First up, I failed to include this particular song in a previous post so I'm including it now. This was kind a secret code song for us and he was
My dad's first and middle names were John Willis. My parents' intention was to name my brother John Mark but to call him Mark. This is a practice that I just don't understand, and apparently even as a 2 3/4-year-old child I didn't get it, because I refused to call him Mark. Now, it could be that I called him John because that was my dad's name, but let's just pretend that I was brilliant yet annoyed even as a toddler. Anyway, we ended up using John Mark (or JM), although in school and as an adult he goes by John.
I've posted a few pictures from our childhood before, but I'll repeat a couple here, too.
Despite the picture above, John Mark wasn't really an athlete, although he did play on the golf team in high school. He was in the marching band; he first played the baritone and then sousaphone. He's a talented musician, both instrumentally and vocally. He was also very interested in computers back in ye olde days (anyone out there remember the Commodore 64?)
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| Left, my wedding in 1991; Right, with our dad at JM's wedding in 1998 |
John Mark and his wife Mozella have three gorgeous children who are all very talented in their own ways as well.
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| One of my favorite pictures: me, my brother and my niece Jacqueline |
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| From left: James, Mom, Grandma Elmo, Aaron, Me, Dad, Jacqueline, Jeremy, Mozella, John Mark Christmas 2001 |
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| Front: James, Mozella, Grandma Elmo. Back: Jeremy, John Mark, Jacqueline, Mom Grandma Elmo's 95th birthday, April 2013 |
This week John Mark and two of the kids traveled to Ohio to visit my mom for a couple days and they came to Columbus on Gwensday for a baseball game.
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| Siblings! (Damn you, iPhone and your dirty lens.) |
For this week's #backthatazzup tune, I'm going way way back to 1978. This song was the B-side (raise your hand if you know what a B-side is) to "Sharing the Night Together" but it's fun and funny and we never got sick of playing it on our little record player.
Happy (belated) Birthday, John Mark. I love you!
Very cool you and your bro are really close :) I love the childhood pics AND the picture of you guys are your wedding!! You look like such a baby!!! :)
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, the B side! Good Lord, most people 25 and under have probably never used a record. How sad.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY HAPPY Birthday John Mark (I never understood using the middle name as a first name either. You were clearly so ahead of your time) What a beautiful family!!
My hand is in the air - I still have my 45's and no where to play them. My late husband's family did the same first name and different middle name thing too...William Fredrick (Father) William Kenneth (my hubby) William Ryan (nephew). We would have had William Cutler but alas it was not to be!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday JM!
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