All sixteen kids, and Ben's wife Ashley with our little granddaughter Anya. When the kids were little and I set the table night after night for SO many...it didn't seem possible that some day it would be so absolutely glorious to just have everyone all together for a few days. We celebrated my 50th birthday, even though I am still 49 for a few weeks. Mali made me a watermelon cake...huge round slices of watermelon with whipped cream, berries, and topped with chopped walnuts. Marge bought me a coffee mug, Abigail got me a scrub brush that holds dish detergent in the handle, AND lots of new forks! And the best thing...they promised to get the hot tub fixed for me.
The very best thing was having them all there though.
No one leaving in the evenings for meetings, and long leisurely days spent tanning on the dock, and jumping in the clear cold water to cool off. They canoed and kayaked and row-boated. We went on a hike through the woods to find a waterfalls. We had coffee on the screen porch in the mornings...I slept like a log, and woke up early...brewed the coffee, and visited with whoever else was up, usually Mirielle. Mirielle made some fabulous breakfasts, since she was up so early the days she was there...
Miss Emily...all relaxed.
The birthday cake...there were two of them. yum.
Evelyn Joy in the kitchen at the cabin...
Suzanne caught a fish!
Lucky Cam lost a tooth, and it turns out there are lots of tooth fairies in the Adirondacks, aka older siblings.
One of my favorite things about this vacation was seeing Paul relax and enjoy himself so much!
Sweet little Anya, our granddaughter.
Abigail, Jon, and Miss Char...she had a huge ball of mud from our hike..she called it elephant poop.
Sam and Suze...relaxing.
Joseph...sketching.
Happy me!
Only a few more weeks 'til 50! I used to think fifty was OLD. Now I know different.
Kap and Ev and Sonja K. and Char and Suze and Cam and Ab...
And with me...the last night at the camp...only seven daughters left with Paul and me.
We had too much fun. Then the boys had to go back to their Washingtons...Ben flew out west yesterday morning...when I said goodbye to him from the cabin the other night, my eyes filled with tears that wouldn't stop overflowing...Sam was sitting next to me on the couch...he put his arm around me and patted my arm. Because he was feeling it too. He hadn't been with Benjamin in two years. And the days flew by too quickly...goodbyes aren't fun.
Then this fine morning while it was dark and rainy, at four o'clock, I left with Samuel to go to his Washington....D.C. wah.
All in all...best vacation ever.
7 comments:
wow sounds like a fab vacation! I'm glad you all had so much fun I'm sure those days were something everybody will remember forever. Btw in that latest family photo i could hardly tell you apart from your daughters :-) Looking great! Sunazz
awww, such a sweet time! love your birthday cake...sounds yummy. listen, 50 is just the beginning of the fun. you have much to look forward to. and since you look 20, you have no worries. beautiful family pictures.
terre fro 'zoomama speaks'
Welcome home.
It looks like a wonderful time.
:0)
So glad you enjoyed all of your children together!!! Such a blessing ! When my kids leave the tears also flow.
Thanks for sharing ... Blessings from Florida
It sounds like you all had a great time. How lovely that everyone could be there.
Marilyn from Canada
Welcome home Della! I missed you.
LOVE the vacation photos and especially the updated family picture.
I was not exactly sure where you were but I was worried with the escaped prisoners who were looking for shelter. Thinking a bit harder, if they had come near your cabin they would have heard all the commotion and kept on going! lol
Susan, we were only an hour and a half from where the first prisoner was shot, but ignorance is bliss and we weren't looking at news while we were there. The cabin owner told us about it on Friday. We knew there was still a guy on the loose, but figured the police were pretty much on his trail, and they were. Those poor stupid men...didn't have much to lose, but did they really think, in this day and age, that they would stand a chance at eluding law enforcement forever?
Family pictures: it was hilarious playing the, "What, YOU didn't bring the camera?" game...everyone thought everyone else would bring it. :) So, an iPhone propped on the top of Mali's car did the trick....
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