Happy Birthday, Kellifer!

 

Happy Birthday to:

 

Kellifer

My Middle Child

My Last Girl

My Only Lefty

My Sassy

My Lassie

My-stache Girl!

 

Love you to Infinity and Beyond! !

 

Happy Birthday!

Love,

MOM

Happy Birthday, Erica!

She can throw a ball

Hit that ball

Run those bases

And . . .

She swims

She shoots

She conquers!

 

All the grace and beauty!

 

I love you to pieces!

 

Happy Birthday Squirley Girly!

 

Love,

MOM-MOM

July 4th ~ Part 2

This year's celebration included a birthday celebration as well.  There are two of us who fall just before or just after the Fourth.  I already had my cake ~ and ate it too!

This year the birthday that followed was a milestone year for the youngest of my sibs.  She hit the BIG 50!  I think she may have been a little bummed 'cause the word on the street was that she was thinking of not coming this year.  Eek.  Panic.  Think, girl, think!  What to do, what to do?

I, maybe, would have let it roll, but there were two quite lovely surprises waiting for her here. She didn't know we were celebrating her and we couldn't let her bail.  Nope.  No way. No how.  Scurrying for a reason to call and expect her here without spilling the beans and ruining the surprise deemed tricky.  But being the oldest does have its perks sometimes.  I just simply told her what time everyone would be here to eat and said I'd see her then.  Period. End of story.  Now, hang up that phone before it all goes south!

Waiting game. 

I think she was quite surprised when she arrived and I sent her to the pantry to retrieve something for me.  Quite surprised indeed.

 Her two baby girls had managed to come "home" for her birthday celebration.  We hid them in the pantry.  You can't see her, but Nichole is on the other side (those are her shiny red nails).  I think Mama may have cried ~ just a little.  Sometimes it's the small things in life that give it the sweetest flavor.

There were a LOT  the perfect number of candles on that cake!

Then there was McKenna.  Turning 7!  How can this be?  Whew.  Time ~ you need to slow down.

I want this girl.

The day was great.  Happy kids + Happy adults = Happy Hearts!  Just.  That.  Simple.

Happy Birthday, McKenna!

 

Happy Birthday to a Cutie Pie!

Seven years old

My, how time flies!

 

 You're growing up,

For this, I'm glad.

But try to slow down

Just a tad!

 

Love you bushels and pecks

With a great big hug

Around the neck!

 

Love,

Aunt Crickett

July 4th ~ Part One

It has become tradition to do July 4th at my house.  I have the perfect set up here. 

1.  The kids can swim whenever they want 

 

 

 

This year Joseph and Allie brought their snow cone machine and made snow balls so we could have a snow ball fight ~ right in the middle of summer!  The kids (and grown-ups) loved it!

 

2.  There's a bathroom at our beck and call

 

3.  We can graze snack whenever we want ~ 'til the food hits the table

4.  The kids can play or watch the boob tube or read or help out  or get in the way

 

 

 

 

5.  There's the annual bicycle parade we can watch from the front porch

6.  We get to watch fireworks from the deck and . . . . see #'s 1, 2, and 3

7.  We have our own little display of sparkles

 

 

8.  Then, if time permits, we can have S'mores, night swim or just  hang out ~ This year it was Jello and whipped topping.  Simple, but at least it was red, white and blue.  ;)

All this from the comfort of "home".   Family and friends rotate in and out.  I'm never quite sure who will show up.  We just roll with the flow.  It's better that way.  No one expects perfection on this day.  It is simply a time to enjoy each other and the freedom we have.

This is the "usual" fourth "stuff".  More goes on here than you can shake a stick at.  With that being said, I will leave you with the traditional "stuff" and get on to the other "stuff" in a bit.

Catch ya on the flip side!

Happy Birthday, Corrinna!

Here's eighteen wishes all for you
"Cause seventeen just won't do

You are proof to how time's flown
How far you've come, how much you've grown

So here's eighteen wishes just for you
For success and happiness in all you do!

Love you bushels and pecks
And a hug around the neck

Happy Birthday, Little Lady

Love,
Aunt Crickett

PS ~ I will find just the right pic of you *wink*

Jump-starting July

It seems it took forever for July to get here.  Waiting on my gang from Kentucky seemed endless.  Now we are almost halfway thru the month and it seems a blur.  So, lest I forget, I shall start from the beginning and move forward (backward?), perhaps with sprinklings of "now" scattered in between. (or perhaps not). 

My boy didn't forget my birthday.  He left abruptly for town and returned with a birthday coffee for me from Starbucks.  He also took a giant leap in his culinary skills and decided to bake me a cake.  This is impressive in a couple ways:  1.  He doesn't like to cook anything that isn't chicken, pork, beef or fish related.   2. Putting something in the oven is NOT his cup of tea.

So imagine my delight when he decided to do this for his Mama.  The only downfall was the cake choice.  He was certain that Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting was my favorite.  Um, nope.  Not even close.  It's his dad's.  Bless his heart!  But, kudos to him for giving it thought.  The only way to fix that is to bake a chocolate cake with chocolate icing for his dad!

 

He's leaning on my baby!  Should I be concerned?

 

Scraping the bowl. 

 

Patting it out.  He said it is like smoothing concrete.  You pat it gently

to get the air bubbles out so it will "settle" nicely. 

I'm so grateful it didn't set up like concrete!

 

 

I love it when he cooks!  It means I don't have to he will survive on his own!  It was a delicious cake ~ even though it wasn't my favorite.  He did well.  He will be a keeper for some lucky girl. 

 

I got to celebrate it with Hubs, Ben, the Man, the Beast and Sarah Sponda.  She made sure I had candles to blow out on my cake and she made them sing "Happy Birthday" to me.  That was kind of like trying to force a child to eat green peas so nice of her!

It was a nice way to jump start our July. 

So, Alicia, keep a weathered eye open for upcoming events!

TTFN

Happy Birthday, Tiger!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to the youngest of the brood

May your day be filled with Family, fun, and all that's good.

 

May the Son shine to light your way

And guide you through life day by day.

 

May you have wisdom in all you do

To keep your heart both safe and true

 

May you leave the trials far behind

So peace and happiness be all you find.

 

Happy Birthday!

I love you!

Crickett