Lamont turns 39 today, Leland turns 36 on Halloween. Happy birthday, guys!

Most of these photos are the same ones I posted in celebration of September 24, and October, 31, 2010. Back then I thought I'd make a post for Lamont's birthday, then later on make one for Leland's birthday. However, as brothers should be, they're together in lots of photos, so I combined their birthday posts.



First, though, here are the three of us last November 13, outside the Hollywood Theatre--we'd just seen that wonderful documentary "Muscle Shoals." I'd already seen it and loved it, knew that their Daddy would've loved it, and wanted to make certain that they saw it. The two of them thoroughly enjoyed it!



One more photo before the repeats from 2010--this one that I took on Christmas Day 2013 in my apartment. Leland, Lamont, their friend Lee, and my sons' roommate Brody. Four great guys! And we can celebrate one more birthday--Brody's is Sept. 24 also, and, get this. He was born in the same exact hospital as Lamont, not the same year, but the same day, in Kansas City, Kansas! The two of them met when they both worked at a hotel and became roommates not too long afterwards.



Now for the repeats from the 2010 combined birthday post. In this photo, Lamont is between four and five and Leland is between one and two.



Lamont was three years, one month, and one week old when Leland as born.



When Leland was six weeks old in December, 1978, the four of us moved from Kansas City, Kansas, to Jackson, Mississippi. To help us, my parents came in their Winnebago so the kids and I could ride with them. My husband LeRoy drove the Ryder truck. My brother came, too, in his own vehicle to help out with any and everything. Here we are, early spring 1979, at the John Bell Williams airport out from Raymond, Mississippi. Our friends had flown down from KC to visit, in that airplane right there beside us. I'm holding our older son Lamont. LeRoy is holding our younger son Leland. LeRoy and I loved our prescription glasses that got darker out in the sunshine. We look pretty doggone cool, I think.



Our friend, Ronnie, the pilot. Our friend Lyndall, holding Lamont. My sweet, dearly departed husband LeRoy, holding a dozing Leland.



Baby Leland with me, his Mama.



About 1990, Lamont and Leland with their great-grandmother Vivian, my Daddy's Mama. If it really is 1990, then she's celebrating her 92nd birthday!



Mama and Daddy's backyard. We've got seated, left to right my Aunt Baker and JL's grandson Patrick, my son Leland, Patrick's fraternal twin brother Michael. Standing, left to right, my son Lamont, and the twins' older brother Steven. Lamont is in 6th grade. He broke his arm skateboarding, and one year later he broke the other one, skateboarding.



Lamont and Leland horsing around on Leland's 21st birthday, in 1999. I loved the photo so much that when I taught myself to make calendars, I put it in the background of this 2000 calendar.



Leland's kindergarten graduation.



I think this is kindergarten, too.



I think Lamont's about 18 months old here. We're still living in Kansas City; he's wearing a sailor hat that he loved to wear. I sewed those curtains myself.



Our cutie's a bit tired here.



Precious son Lamont.



Precious son Leland.



Lamont with Papaw, my Daddy. Lamont's got a Tupperware lettuce storage bowl on his head. He loved to wear it!



Leland's a few months old here--it's 1979.



Lamont's standing on a chair in our house in Kansas City, at the kitchen sink.



The guys are six and three here.



Here they're four and one. Love that jacket on Lamont and that bow tie on Leland.



LeRoy with Lamont who is probably close to one year old.



LeRoy with Leland who is probably five or six months old.



My two precious sons. I love them very much.



Lamont and Papaw.



Grandma and Leland.



The guys, taken on July 9, 2004. They got up early before they had to go to work at their respective restaurants, just so they could see us off back to Mississippi. Grandma and I had come to visit on June 30, fell in love with Portland, and jumped at the chance to join Lamont and Leland there, especially after they said, "Move out here! We'll take care of you when you're old!" They certainly did take care of their Grandma before she died in January, 2011, and they continue to take care of me.



And here they are, the photo that I took it on 9/11/2010.

Two of the reasons why I have successfully made it through the last 365 days. My sons.

Saturday, January 7, was the one year anniversary of Mama's death. Naturally I wondered how I would feel, how I would act.

