My baby is 35!

 

On May 14, 1976, Joshua was born.  He was my dream...

This picture was taken on July 16, 1976.  Joshua was 9 weeks old.  My dad thought he was the best thing in the world... "Big Josh" he called him!

A year later, on May 22, 1976, Joshua was one and his Aunt Jane was pushing him on a hot wheel.  I have no idea who the Hot Wheels belonged to...was it Ray's?  I know it wasn't Joshua's!

Joshua wasn't walking yet, but his 2nd cousin, his "Aunt Patti" was trying to assist him.

It must have already been hot in Texas on May 22, because Joshua was loving playing in the water hose.

On May 25, 1977, we were down at the farm.  Joshua was loving hanging out with Nor (that was RON spelled backwards) and Big Foot.  I don't remember Big Foot, but that's what I wrote on the back of this picture!

 In June, 1977, when my guy and I moved to Oregon, Joshua stayed behind with my parents.  Then my dad flew out to visit, bringing Joshua to us.  Here we are at Crater Lake on June 7, 1977.

When we took my dad to the airport to fly out, we spent the day in Ashland, Oregon, mostly at Hawthorne Park...so Joshua could play. 

Sliding with his dad...

Playing on the bars with his dad...

swinging by himself...oh, such a big boy!...

See-sawing with his mama...

 

and after a long day, brushing his teeth before he went to bed...

 On June 17, 1977, we went hiking.  Joshua didn't get too exhausted since he was a passenger in his dad's backpack.  This is on Mt. Stella, in Oregon.

 June 19, 1977...Joshua in his rocking chair...the same rocking chair that is sitting in my living room right now!

Joshua has always loved the outdoors.  Here we were at a roadside park  June 25 1977, outside of Prospect, Oregon. 

We had a wood stove where we lived.  It was a small garage apartment...with a small wood stove.  Joshua loved to stack things.  You can see some of his favorite toys...2 cups, a ball, and a hammer!

In 1978, Joshua became a big brother to Gabe.  They were buddies, usually.  This picture was taken in July, 1979.  Looks like it's a day they weren't the best buddies...

                                                                             July, 1979

Also in July, 1979, my cousin, Patti, came to visit.  Those of you who are usual readers of the JohnstonChronicles may note that this is the same Patti who is the mother of GRITS and Elizabeth!

 Patti and I...plus Joshua and Gabrial, took a wild journey driving from Oregon to Texas..in the cab of a pick-up truck.  I'm not sure why we attempted such an ordeal...and I have faint recollections of Joshua getting frustrated with his brother for screaming in the truck...and Patti may have been a bit frustrated with the screaming, too. 

In Texas, Joshua got to hang out with his cousin, Brenda.  I always loved taking photos of  them together.  Brenda with her olive complexion and dark hair...and my fair skinned, tow-headed, blue eyed Joshua!

Mimi, my Mimi, the boys' Mimi, loved having her great-grandsons on her lap.  As the current 'Mimi', I understand fully what joy it is to have your grandsons on your lap.  I,of course, have no idea what it's like to have your great-grandsons on your lap...

 but their Saddie certainly does...Joshua and Gabe aren't her great-grandsons, but Emerson and Benjamin are.  This was also in August, 1979...in Mimi's backyard.

 

Here they are with their Grandpa...their dad's grandpa.  This is Grandpa who lived at the farm...the same farm where Grammy lives now...

 Back at home, in October, 1979, Joshua was probably giving his brother a birthday hug...Gabe was turning 1 year old.

The boys loved to play in the tub, making a mess, of course, and singing and/or yelling at the top of their voice.

 Joshua was a clown for Halloween...I remember that red shirt!  It was courdoroy..

Joshua's best best friend for several years was Justin.  I kept Justin several days a week while his mama worked. 

 In November, 1979, it began to get cold outside.  Joshua was still outside...with a dirty coat.  My little long-haired cutie! 

Inside, he and Gabe would climb up and rock in the rocking chair together...

 For Christmas, 1979, their dad built them this climbing structure...and Mimi and Granddad bought them their Superman raincoats!

December, 1980

In March, 1981, Joshua was learning how to ride a bicycle.  The training wheels were still on in this photo, but they didn't last long...at all!

In February, 1981, Joshua became a big brother once again..this time to Lindsey!  In this picture, Lindsey was a month old.  Joshua always was so very careful with her!

In April, 1981, Joshua caught this 12" rainbow trout.  He was in a fishing derby, I think, at Stuart's Fork in Trinity County.  We kept telling him that to be a true fisherman, you had to hold the fish once it was caught.

 In June, 1981, over at Aunt Jane and Uncle Charlie's, he got soaked in a downpour outside.  This is what he changed into...not sure who the clothes belonged to, but they obviously weren't Joshua's!

In June, 1981, our family had an enormous scare.  The kids and I were in Texas when I got a call in the middle of the night.  The doctor at a hospital told me my guy had been in a wreck.  He told me they 'thought' he would live, but that his back and his hip was broken (they weren't) and that his face was disfigured. (It was)  We immediately got a flight to San Francisco where friends of ours just happened to be (thank you, Lord).  They picked us up from SFO and drove us home.  Our pastor kept the boys for a couple of weeks while Lindsey (who was just nursing) went to Oregon to be with Ron in the hospital.  After awhile, our pastor brought Joshua up to see his daddy. 

 July, 1983...  Joshua hanging out with his sweet little sister!  Looks like he might be trying to teach her to carve?

 I've always loved this photo.  Here, in July, 1983, Joshua was 7, Gabe was 4, and Lindsey was 2.

 In September, 1983, this was the first day of school. For Gabe, it was his first day of kindergarten.  Here the boys are with Joshua's good friend, T.J.

Another great friend of Joshua's was Marc.  This was in May, 1984.  Michael Jackson was popular and the boys all liked his music...and his break-dancing.  People were starting to say "awesome" a lot!

On July 24, 1987, we moved from the little town where we had lived for 8 1/2 years.  I was sad..but the kids were excited for a new adventure.  I absolutely love this picture of them...to me, it captured each one of their personalities.  Joshua, the protector...always has been and still is today!

Loved his family then, loves his family today....Joshua's heart for his family is something to be cherished.  Whenever he hears of even a storm in Texas, he's on the phone to his Saddie and Grammy, checking to make sure they are OK.  When he hears of anything happening in northern California, he's calling to check on us.  When his mother-in-law had a stroke in Israel, he called me at school, asking me to pray for Lizbeth.  When he heard his Saddie's voice on the phone a few weeks ago, sounding stressed over getting her house ready to sell, he hopped on a plane to go help her.  When Erica wasn't feeling well after getting out of the hospital, he was driving around in the middle of the night trying to find something he thought she might want to eat.  He's got a heart for others...

 He also can be quite the ham...

 trying his hand at riding his daughter's rip stick...this is the most flattering photo of that attempt.

Here he is with his sweet family...Erica and Thalia.  I wish I knew what year this was!  Unfortunately, I haven't been as good as I used to be about writing dates on the back of photos! 

                                              My baby boy and me...he's 35 years old today...

Happy Birthday, Joshua!!!

I love you so very much~