a month of sundays...

That's all I want for Christmas...Sundays are nice. Every other weekend, Emily and Mirielle work, but most everyone else in the family is free, and it's nice when they land here. Yesterday we celebrated Mr. Jonathan's 13th birthday!



Yes, I made cupcakes!

(and no, I did not have one)(for all the good it did, I have been "good" for a week straight, and this morning I was up a pound and a half, bringing me back to where I was a week ago. ugh.)


Suzanne and Margaret with Lydia...she liked the birthday song, so we sang it again...she didn't know what to do with the candles though.


She did know what to do with the cupcake though...this is with her mama, Mali.


Sonja and Suzanne were fighting over Lydia.

I prefer to remember yesterday's finer points, like when we went around and everyone said what they liked about Jonathan. It was sweet to hear, especially from his friends, that he is a good boy, helpful and kind and funny.

Paul grilled 48 hamburgers, and some hot dogs. I made pasta salad. Kathryn cut up a watermelon and a pineapple. There were bowls of chips, and a huge bowl of mini candy bars, and a cooler of soda.

They played badminton, kicked the soccer ball around, and jumped on the trampoline. One of the boys helped Sam get his car started, they have plans to work on it this afternoon. Margaret and Adrian brought their puppy over to play with our puppies, so there was a dose of chaos.

I didn't have enough time to clean up and prepare for this party, honestly it was hard for me...we went to church on Sunday morning, then stayed for a while after because some of the kids had soccer practice...we got home at the same time as the boys arrived, so I had to make the frosting and decorate the cupcakes, cut veggies for the pasta salad, make coffee, ect, with a houseful of company. I had wanted to change the couch covers and mop the floors, and you know, clean off the tables in the kitchen/dining room...oh, the stuff that finds it's way there! Books, lunchboxes, jackets, water bottles and coffee mugs...

Anyway, I survived. It was nice enough outside, so we weren't crowded into the house, I am very thankful it didn't rain.

This afternoon, we are supposed to get some heavy rain, thunderstorms and high winds.

And tomorrow morning, before dawns lights the sky, I will be driving to the airport. Mirielle, and Samuel and Suzanne are going to California to visit Aaron and Riley for a few days. I wish I were going too, but I'm happy for them. Mare is a nice big sister to buy a ticket for Suze.

Ah well...time for school.