CHARLIE BROWN III HAS A BIRTHDAY TODAY

"It's your birthday Charlie Brown". We know the real Charlie Browns and we celebrate Charlie Brown III's birthday today. Charlie was named after his dad, Charles, Jr., who was named after his dad, Charles, Sr., our Popo, who was born long before the cartoon character was created. What a special day, some ?? years ago, when our first born soon came into the world, on a snowy November evening, actually the first snow fall, in Chicago that year. We always knew when they were bringing him to my room from the nursery---all the other babies had these high pitched cries but then there was Charlie Brown, with an almost baritone sounding Bwah, bwah, bwah. Charlie was always on the go as a child---he loved life and everything in it and still does. Bless his heart, he became an older brother to three more brothers in less than six years. Yes, we had four sons under the age of 5 3/4 years old.

There was never a dull moment when Charlie was around and he never met a stranger--everyone he met became a friend pretty quick. Not sure if Charlie was the one who started this tradition, but he always managed to show his brothers how to blow up their match box cars with firecrackers or smash them in the "hammer to the car" derby. They had wonderful times running through the orange groves behind our house, in Florida,  having great days of who can hit the hardest and furthest with oranges. They came back home with bruises all over the bodies, guess this was the sign of "manhood" back in those days.

Charlie is a friend to so many-- loyal, faithful and true--always there for you!! He is such a "people person" and still to this day, he never meets a stranger.

Charlie met Heather and they were married in February of 1994 and since then they've had two wonderful sons, our grandsons, Conlan and Keegan. Charlie is a awesome husband and a fantastic father--always involved in the boys activities and their lives in general and  right there supporting Heather in her activities and goals. They have traveled the world together as a family and have seen things that you cannot learn in a classroom or by reading it in a newspaper or book. While they were living in Hong Kong, they gave us the gift of a lifetime, they brought us over there to spend three weeks with them. Also planned special side trips to Thailand, China and Cambodia for us. We spent Easter that year in Phuket, Thailand with the four of them, then they planned a trip to Bejing, China, for just Charles and I, with our own guide each day to show us the sights and share the history of this country, absolutely amazing.Then back to Hong Kong for a few days, in between, before we headed out with Charlie, Heather, Charles and myself, to Cambodia. We had the joy of being in Siem Reap, Cambodia, an amazing country to visit and see history unfold right before our eyes, with the restoring of Angkor Wat--a city that was literally covered with jungle, vines and land mines, from the war, until recent years. And the incredible opportunity to experience first hand the "floating village" where people are born, live, work, go to school, shop, go to a medical clinic or church and die on these dug out boats, all floating on this river. THESE MEMORIES WILL LAST A LIFETIME WITH US.

 

Now, for the side of Charlie that you all are waiting to see and hear about, although we are sure that his reputation has well preceded those who know him. Charlie has an uncanny ability to draw people into uncontrollable laughter until the tears roll down your cheeks and you hurt all over from his actions, expressions, multiple voice changes and on and on. We are attaching a couple of pictures from last Christmas that we think will explain it all. "Santa's Elf in Action". Our Charlie Brown, one of a kind!!

Charlie Brown III, we celebrate your life today and we are so proud of you and the man that you have become, with a heart of caring, loving and giving that the Lord has blessed you with abundantly. We could not ask for more.
We love you all the birthdays in the whole world, Mama Lou and Buddy Roe, a.k.a. Mom and Dad

GRANDSON TYLER IS CELEBRATING HIS 17TH BIRTHDAY TODAY

Our Grandson, Tyler, is celebrating his 17th birthday today. Hard to believe that has grown up so fast. We remember the day he was born and what excitement there was to have another grandchild, number three, for us.

Tyler has amazing skills in the outdoors. He is a Boy Scout and has earned so very many badges. Even at the young age of 12, he went with the older scouts to hike the Appalachian trials, with a back pack that we think weighed more than he did. He was gone a whole week and finished the hike, all in one piece and with memories to last a lifetime. He has always had an interest in what goes on in nature around him and has a great memory for remembering everything about most every knife that you could name. He has often talked about becoming joining the "service" after he graduates. We believe that he could do very well in the occupation. We are asking the Lord to give him the wisdom to know what path he is to take and where he can serve the Lord the best.

