Happy Birthday Dede!

On this day in 1964, Daneela Renee Walden came into the world. In 1993, she married my dad and took Jonathan and me as her children to love, spoil, laugh, and cry with.

One of my best / worst memories was before she and dad were married. One July day Dad and Jonathan were gone (to a car show, I think) and Dede with her brand new car (a Buick something or other) and I went driving. Let me make that more clear, she was in the passenger seat and a 14 year-old freshman-to-be was driving. We took all the back roads and everything was fine and dandy for the first hour or so. Then, on the way home, I took a 90 degree curve on a little country road a bit too quickly, slammed on the brakes, tried to correct the direction of the car and ended up flipping it into a ditch where it rested on the driver's side. Yep, at 14, I had my first of several car wrecks! We were wearing our seat belts and by the grace of God neither of us was injured other than some bruises. A man and his teenage grandson were behind us and stopped to make sure we were ok. The grandson climbed up onto the car (with his left leg in a cast from above his knee to his toes) and pulled us both out. I ran about a tenth of a mile to one of my best friends' houses to call Daddy, a friend with a wrecker, and then the police (someone else had to take over the whole talking part after the first ring to Dad's cell phone ~ a big, burly black one that came with it's own carrying case and battery about the size of two large print Bibles stacked together). Needless to say, we were both a bit shaken. If you read the police report, I was a passenger and Dede was the driver... uh huh, she took the hit and I didn't drive again for a l-o-n-g t-i-m-e! Just an example of what a mom is willing to do for her child.

Enough nostalgia for the day. Dede, I hope your 40th is wonderful. I love you and am so thankful that you are in our lives. Happiest of happy birthdays! :)