Birthday Bonanza

We had a great time at my parent's house.  The kids really enjoyed getting good use out of the new swing set in the backyard.  They got to play a lot with Ben and Emma which was really great.  They played and played and played.

Mom had a cute idea to use crescent rolls to make owl eyes.  Then they used reeses pieces for the eyes and goldfish for a beak.  They were sprinkled with cinnamon so they were really yummy....and cute! 
Of course, there were other fun activities too. We got to take the kids to Chick Fil A several times, and we went to an inflatable bounce house one day.  The weather was really enjoyable too.  Dad got sick while we were there, which kept him away from work and at the house, but also in his bed.  No one else caught the sickness thankfully.  Another fun thing, was a BBQ place with live music in Bellville.  We were able to meet Aunt Pam, Uncle Gerald, Nate, Sloan, Nanny and then Jenny and Aly joined us too. I ate a lot of BBQ while we were there.  But it was all really good. The big party day was November 3rd.  The party was sort of like a reunion because so many parts of the family came together to celebrate Nanny's 90th.

 Across the street from Aunt Pam's house the kids wanted to visit the horses.  We fed them some cheerios and it was really fun.  A good experience for kids from bush AK where there are no horses.  Cara was a little intimidated, but the boys were really into it.  Clint giggled every single time.

This swing is amazing.  It hangs from a big ol oak in the backyard. I think every kid took a turn.

This cake was super yummy!  Lemon!

This pic above was taken as we all sang Happy Birthday, all 46 of us. It was so great to be with Nanny on her big day of celebration. I'm so glad we made the trip. It was really special to see all the family who made the trip to celebrate with her also.  She is loved by many!

Preston and Clint, ended up assisting with the opening of gifts.

Jon and Cara-boo.

Above, Aunt Pam shares cake and ice cream with Sloan.  Sloan and Cara played together a lot.  She is such a cutie pie.  The other little ones that were missing, were Ben and Emma.  They got sick the day before the party so they couldn't make it.

Of course, there was a mad game of football going on for all ages!

Hanging out in the living room.  A little chatting, a little relaxing, a little hair braiding, a little block building, a little of everything.

Cara slept in the afternoon and made good use of a crib Aunt Pam has at her house for little ones.

Dad visiting with Uncle Rusty.  Aunt Pam's porches on the front and back of the house are just perfect for a long visit.

Nanny's party was most of the day.  We ate special food of course, because it was a special celebration.  We had BBQ brisket and sausage, beans, potato salad, and some guacamole and cheese dip on the side.  Mm Mm good! But at some point we began a party for Aly.  Her b day was a couple of days before Nanny's, and Jenny brought everything to make cupcakes so all the kids could decorate their own.  It was a fun way to celebrate.  After all the good food, we were stuffed for a while!

All the guys enjoyed some paint ball after their football was over with.  They took turns shooting at targets, and even challenged some of the guys to run through the course while someone took shots at them.  My boys were thrilled to participate!  Just kidding, they didn't shoot anyone.  But they did enjoy shooting at some trees.  Steve helped them out.  They thought they were so cool to be included in the older guy events.

The hayride was part of Aly's celebration.  It was my kid's first as far as I can remember.  It was great fun.  The rain had made everything wet, but they were able to turn the hay bales over and put a tarp down so we didn't get wet.  It was a little cool though. We were so excited to see lots of deer as we rode around.

This last one is Nanny with the great grands that made it to the party.  Happy Birthday Nanny!