Here We Are, All Together

Drum roll please. Here's the whole collection of everyone in attendance. The original Fielder six. Then the six plus the two handsome bookend spouses: ruggedly brutish, Dale-the-photographer with Rebecca and the strikingly handsome, roguish, Allen-with-me. Then mom, dad, and Aunt Sue. We created our own warmth and sunshine by sharing stories, reading dad's old report cards and going thru photo albums and videos in some cases discovering trivia we'd never known previously. Who among you knew that my father was in charge of refreshments for his Junior Prom? Or that he seldom needlessly tattled on his peers? Is there a better way to spend a day? Archeologists beware, we've uncovered some doozies.

THE Fantastic Four!!

Documented for time and all eternity: the above pictures of my siblings and I on this monumental occasion of our all being at the same place at the same TIME, for dad's big birthday walla-walla-paloooza. We've positioned ourselves in chronological order of our arrivals to planet Earth: the number one son, Dan in yellow fedora, the striped number-2-always-trying-harder me, then comes the chiseled and tanned Randy (who was often mistaken for my twin when we were growing up, but alas I am indeed his senior) and then the baby of the batch, my sister Rebecca.

These are the four adults who shared a childhood together.... Camping cross-country, hiking unmarked trails, gathering songs and frogs with the abandon of wee ones toasting marshmellows at campfire's edge -- telling Kush-maker jokes that made us all laugh in unison for no apparent reason. That was an era when laughter was inexpensive and could be brought on my throwing a blanket over the dining room table and declaring it a submarine or spending an entire afternoon together in a dusty side yard, excavating roads and villages from the dirt. We baked our own cookies and the biggest arguments were over whose turn it was to dry the dishes. We explored granpa's farm with abandon, discovering the joy of finally being allowed to go down to the creek on our own. We built clubhouses in the cellar and told ghost stories next to that coal furnace from a by-gone era. We cavorted with kites and softballs, roller skates and pogo sticks. Ours was a simpler time in so many respects.

Here is the evidence of that childhood brought to maturity. Two boys and two girls..... and not a matching ensemble among us yesterday? Maybe for your 90th we can work on that idea. Good times.

HAPPY SURPRISE 80TH!!!!!

Here we are, Allen and I, having safely arrived a few heartbeats before the high-noon surprise-extravaganza. We've just zoomed in with the balloon bouquet in hand -- when only moments later in walks my dad to be greeted by ALL four of us grown-up kiddos and the two spouses.

Who was more excited? Dad or mom?

All of us together, including dad's sister, my Aunt Sue and then the cake of cakes.

The Holiday House of Deland, FL was the wonderful back-drop for our daddy's 80th birthday party, a day he shares with Martin Luther King, Jr. (in more ways than one.) What fun to pull off such an unexpected reunion in the middle of the winter. Mom has asked not to be enrolled in the FBI's covert operations squad...... it was a lot of pressure for her to keep everything under wraps, but she succeeded!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

JOY JOY JOY