Just Because…

…today marks my sixty sixth year on this earth, I reflect.

I was the fifth child born to my Russian immigrant parents.

I arrived on the scene just four years after my parents settled in East Los Angeles from Tehran, Iran.

Our first sister died before she turned two in Iran and that’s why you only see four of the five of us born to my parents here.

Our mom always made sure we had new clothes for going to church on Easter and Christmas.

After 7 years of being the baby of the family my brother Tim arrived. We were still in the black and white photograph era. In the fourth grade I memorized these verses from the Bible in the King James Version and these verses are still among my favorite from God’s Word. I was on a journey that would lead me to a significant event in my life when I was twelve. I’ll share that in a later post.

John 14: 1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

After Tim and moving on to the color film era three more siblings were added to our family, the last two being twins. Oops, my older brother Fred is absent from the photo above. These reflections are from my first eighteen years.

I will add more reflections on my sixty six years in the days to come. For now the most significant change that will come to me in my sixty sixth year is that I will be able to hold my first grand baby, Addy, for the first time.

That will be a very nice gift for my sixty sixth year as I move on to the Baba/Grandmother stage of my life. More to come. I’m headed out on a little birthday adventure with Dear today. I am blessed. I’ll check in later to see your posts.

Linking up to ABC Wednesday for J is for Just because…thank you jubilant hosts.

About Ellenhttps://happywonderer.com/I am a wife, mother, baba (grandmother) and a loyal friend. Jesus is my King and my hope is in my future with Him.

32 thoughts on “Just Because…”

  2. Happy Birthday to Happy Birthday to you
    Happy BIrthday Happy Birthday Happy Birthday to you

    Many congratulations Ellen and all the best wishes for love, luck, health and happiness!

    (I’ve congratulated you on another url, I guess that was wrong so I repeat it here 😉 )

    Lovely photo’s… a historie of love …and something wonderful to look out for… how beautiful that is.

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  3. You look like you were a total delight as a baby! Just like the precious little grandbaby you’re about to hold! Full circle, my friend, and the perfect gift which God gives.

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  6. A big moment in your life – I remember my first grandchild (only have 2) and my ear was pressed against the door listening for that first cry! My mother was only 48 when she became a grandmother and I was 56…we’re getting older or else our kids are waiting longer before having children. Have a wonderful birthday year – celebrate all year long!

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  9. Happy Birthday sweet friend! I hope your day is lovely. I enjoyed your photos so very much. How exciting that this is the year to welcome baby Addy into your lives.

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  13. Happy Birthday. Your from quite a big family!
    I’ll join you at 66 in just a couple of months. : )
    Cute pictures!!
    Won’t be long now before you’re a grandma!!

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  15. Happy 66th Birthday, Ellen! I hope you are having a special day! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
    I love your family photos and aren’t black and white ones great? Many of my baby pictures are black and white.

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  17. Awww…happy birthday to you, Ellen! I so enjoy reading about your family. I’m sure your parents were hard workers to care for you and your siblings. I look forward to hearing more!

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  18. I enjoyed seeing all the photos of your wonderful family! Holding your first grandbaby will be the very best birthday present life can give you, Ellen. As much as we rejoiced at holding our children at their births, there is even more rejoicing at holding the child of our child.

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  19. Happiest of birthdays dear Ellen!!! What fun to see you childhood pictures. Many blessings to you and yours as you celebrate. You can’t even imagine how amazing it will be to meet your first grandchild!!!

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  21. 🎈Happy Birthday! What a wonderful present Addy is going to be for you and all the family. Love the documenting of family that your parents did when raising such a large family. You have always been you, Ellen, and you have looked just like you from the very beginning. Adorable!

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  23. Just delightful Ellen an such a cute baby, so sad your parents lost your sister, they must have been devastated. You look very like your dear Mama.
    It was lovely to see all the pictures of your family and I’m really looking forward to seeing more and of the new ‘grandbaby’,
    The JOY of holding a new grandchild in your arms is immeasurable.
    We have four now and the eldest is Molly, she will be a 13 on the 20th of this month, Freddie. almost 11.. I
    Then we have Olivia almost 11 and Christian aged 8.
    I can’t tell you how much love we have for all of them,
    JUST great JOY,
    It’s wonderful watching the cousins playing together, Molly and Olivia like to pretend they’re sisters and the boys….well they’re JUST boys!
    Dear Ellen have a JUBILLANT birthday celebration with your Dear.
    best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  24. Birthday blessings to you, friend!! (I’m a tad late, but, if you’re like me, you don’t mind stretching the celebrating out for a few days. ~smile~)

    I see “you” in your baby pictures! Adorable!

    Enjoy your birthday month. Can’t wait to see your best present!

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  27. Many blessings and Happy Birthday, Ellen! Your photos bring back many memories of my own from those days (I am one year ahead of you)….the new Easter clothes each year, all the siblings having our photo (in black and white) taken as we sit on the sofa, the 60’s hair and fashions . . . there’s no doubt God has been so good to both of us through all those decades. It is wonderful to know you, and have a lovely birthday week!

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  29. I had a feeling that you had a birthday coming up. For some reason I thought it was before mine, last month. I hope your day was wonderful and you have much to look forward to. Such sweet photos!

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  31. Happy Birthday, Ellen! Thanks for sharing photos of your earlier years. I remember wearing that Sunday go to church headband. Mine was tight which made me a fidgety girl in church. lol

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