So, in order to insulate myself in what I consider to be a healthy manner, I stopped by The Circuit NE Tuesday after work. No, I did not join Lamont and Leland in bouldering. Instead I said to them, "Let's go to lunch on Saturday after you've finished bouldering. You know it has been one year on that day." "Yes," and "Yes," they both said.

They came and got me around 1 p.m. I pulled a Grandma on them and was waiting in my apartment when they came to the door, purse in hand, my coat already on! We went to Cha! Cha! Cha! on SE Hawthorne. Good, inexpensive food. Then we went to JaCiva’s, also on SE Hawthorne, for some handmade chocolates. While I believe Mexican food and chocolate go hand in hand and made me feel pretty good on Saturday, it was being with Lamont (left) and Leland (right) that made me feel best of all.

Don't get me wrong, having the thoughts and prayers and love from y'all all over the USA and over in England has helped me endure and heal and go forth, but being able to see these two young men on a regular basis, to hug them and get hugs from them, to see their sparkling eyes and smiles, to be able to tell them face to face, thank you so much for the big part you played in making Grandma's last years on earth so special for her (and for me with her)--those things have taken me over the top.

I woke up on Saturday, wondering how it would go. By the time I had spent time on the phone with Milton and Kay and Howard, had been with Lamont and Leland and with Casey (who came over for while late afternoon), then had watched the Saints take care of Detroit on TV while I ate the supper I had cooked, I went to bed knowing I had made it one whole year. I feel stronger and more at peace than I thought possible. Now I am on my way into the next 365 days. Thank you, everyone.

My son Lamont is 35 today. My son Leland will be 32 on Halloween. I am blessed.

At first I thought I'd make a post about Lamont's birthday today, then later on make one about Leland's birthday. However, they're together, as brothers should be, in lots of photos, so I'm combining their birthday posts today.


In this photo, Lamont is between four and five and Leland is between one and two.


Lamont was three years, one month, and one week old when Leland as born.


When Leland was six weeks old in December, 1978, the four of us moved from Kansas City, Kansas, to Jackson, Mississippi. My parents came in their Winnebago so the kids and I could ride with them. My husband LeRoy drove the Ryder truck. My brother came, too, in his own vehicle to help out with any and everything. Here we are, early spring 1979, at the John Bell Williams airport out from Raymond, Mississippi. Our friends had flown down from KC to visit us, in that airplane right there beside us. I'm holding our older son Lamont. LeRoy is holding our younger son Leland. LeRoy and I loved our prescription glasses that got darker out in the sunshine. We look pretty doggone cool, I think.


Our friend, Ronnie, the pilot. Our friend Lyndall, holding Lamont. My sweet, dearly departed husband LeRoy, holding a dozing Leland.


Baby Leland with me, his Mama.


About 1990, Lamont and Leland with their great-grandmother Vivian, my Daddy's Mama. If it really is 1990, then she's celebrating her 92nd birthday!


Mama and Daddy's backyard. We've got seated, left to right my Aunt Baker and JL's grandson Patrick, my son Leland, Patrick's fraternal twin brother Michael. Standing, left to right, my son Lamont, and the twins' older brother Steven. Lamont is in 6th grade.


Lamont and Leland horsing around on Leland's 21st birthday.


Leland's kindergarten graduation.


I think this is kindergarten, too.


I think Lamont's about 18 months old here. We're still living in Kansas City; he's wearing a sailor hat that he loved to wear.


Our cutie's a bit tired here.


Precious son Lamont.


Precious son Leland.


Lamont with Papaw, my Daddy. Lamont's got a Tupperware lettuce storage bowl on his head. He loved to wear it!


Leland's a few months old here--it's 1979.


Lamont's standing on a chair in our house in Kansas City, at the kitchen sink.


The guys are six and three here.


Here they're four and one. Love that jacket on Lamont and that bow tie on Leland.


LeRoy with Lamont who is probably close to one year old.


LeRoy with Leland who is probably five or six months old.


My two precious sons. I love them very much.


Lamont and Papaw.


Grandma and Leland.


The guys, taken on July 9, 2004. They got up early to see us off back to Mississippi before they had to go to work at their respective restaurants.


And here they are, the photo that I started the week with--I took it on 9/11/2010.