Happy Birthday, Jessica & Jonathan!

Happy Birthday, Jessica & Jonathan!
This is the first birthday you aren't at home. The first birthday you won't hear me tell the thrilling account of your birth in person. It was a crisp December predawn, driving through the empty streets of Pittsburgh to West Penn Hospital. Then the excitement and then beginning to know you. Enjoy a few photos recalling the years since then.

First Easter...

The beginning of the helping/bossing!

Ahhh--all the moments together...

Grammy and Granddad's 50th

A few moments with Jonathan

SCORE!

A few moments with Jessica (Okay...there are more pictures of her because she likes being in pictures more!)

Yes, it's neither Jess or Jon, but it was sooooo good of David and Eden at Jessica's graduation!

And now the current pictures...most from the high school graduations.

Jessica and best buds at TCS, Phoebe and Kristen...

There's my darling honeys. I miss you today, and maybe you miss each other on this special day. But you are loved and remembered by all. At this moment, Jessica is in the ocean chugging towards the Canary Islands (and rocking). She looked out her porthole today to see dolphins swimming and jumping along side the ship. Jonathan is at Gordon, of course. On Thursday evening he and a friend WON the battle of the bands, competing with other bands at Gordon. (To hear some of his music, go to (myspace.com/jongarbermusic) A very pleasant surprise, he thought!

LOVE...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

UPDATES ON THESE DEAR TWINS 5 YEARS LATER

This is Jessica and Jonathan's 24th birthday.  Since the year I first posted this in honor of their birthday, five more eventful years have passed.  Jessica came back from an amazing gap year abroad to four hard-working and good-growing years at University of Virginia, graduating this May with her BSN--a full fledged nurse.  Jonathan left Gordon a year after this original post and spent a year and a half doing things like living in Southern Kenya, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, interning in the US Senate, and working in California to transfer to the University of Virginia and graduate this past July.  He didn't get to "walk the lawn" in the official ceremony since he hadn't finished yet, but he did unofficially "walk the lawn" privately in July when he took his last final. (Thus, no pictures)

Graduation Day in May

 Jonathan became engaged to Erika, a dear friend from high school, last Thanksgiving, and they were married on October 7 of this year.  That was a joyous and fun time for all of us.  We love Erika and welcome her warmly to our family.

Jessica, Jonathan, and Erika at J & E's rehearsal dinner on October 6, 2012.

The wedding was a beautiful, rainy afternoon!

The happy couple

 Jonathan has been working this fall at The Pretzel Bakery on Capitol Hill learning the ins and outs of baking pretzels and managing a small business.  He and Erika now live in Northwest DC. Erika continues as a Navy nurse at Bethesda Naval Hospital in the neonatal intensive care unit where she brings comfort and care to the tiniest of us.

Jessica continues working in her long hoped for "dream" job in Labor and Delivery at University of Virginia Hospital.  Here she is below in her scrubs after a long night on the floor.  

Jessica after a long night on the labor and delivery floor

On Easter weekend 2016, we welcomed Daniel Councell into the family as Jessica's wonderful husband. It was a beautiful weekend in the mountains of the Blue Ridge

Happy Birthday to these two dear, dear people!

December 1, 2018, folks!! It's the day that the twins turn 30! A remarkable milestone for the babies and much to be grateful for in their lives.

Jessica, Silas (9 months), and Daniel at home in Boise, Idaho

   

  

Erika and Jonathan on their wedding anniversary, living in Denver, Colorado

 

Remembering Thanksgiving

Jessica's Room

I finally got to clean Jessica's room to accommodate guests for Thanksgiving. I promised her I would take some pictures to show her how it looked before Jonathan slept there. Here it is, Jess:

Annie was groomed a week before Thanksgiving. She is still soft. That's her with her Petco bandana. I don't think she liked it that much. Smile, Annie!

Jonathan's home! Yes, I did cook omelet for him, and yes, he is eating it with root beer. Makes me think of my dad.

It was a triumph, my dear. Cooked with apple cider glaze and just out of the oven.

One of our guests was the daughter of friends in Florida. Now she's our friend:). She is a freshman at University of Richmond. Her name is Andrea.

The table set with care...oops I forgot and left Mom's silver chest in the picture. It's very fun to use her china and silver and even the little soup bowls. We had butternut squash and apple soup as our first course. Yummy--if I do say so myself!

Not a great picture of the meal itself, but you see some of our guests--Phil and Eileen and Joel's roommate, Tyler, on the right, with Andrea and Nathan's face peaking through on the left. Those not in this picture are Steve, Meg, Jonathan, David, Ellen, and Joel. Wow! If only I coud l have done better.

After the guests have gone. . .
Boo-hoo. The Beards caught an early flight back to Kansas on Saturday, and Jonathan and Andrea took flight (on bus and train) on Sunday. Steve is back again in one of his favorite working spots in relative quiet.