March 10, 2007

• WARNING!!  EXTREMELY LONG AND POTENTIALLY FILLED WITH NOTHING POST AHEAD!!

  Today we celebrated my mom's birthday - technically, it was on Tuesday, but everyone was working and doing other stuff on Tuesday, so we decided to all get together today.  Sometimes the sheer enormity of my family is overwhelming and they wear me out....today however, was one of those days that it was just fun to all be together.  One of the days that I am glad to be the oldest of 10 children - glad that we all live close - glad that we [for the most part] can enjoy spending time together....

  We started the evening early - went to a local Chinese buffet that is super yummy - of course we took over a whole corner of the restaurant...

  [L to R] - Sam, Jannah, Addison [in the car seat], and my sister in love Brittney.
  

  [L to R] - Abe, Joe, Ben, Caleb and Alex [in the highchair].

  

  [L to R] - Ian [in the highchair, John, Jordan, Jesse, Mom, Hannah, and Dad.

   

  [L to R] - David, Bethany, Tabitha and Michael.

  

  Have you ever played the game where you open your fortune cookies and read them attaching the words 'in bed' at the end of the fortune?  Try it some time - funny, funny stuff - here are a few of my favorites from tonight...

  'Passionate new romance appears in your life unexpectedly - in bed'
  'You will take a chance on something in the near future - in bed'
  'A persons reach should exceed their grasp - in bed'
  'Unexpected financial gifts surprise and delight you - in bed'
  'Happiness is a state of mind.  It is always available at bargain prices - in bed'
  'Acceptance is the key to happiness - in bed'
  'Our virtues are often our vices disguised - in bed'
  'Someone you recently met will play an important role in your life - in bed'
  [And my personal favorite] - 'The truly generous shares with even the undeserving - in bed'

  See now?  Perhaps it isn't funny at all to read - it may not translate very well, but it was FUNNY in the restaurant.  I promise you.

  After everyone was through eating, we headed home and unloaded - decided rather on a whim that since all of us were together at one time, [which even on the holidays is rare anymore] we would try to get a shot of the entire family.  This one is a tiny bit fuzzy, but everyone looks good to me..so here is the clan...wish I could blow it up bigger for you all to see - hard to believe looking at this crowd that this is with only three siblings married and with children - can you imagine what this picture is going to look like in another ten years?  Holy cow.

  

  I got some great shots as my dad and seven month pregnant sister started to compare belly size...

  

  

  Guess which one is bigger?  That would be my dad - by three inches.  Impressive.  Very impressive.  Hannah thought it was great... [isn't she one of the most beautiful pregnant girls you have ever seen?  I get that I am biased, but still....]

  

  One of the things that I love about my family is the degree of 'comfort-ableness' that we have with children and babies.  It makes it so fun when we are all together if someone is hurt or crying or just needs to be held there are many, many pairs of arms around to oblige and love on them.  I think that is cool.

  How many 21 year olds do you know that do not have children of their own, but are totally comfortable comforting and holding a nephew with an 'owie'? [That would be my brother Joe and nephew David]

  

  My sister Jannah with our niece Addison curled up and cozy...

  

  Dad [or pawpaw as they call him] with Addison. [please excuse the red eye - I was too lazy to photoshop it out before posting]

  

  Me with nephews Ian and Alex

  

  My sister Hannah and I took the opportunity for a couple more 'sister' shots together.

  

  

  Awwwww - aren't we sweet?  You would think so - and then we decided to have a 'toe war' - which is really just the game 'mercy' [you know the game where you interlock fingers with someone and try to bend their fingers back until they say mercy?] only with your toes instead....[I know, I know - we are strange folk]

  Here is the visual.

  

  I was doing so well - then got a horrific cramp in my foot and had to stop.   Sucks to lose to your little sister.

  In lieu of the traditional birthday cake for the celebration, tonight we did pie instead - because mom likes pie better than cake, and it was her birthday after all - so there was cherry cheesecake, chocolate silk, lemon meringue and banana cream pie to feast on after the chinese settled....ahhhhhh.....

  The other thing that I like about being from a big family?  The fact that there are so many of you around that clean up is a breeze - it takes next to no time with everyone working together...[yes - that would be a wooden spoon in my sister in love Joanna's back pocket - she has three very active little boys and apparently needed it easily accessible this evening  ]

  

  All in all - a super fun and relaxing night.  I love how it blesses my moms heart to see all of us together and having a good time.  Mission accomplished for the evening. 

  I love you Mom - Happy Birthday.

  

  • 11:25 pm
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