Birthdays, Burgers, and Buckets

June and July are crazy months in our family, both immediate and extended, because of a plethora of birthdays, holidays, and Tom's and my anniversary. July especially gets hectic with 4 birthdays spread from the 9th through the 22nd. It has become much easier to just hold one big gathering rather than trying to celebrate each one separately. Maybe it's just because Lois and I, mothers of the two birthday children, are just too tired to plan better! This year we didn't even bother to try and come up with a fun outing such as swimming, a playland, movie, etc. - we just settled for a backyard barbecue for the family. I have to say, out of the past several years, this was my favorite birthday party yet!


My parents have an irrigation canal that runs through their backyard, which is conveniently located next door to my cousin and his wife's house, also with the canal. The kids (from ages 5 up to 15) started off with water guns, trying to soak each other. It soon turned into a full-blown melee' with buckets and super soakers, and Evan and Braden eventually ended up wrestling in the ditch. After completely soaking each other, as if on cue, they climbed out and came towards me, giving me a great big wet group hug. Just when you think you cannot bear to live through however many years you have left with teenagers, they do something like this which makes you remember how much you love them, and how fun they can be. Although at times I can't wait until they're grown up, and some days I swear that none of us will live through it, moments like these give me such hope and help me to see what fine young men they really are becoming.

One of the birthday's we celebrated was my very own - 27 again! Tom and the boys each picked me out one of those "talking" birthday cards. Their choices were hysterical (Tom's was Gilda Radner, one of my favorite comedians, and the boys' was a lesson in saying "I love you," which I will never hear the same way from them again). I have to share what Tom wrote on the envelope of his:

"Help wanted: Female, frequent shopper, firm, trim, (no gray hair - x'ed out), slight gray hair, patient, kind, dizziness okay, loves to read. Must be no older than 27 with 10 years experience. Please apply.
P.S. - comes with children

I thought that was so cute :)




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Finally, I'm including a great photo I took on our camping trip this last weekend (which is at the top of the post now because I can't seem to make this program place photos where I want them - still learning!). I'm forever trying to perfect the art of taking close-ups of wildflowers, and I think this is my closest attempt yet! I'll write more and include more pictures of the trip another day...