have you ever seen the rain? and, a party!

 It's visiting us, finally, with it's dark dreariness, drumming on the metal roof and watering that garden.  It's wonderful.  

Who doesn't love a good party?!  I love planning a party.  We're going camping tomorrow, but tonight, we're having a birthday celebration for Evelyn Joy, my eleventh child.  It was to be at her newly finished/remodeled house, but the guest list was daunting for a smaller home, so we offered to have it here.  (She was a little disappointed because her house is so nice, and it's nice to show your new place.)

So I will try to make it extra special here.  I made a dessert yesterday, don't want to give all the details in case she reads this.  But I have some snack ideas, and meal ideas.  I have nice plates and napkins that I bought a while ago just because they were pretty, so glad I did.  The rain is supposed to clear up before evening, so we can have a fire in the propane fire pit on the deck, and roast marshmallows if we want to.  

The thing I want to do:  get a picture of the girls.  I think ten of the eleven girls will be here.  That, to me, is super exciting.  (Abigail lives in Delaware, she is not coming).   Some times last minute plans work out pretty well. 

One snag:  when we're camping packing, the one table in the dining area is the place.  A stack of towels, hot and spicy Cheez-Its, a jar of peanuts, half a bag of potatoes, my new rechargeable lantern...you remember something, you put it there.  Then it gets bagged up and brought out.  These things cannot be left there for the party, so we'll have to bring them out today.

I look around here and see a million things to do.  Of course vacuum and clean the floors, and dust, and putter and put things away that are perfectly fine until people are coming over.  The bathroom always needs a quick clean up, and and and.  I have to finish my dessert, and am thinking of a trip to the store for ice, and a few other things.  

Yes, I do love a nice gathering, and I am excited about it.

So...we had our fun outing on Monday...we are so lame, although I'm not sure that's okay to say anymore, but we are.  We went to Target, which is always fun with three daughters.  Then to Old Navy, where I found a pair of jeans for $9, and a few grandchildren clothes, then...we went to the diner.  It was a split second, last minute decision, but we went.  We celebrated Sonja K.  She finished her four year degree while 9 months pregnant, I am so proud of her.  She is all done with work now, as baby is due in about a week.  So we celebrated!  They had stuffed French toast and chicken and waffles, and I had scrambled eggs and hash browns, and that thick wondrous raisin toast, which I shouldn't have, but oh it's good.

Monday evening was extremely special, as Benjamin, our son-in-law Darius, and our friend Janette were baptized.  I don't think I could have shed more tears, tears of joy and thankfulness.  Especially to see Ben, big strong capable Ben, who was a challenging teenager, to say the least, but God has been so good and merciful, and hearing Benjamin testify of the life he will live, well.  Is there anything better?

Yesterday Sonja had to bring her car in to get some new tires put on, so I picked her up there and we went to the thrift store.  I found a super nice trike/ride on for the grandkids, for $5.49, she found a few really sweet baby girl things that looked never worn.  We went to Aldi, then for a Dunkin' iced coffee, then home...I had a tri-tip roast that needed to be cooked, it was already seasoned, from Aldi.  I browned it up on high heat in the iron frying pan, then put the whole thing in a 425 oven for an hour.  I foil wrapped some potatoes, then went out on the deck and husked the corn.  oh dear, what a nice meal!

Emily came over for a visit, so it was a nice evening, one of my favorite evenings.  She brought some pasta she had promised Camille, which I didn't know about, or I wouldn't have made so much food, but it's for lunch for them today.  

Ah well.  All the years of toil and tiredness, now I have all these amazing adult kids who are so much fun to be with, and of course their spouses, and the grandkids....no complaints.  

So today I'll hobble around here and make it nice, then when the older kids come over, I'll soak it in, and I will take tons of pictures.  I hope Evelyn is blessed and feels the love and appreciation from her siblings.  She has been so good and helpful to everyone through the years, we all love to bless her back.  

You all have a good day!