another year wiser....

I've been saying I'm old for a few years now, but 57...wow.  

Lake Ontario yesterday....

Margaret with Wulf and Tennyson...

Cousins, Wulf and Grant..

La resort, our back yard from the deck...

Birthday celebration today, Sonja holding Wulf and Anya (cousins) and Evelyn holding Grant and Elise (cousins)

My son Joseph, #5...he was the baby when we started building this house.

13 of the kids were here today (spouses and nine grandkids too!). Emily, Sonja, Charlotte Claire, Camille, me, Evelyn Joy, Mariel Joy, Abigail, then behind Char (blue sweatshirt) is Kathryn, then Benjamin, Margaret, Joseph in the hat, Paul, Samuel in the backwards hat, and Jonathan...(Missing:  Aaron, who lives in Phoenix AR, Molly Rose who wasn't feeling well and starts a new job this morning, Suzanne who had wisdom teeth removed)

Nine of the eleven grandkids were here...Grace in the back holding her Ruth, and Kathryn's Rhys, Wulf and Grant and Anya and Achilles(on Sonja's lap), then Evelyn holding Elise and Tennyson, then Ashley holding little Declan...

These are the four who still live at home, Sonja K., Camille, Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire...and the new fire pit I got for my birthday, it was a total surprise!  I really really like it, and picture many cozy evenings with it!  We certainly enjoyed it tonight!

Wulf holding a baby doll, he wrapped it in my sweater and sang it a lullaby...

What a weekend!  We worked on the house on Friday, then Sam and Grace moved out of here and into the house!  They left, and Margaret came for the weekend with her two little boys, Wulf and Tennyson, because Adrian was going camping with Jonathan and some of their friends for the weekend.  Sonja, Char, and Cam were on a girls' weekend, so it was, or rather would have been quiet here, ha.  

We went to the beach on Saturday, it was chilly but sunny, the boys loved playing in the sand.  We didn't stay too long because they were wet and shivering.  Margaret made me a white, vanilla sheet cake, homemade buttercream icing, so lovely, do you think I got a pic of it?  nope.  She decorated it, and put berries on it...

This fine morning, on my birthday, Margaret and I went to Aldi because we needed some things to have a huge salad today.  Paul grilled burgers, hot dogs, coneys, and sliced up the watermelon.  I made salt potatoes, and Emily made the salad.  It was an absolute feast.  

After the grocery store, before everyone came over, Margaret and I floated around in the pool while Tennyson napped.  Wulf kept us company from the pool deck, all geared up in his life jacket (the kids have to have them while on the pool deck!), but he doesn't much like the pool...he sat on the ladder and got cooled down by kicking his feet and splashing.  

Everyone went home, little by little, and it got quiet around here, and I am filled with thankfulness and gratitude and just overwhelmed with how blessed I am to have so many good kids.  The early years were challenging, but oh my goodness, it was so worth it!  

Anyway....I'm tired enough, and the kids who still live here are all talking...so bye!