He is a hard worker. He has been mowing lawns for a number of years now and keeps at them until the are mowed just right. He has helped his Granddad  (Charles) with the firing of Raku pottery--this is hard work, but he hung right in there with Granddad. He has helped me in the pottery shop, at times, as well, and did a great job. Even helped me, along with his mom, get the shop cleaned up during my breast cancer journey, when I was not able to do any lifting. I just sat and watched while they worked and worked.

 

Angie has been an incredible mother to Tyler. She has been there for him in every situation and constantly tries to remind him how important he is to the Lord and to all of us, his family. We know that Tyler appreciates that and knows what kind of sacrifices she has made for him through these years. He is blessed to have a mom who loves him and cares what happens in his life. She tries to encourage him to "be all that he can be"

 

He also enjoys the family times down at the lake or at someones home. But the cousins love getting together and having fun--four boys and four girls--makes for a busy, busy time when they are together. I am attaching a picture that I think that he would enjoy. Here he is playing "hide and seek" with Aniston, 4 years old, with her just squealing when she would find him. He was good to do this with her. Then he and Jacob were the "hiders" together and Aniston had to find the them. These were taken on Labor day this year. It is so good to remember the good times and hold fast to those special memories.

 

Tyler has always been so thoughtful to remember our birthdays and special occasions, we so appreciate this. We pray a blessing over you Tyler and ask the Lord's perfect will be done in your life, you have so much to give. A very happy 17th birthday to Grandson Tyler.

We love you very much, Granddad and Meme  

OUR MEMO IS CELEBRATING HER 98TH BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN TODAY

Today we would have been celebrating our Memo's 98th birthday. But she is celebrating in Heaven with Popo and all the saints and angels--now she is celebrating all the time, forever and ever. Memo loved to have her birthday luncheons, dinners and the time with friends or family afterwards. She was a "Georgia born lady" and was given one of those wonderful southern belle names at birth, Eva Belle DuBose. Then she fell in love and married Charles Burrel Brown, Sr., our Popo (He went to be with the Lord in 2005 at age 95). She worked hard all her life, especially as a hairdresser, starting in her late teens and continued until her early 80's, amazing, going to the nursing homes and individual homes to do the hair of ladies who had been her clients through the years. She was so good about this. She was so loyal and faithful to her friends.

Memo loved her precious Lord and always had a one on one conversation with Him. Anytime there would be a situation in the lives of any of our family that looked "impossible", Memo would just say, "we're going to have to talk to the Lord about that". She had an amazing relationship with Jesus and had so many answered prayers because of her strong faith. She and Popo were faithful members of First Baptist Church of Orlando and were so dedicated to their Sunday school class and their friends there.

Memo always enjoyed being with family. Here is our whole family on Christmas eve 2010. She loved her husband, our Popo, and children, Charles and Nancy and I was truly grafted in as a daughter-in-love in 1963, her five grandchildren were her pride and joy and don't get her started on her great-grands--she would brag on them all the time. She was so proud of all of us. She treasured every minute that we were all together.  Family times were such great adventures, whether it be in Orlando, Columbia, SC, at the beach, in the mountains, at Disney World or anywhere we gathered. She loved her family.

Through the years Memo and Popo played shuffleboard, even won many championships in Florida and Ohio. And they played Bridge and other card games for many years together. Actually, Memo played Bridge with her friends the week before she went to be with the Lord, at age 97. She was very competitive, so you didn't want to challenge her to a game of anything, without the chance of getting beat by this determined lady. Her favorite Spades card game partner, here in North Carolina, was Terry Gates, Kara's dad--they always played together and won, when she came to visit. No one could beat these two--they were best buddies.

We celebrated her 97th birthday, November 1, 2011, together at Outback Steakhouse and she loved the big, delicious sundae that the waitress brought as everyone else sang "happy birthday". It was a good memory and a very special evening. Nancy, Charles' sister, and my wonderful sister-in-love had Memo and Popo move from Orlando, into her home and watched over them and blessed them for many years. We could never begin to tell you enough about the love and sacrifice that Nancy gave to them. Along with the rest of the family who cherished and loved her.

 

This is our Memo, holding a picture of our Popo, last year, Christmas 2011. Our whole family gathered, not knowing that it would be our last wonderful, lasting memory with her. On February 05 this year, at age 97 years old, the Lord called her home, quietly and peaceful while in church on that Sunday morning. "Absent from the body is present with the Lord". What an incredible legacy she has left behind--all of us--family and friends. We miss you and love you dearly. All of your family.