2008 Everybody Birthday Party

The annual group shot

Well.....here I am finally getting around to this....hoping to have it done by the time Ivye arrives. As I have said in the last 15 entries.....time on here is near non existent these days. This will be a post of few words seeing as how pictures pretty much say it all.......and the fact that the younger 5 all happen to be asleep at the present moment giving me some time to work with, limited though it may be.

As I mentioned before, we hosted the annual Everybody Birthday Party this year at our house. It was here last year too and we all had so much fun we figured it'd be fun just to do it all over again. There's space for everybody to spread out and enough to do around here that it keeps everyone quite entertained. I suppose I have changed over the course of the last few years from seeming to never enjoying hosting anything to absolutely loving opportunities to surround ourselves with friends and family here. It seems natural. In years gone by I dread the work that has seemed to have gone along with having company but somewhere in there I have found the joy that comes from opening up our home to everyone willing to travel this way.

And lots of thanks to Daddy for being the picture taker of the day!!!!!

Welcoming the cousins

And I can't help but say that it's immensely fun planning it all these days. I made homemade potato salad, homemade whole wheat dinner rolls and started in on the deviled eggs...though I must confess that Mother had to bail me out on that one and finish those up. Mother brought the fruit salad and Jackie and Curtis brought the veggies and dip stuff. Brad was in charge of the main stuff like brisket and hot dogs. It's a full day of fun, food and fellowship. Seems like I made something else on the menu but can't remember it now seeing as how it's been almost a month ago.

A rare shot of Brad and I......so I've decided I'm sick of my hair and am getting something done with it.......not sure just what quite yet....and is it time to be unpregnant yet??????

It's been a ton of fun going up there every 5-6 weeks but I have to say that it's a bunch of fun having everybody here too. There's nothing like being surrounded by family. And I love the treasure and the friends I have always had and have come to embrace in Mother and Jackie and the treasures that the children are to each other. I miss being close to Scott beyond words and I have grown to miss Daddy's and my lunch dates just to talk over the latest happenings and discuss the children's funnies. So I love these days that come along when we are all together. If you've lost count by now there are 16...going on 17......children and 7 adults. Daddy and still unmarried Scott, Mother and Thomas, Jackie and Curtis, their 9, and then Brad and I with our 7 +1. I find it humorously funny each year that all of these kids came from 2 women. That old question posed years ago from the old lady watching the 2 of us out together with all of our kids still rings funnily in my ears...."Are y'all part of that religion where you're married to the same man????" Um......definitely not.

Woman with a firearm

Everybody out shootin'

Dusty, windy west TX

Madison and Milly

Carefree and spontaneous cousin Mercy with Channing

Garrett on wheels...and a pro at it he is!

Loving the chicks

Some sword fighting activities of the day

Gettin fired up

Experiencing the bus...I don't think we've ever all laughed so hard

Filling it up

(cousin Pearce saying hi)

Taking the headcount

Brad the Busmaster

Scott's favorite part of the day....Brad's bald head up in the driver's seat

Uncle Scott

Loving on Granny

(note the guys in the background of the 1st pic)

Uncle Scott and cousin Cyrus

Sweet funny boy with his favorite toy in the house

Best friends out doing whatever boys do

Hanging out watching the action

Grant and cousin Channing

Good lookin boy

The annual sibling shot.....in birth order as always

Daddy and Scott

Nothing like jumping with Granny

Can you tell Brad ordered the cake???????

Cousin Maggie and Aubrey

Cousin Charles and Garrett having a wrestling match.....these 2 are, oddly enough, inseparable when we get together!

Sweet, sweet Garrison