (somewhat of a) surprise retirement party.
This was the cake. Yes, that's a Corvette on top. How cool is that?!
Paxton loved the cake so I set him on the table to get a closer look. He immediately lunged for it with both hands. This is me yanking him back. Look at that face. "Who me? Never!"
Sitting at the family table. As you can see, Paxton and I had just stuffed our faces with some of the yummy barbecue when the picture was taken!
Ted started the "program" portion of the evening out with some introductions.
Then it was my turn. For those of you that know mine and David's relationship, you know that I've waited for 10 years to get a microphone and a captive audience and get to talk about David. :) But, believe it or not, I was nice. I just read a poem (see below) I'd written about his life and showed some pictures. Nothing TOO embarrassing. Then we showed some videos the kids had made for Gramps. This was my favorite...
After we were done, some of David's friends got up and talked about him. One gave him a walking stick with a compass so that he didn't lose his way. :)
Another had this to say...
"The Bowsmans have been very important to me over the years. Sandi has been like the older sister I never had, and David has been like a very old, doddering uncle I never wanted. I feel honored to share in the celebration of this milestone.So, David, as you enter this next phase of your life as a retiree, which is really just a synonym for someone who doesn’t want to work, I want to encourage you with some words from scripture:
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief,
and scarcity like an armed man. Prov. 6:9-11 (NIV)"
Ha ha ha!!! As you can see, I'm not the only one David likes to harass. Next, we played a trivia game about David's life and the lucky winner left with an 11x14 photo of David in his "younger years". Gotta love it. :)
Lastly, Ted and Kate both had some sweet things to say about their Daddy. Guess they had to make up for the rest of us...
It was a great party and Sandi did a wonderful job organizing everything. Even though he might not admit it, I think David even had a good time!
Paxton gave it a definite Two Thumbs Up!
And Madi loved every minute of the secret keeping and surprising!
Happy Retirement Gramps!!! Glad we got to celebrate with you!
The Poem...
The Life and Times of David Bowsman
Once upon a time, a long, long, long, LONG time ago,
A baby was born in a land called “Ohio”
And this was no ordinary boy. No, this boy had a plan!
He was going to change the world when he became a man.
But first, there was some growing to be done.
Time set aside for chores, school, and plenty of fun.
And while I know that this may be shocking to you,
I promise that he found time for mischief too.
The days turned to months and the months turned to years
And suddenly, graduation was here!
The school officials said they had done all they could
And David was released into the world for good.
The grocery industry was calling his name,
But the desire to be educated just couldn’t be tamed
College was cut short by an army in need
But as a medic in Germany, he still found adventure indeed.
After the war, David tried collecting some bills,
But found that phone industry held more thrills.
But what really made him feel nice and dandy
Was marrying his true love, the lovely Sandi.
So they started their life together and were as happy as could be,
And in just a few years, the Bowsman Two became Three.
A baby boy was born and they had joy to share
Ted resembled his father, with just about the same amount of hair!
With a baby around, the days on the road became too much
So a new job was sought, where he could be more in touch
David quit installing central office switch equipment, whatever that is
And instead took a job as a Customer Service Engineer, the best in the biz.
That job was in another state, so the family began to pack
And they moved to Tennessee without looking back.
It was there that the Bowsman Three added one more
And the beautiful Kate made the perfect family of Four.
So time went on and the children grew
They had fun and David did too.
They travelled around and saw some neat sights
And their love for each other soared to new heights.
As the 1980s rolled out and the 90s moved in,
The Bowsmans found themselves moving again.
Even further east was the place to be,
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Raleigh. (North Carolina, that is)
They were very blessed and life was good
And the kids continued to grow like they should.
David was proud as they excelled in life,
And never as happy as when Ted brought home a wife. (Hehehe!)
And what do you know? The best was yet to come
As grandchildren entered the world and brought so much fun.
Some even say they are the reason that today
We are celebrating his retirement and return to a life of play.
But here’s what’s exciting and interesting too
David DID do what he set out to do.
He changed the world in his own little way.
By doing his best, day after day.
We went to the monkeys first. Paxton couldn't get enough. If I started to walk away, he yelled at me and pointed back to the monkeys. Then he would just stare at them like he was analyzing their every move. It was pretty funny.
Madi decided to instead analyze the zoo map. She declared herself our guide for the day.
As you can see, Paxton warmed up pretty quickly. Here he was watching the monkeys and some fish (koi). At the beginning of the video, he's doing his fish face.
And she said Paxton's favorite was the elephant. Since his verbal skills are still limited, he couldn't tell us if that was true or not.
We also spent some time at the childrens' area where they had cutouts that you could stick your face in for pictures.
Ted and the kiddos
And this is for Pa - Madi on a RED tractor. :) (It was a bit bright, in case you can't tell.)
It was a great day at the zoo! On the way to the parking lot, Madi turned to Paxton and said, "Aww, Buddy! We forgot to leave you with the monkeys!" And she was serious...
But thankfully, NO one was left with ANY animal and we all made it home safe and sound. Another great Spring Break day!
