mom's birthday

Her, yep. The nicest woman in the world had a birthday this weekend.

This party started because I asked her what she was doing on her birthday, and pretty soon it mushroomed, as these parties will do.

If we get together we should include my siblings, who must include their kids because the kids live at home, hello, which means we also include my kids, and my kids' kids.

It's fun, perfect even. It's just a lot of people.

I did this to my parents--had all these darn babies, who then grew up and had kids, and it's a great thing having a cushion of family like this all around. And yet supper with the fam is definitely SUPPER WITH THE FAM.

This is how having cake turned into a party of almost 30 people. My mom made potato salad and Ruth's Salad, and all sorts of other stuff. My dad grilled. We all brought food. It was awesome.

We haven't all been together since Christmas and it was really, really fun, and she's the perfect reason to celebrate, actually.

Here are some pics for fun. It was a little chaotic. Not everyone was there. John came home from a business trip in the afternoon (including a plane with an engine fire--on the ground, thank God) and stayed home with l.c. who had a fever, and John needed some personal time with his little buddy. I understand.

Heidi was busy nursing her little peanut most of the evening, so there are no pictures of her either. Who knows where the rest of them were?

But that's okay. It's all good.


James, Maria, and their cousins

This guy sitting in my Goodwill pile--no pics of him at the party either.

Kirby and Maria

Kirsten and James

We're all expecting Tim to have whipped cream in the eye next.

And just because I can, here's one of the two of us back when we were both very young. It was 1962. We've been buds that long.

Plus besides me, she's been a mentor and a friend to my kids too, and my sister and brother, and her other grandkids.

We say it all the time, but this is even still different: This family isn't better because she's in it--it wouldn't even exist without her.

Lucky me, lucky them, lucky all of us. Mom, you are a gift to us every day. Happy Birthday, with love for always, Val and everybody.