the last couple days

We have worked a lot and also cleaned and cooked a lot.

Not that the house didn't need cleaning. It did.

I told Kirsten the last time I took a bucket (not just some little sponge mop) and crawled around and washed the kitchen floor--going under the radiators and between the stove and cupboards and was after we baked Christmas cookies in December.

Yah.

Gross.

The floor wasn't as bad as I expected.

But anyway, the reason we did this was because of the birthday party.  Jay turned 20, and Lydia 12, but I turned 50.

Yes, indeed.

It was a fun night.  The usual characters were there, and also other relatives too.

Here's John and his uncle, Jay's little brother.

 Some cousins having fun:

 My parents and Jay's parents hanging out:

 Aww, and this guy was here.

 And his brother was here too:

 Jay's mom and Tim are discussing something--no idea what.

 Why is he crouched behind the table?  We don't know.

 Here's where a girl turning fifty looks out at her whole living room full of people singing and thinks she's a pretty lucky woman.

 Yes, those are indeed dinosaurs on the cake.

 What on earth are we laughing about??   Who took this picture? Kirsten?

 This is a jar with pretend butterflies in it--beautiful and strange.

Here's Maria with train videos on her little computer for her tired nephew. Why is she laughing like this? 

It is pretty funny listening to his little munchkin voice singing, "Life is a highway, and I'm going to ride it all night long..."

Between the food Jay cooked and what others brought, it was a feast, and a great, fun night.

With thanks and love forever, Val