Party for Mike

 So you are probably wondering why Mike's birthday party was on August 7th when his birthday was way back in June!!!  Well, many reasons but the main one was our yard.  We wanted to get it in tip top shape.  This entire summer was yard projects.  We did a lot to it with the help of many workmen.  In a nutshell we overhauled all the beds and curbed them and refilled them.  We planted 13 more trees and laid quite a bit of cement.  In this picture our garden is on the right and our tomatoes went gang busters this summer.  They are soooooo good.  I don't know how we will ever go back to the store bought ones in the winter.  Oh, and I must say the garden this summer is thanks to Mike.  I helped him plant it and then I weeded it twice, otherwise he has done it all.

 Here is our spread of food.  We had sparkly "40" decor everywhere hanging from the windows and trees and on the tables.  I served all Mike's favorite treats and candies.  Then we had some savory things too.  What drinks did we have?  Water and milk!  Mike's requests!  He said milk is the best with treats and he's right.(:

 This isn't a great pic but I had to include it because it was the hit of the party!  It's a bounce house that we rented.  The kids had such a great time.  The parents were happy because their kids were either in the bounce house or on the swing set and they could talk!  It was perfect and Mike's idea!  I wish I knew how many people came, it was a LOT!  I had a ton of food and there were some leftovers but not as many as I thought there would be.

Here we all are before the partay!  Vivi took this picture.  She came and helped me that night and she was a life saver.  It made the party a lot funner for me because she was there helping with the babies and the food.  Emmy is sucking on my lip gloss. 

St. Johns

Bryant loves loves loves this tree at my parents house.  It's the perfect apple climbing tree.  He spends a lot of time with his cousins in this very spot.  Look at the view from behind him.  Summer in St. Johns is beautiful and my parents house faces a large field with some horses in it.  It's kind of swampy but beautiful.

Here's Julie with the babies!  She is the best aunt and helped me so much with them while we were visiting.  You're the BEST Julie!  We all love you!!!!

I just had to put another picture of Bryant in the tree this time he is with Mons.

This is my beautiful sister Jeanette with our niece Alivia.  Kelli always has Alivia looking super cute with a headband at all times.

Erica loves St. Johns.  It's a great place for kids to roam with lots of freedom.  She was so sad when we got home that she wasn't still at Grandma and Grandpa's.  I'm so glad she loves being there because I do too!

I wish I could remember what Tommy was looking at here, he sure looks happy about it!  This is on my parents covered porch.  The group of 41 of us, yes that's right, 41 people in my family now, ate on my parent's porch as much as possible.  And the 41 only includes my parents, my siblings and their kids.  CRAZY!!!  We had such a great time together.  My parents are so organized that they pull it off well, but it is a lot of work!  I like helping my Mom put together meal assignments and making sure everyone is pulling their weight.(:

Tommy and Bryant have on matching shorts and they are both wearing Hurley shirts.  Bryant loves to tickle the babies and they are good to not scream at him instead!

Here's the field across from my parents house.  Scott and Mark, my brothers, took all the boys out to the swamp one morning to find water snakes and explore.  Bryant had the time of his life.  He came home covered in stinky mud but he had the best time.  I just love this picture of all the boys heading out for an adventure.

Emmy and Tommy loved eating meals outside on the porch.  They seemed to linger longer in their chairs because there was so much action around them and they were in the great outdoors.  Maybe that's how I should feed them at home!

This is a fun picture of my niece Makenna.  She is 15 and so dang cute.  She is a star athlete breaking track records left and right.  She loves my kids and has helped me so so very many times with them.  I remember when we were moving from NC to KY she and Jeanette flew out to NC just to help me!!!  I will always be grateful for that.  I truly wouldn't have survived that move without them.  I had lip surgery, not for vanity reasons but to remove an ugly growth, 4 days before we moved and my whole face was swollen.  They saved me, literally.

This is at the parade!  At the end of the 24th of July parade the fire truck always comes down the street and sprays water down on anyone who runs in to the street.  This is the back side of Erica begging for a drenching.

From Left to Right: Reagan, Carlie holding Alivia, Jeanette, Mom, Dad, Easton

This is Me and Jill.  Jill is my best friend from St. Johns.  She is so fun, hilarious and smart.  She can get me laughing harder than anyone I know.  She's working on her PhD right now and works for University of Phoenix.  I roomed with her for 2 years in college.  We have a lot of great memories together from childhood on up.

Here's Scott holding baby his new baby, Alivia.  We are at the rodeo here.  Once again, there she is in an adorable headband!  She is a beautiful baby.  Emmy and Alivia will have good times together.