The Great Banana Accident at Wings of Freedom

This weekend was the Wings of Freedom Airshow.   We live relatively close to the airport so we can see and hear most of the show.   We decided to actually go and watch this year.  We also had my cousins daughter K for the day while her mom worked. 

K is a very picky eater. She would not eat anything for breakfast even when Peter offered to get her Mcdonalds for breakfast.  She "tried" some nutter butter cookies and said they were "OK" as she finished them off.   Ahh kids.....what do you do?

During the course of the morning, I decided to take Carter for a ride in the car, in hopes that he would nap before going to the show.  It was abour 10:45 and before I left K came to me and said she was hungry. I asked her what she would like. 

"Mcdonalds." she replied.

"OK......what do you want? I will stop and get you some while I am out." I said. 

"Chicken nuggets, french fries and sprite." she respinded like she had been contemplating asking since Peter returned with his breakfast.

"Ok" I said and left with Carter.

We returned home, Carter asleep and  McDonalds in hand.  K sat down, while Carter slept and I finished getting our bag packed for the airshow.   I decided to pack a couple bananas for the kids to snack on later.  I put them in one of the outer pockets of the diaper bag. 

Carter woke up and it was time to go so we loaded the kids up.  Even though we are literally  live right around the corner from the airport and normally it would take us 10 minutes to get to the location of the show, it took us 30 minutes.   We were able to watch some of it from the car.  K saw a bi-winged plane doing a dashed  smoke line in the sky.

"April that is a broken line!  We learned about it in school." K cried.  She was excited.

We had to park about a mile and a half away from the entrance so, I took the kids and Peter hauled the diaper bag and chairs.  We made it through the entrance and bag check and suddenly Peter stopped just inside the gate.

"What in the world?!" he exclaimed.

In the course of hauling the diaper bag he had inadvertently turned the banana pocket toward him so that while he was walking he was smashing the banana all over his butt. 

I laughed and started pulling smashed banana out of the bag looking for a trash can and  finding some wipes to clean it up as much as I can.   Peter is trying to wipe off the goo as well and Carter is watching the whole episode and checking out everything else going on around him.

I suddenly hear, "Oh no!  What happens if I get hungry?!  What will we do?" coming from K, who is standing there in shock and horror.

"It will be ok.  We can get something if we need to."  I reply.

At this point I have not relized that  by saying these words I have given K an open invitation to request and eat any kind of junk food she desired.  Oops!

When it was all said and done K had eaten nutter butter cookies,  Mcdonalds, nachos (with the majority of the cheese scraped off because she has some milk intolerance), a strawberry smoothie, and a funnel cake with powdered sugar.

Junk.

At least I had good intentions with the banana.

Defined as "Mom"

Carter had an awesome time at Grandma and Grandpa's.  He played with  Uncle M's  Thomas the Tank Engine  train set constantly, ate copious amounts of sugar (which may explain the lack of naps a couple of those days) and  had a great time bonding with everyone. 

I did fine.

Peter and I had a couple date nights.  We tried a  restaurant we had never been to, that was highly recommended by friends called "Bread & Cup".   It was delicious.  They have a very unique menu arranged around ingredients available locally.  We saw the movie "Crazy Stupid Love".  I am a fan of Emma Stone, I think she has great comedic timing and is adorable.  Ryan Gosling is hot in this movie by the way.  We did not feel rushed, we relaxed during dinner and enjoyed the movie.   It was wonderful getting to spend some alone time with Peter.    

However, it was an "On the Job Training" experience for me having Carter gone.  I basically felt like I had to re-trian myself on how to be someone other than "Mom" and how to do things without a toddler under foot.  The last couple years have been all about taking care of little man. When he was not there, I felt a little lost.  I also got tasks completed at alarming speeds.  It made me wonder.......

Have I let being a mom define who I am?

I have to admit that when an events/opportunities come up I question how or in what way it will effect Carter.  What needs to be done or not be done with regards to the kiddo?  Is that a bad thing?

 I think not.

Maybe, I need to find a balance.  I will work on this and let you know.  

Now that I have experienced being away from Carter overnight, it will happen more often...........but not anytime soon.

I  missed him a lot!

By the time we got up there on Saturday to spend the rest of the long weekend and pick him up, he looked like he had grown 2 inches and is now speaking in paragraphs instead of sentences...... and driving!

Not really but for the dramatic effect, it sounds good.

He gave us both big hugs and his room brightening smile.  He was just as happy to see us as we were to see him.   He was equally excited to see our dog Tai. he chased him around the room until Tai submitted to a toddler pat on the back. 

In the end there was only trauma for Momma, which I knew would be the case.  When it comes down to it we need lessons like this to make us better parents.  The kids need it too.

Separation Anxiety

Not Carter..........me!

My mantra this week is,  "I will be fine. I will be fine."

We have no daycare this week. Our wonderful daycare provider is taking a much needed week off, even though she is missing them all terribly.  


I took Monday - Wednesday off and Grandma and Grandpa E. are watching him the rest of the week.  This is the first time he has been away from me over night.   He has been away from Dad over night numerous times.  The first time was when he was only a few weeks old because our furnace in our house went kaput and was leaking carbon monoxide.  I packed him up quicker than I have ever packed for an extended stay and we took off for my Mom's house, with no idea when we would be returning. 
  
I took Carter up there on Sunday night and spent a few days playing golf and helping my Mom around the house.  Then Wednesday came along and after a rough night in which Carter did not sleep well, I was truly not looking forward to leaving.  

We got up at our normal time and ate some breakfast, then Mom took over and I went back to bed for a while before I needed to leave. My nap was interrupted by a couple texts and phone calls and decided to just get up and get moving.  I got myself ready and packed up my suitcase.  Carter woke up from a morning nap crabby as a bear.  He was hungry.  So I got him some lunch and joined him before I left.

The moment arrived and I had been telling myself to not cry until  you leave.

That did not happen.

I told him "Goodbye" and gave him a big hug and kisses.  I lost it when I was walking out the door.  Then he stood with my Mom on the driveway saying, "Bye! Bye!" as I pulled out of the driveway tears streaming down my face. 

I cried hard for the first 4 blocks of the trip until I got to a Stop sign and pulled myself together.  The first leg of the 2 hour drive consisted of small bursts of tears when I thought about Carter.  I tried to distract myself a little bit by calling my dad but, he could not talk long.

I called my Mom's 30 minutes into the drive with the excuse that I had not said goodbye to my stepfather, which was true.   My leaving was more of a "get going while you still have the nerve" quickness. So I said goodbye to him and then asked how Carter was doing. 

He was fine.

I hung up the phone and cried a little and continued my journey.

I made it home and called again.  He was great playing with his uncle Mason or "MayMay" as Carter calls him.  I hung up and did not cry!  I got busy doing the things that I needed to do, which went surprisingly quickly.  I had forgotten how much you can accomplish without having to constantly check on a wee one.

Doesn't make this any easier.   

A co-worker said that I needed to look at this way.   First she asked me if I had spent time with my Grandparents when I was little? 

Yes of course!  I took trips with them,  spent weeks at a time with them.  Mom would come to get me and I would want to stay longer!  So this is great for Carter, he will love it!  

I will be fine.

She also said that He needs to get used to this because, he will do it more as he gets older. 

It will be good for us both. 

Very true R.  You are wise.

I will be fine.

I miss him.

I will be fine.

Screaming Toddler 101

Yes, we signed up for this when we became parents. 

Are we failing miserably?

I don't think so.

Do we have our moments?

Yes, one of us more than the other.   

I am not an expert in any way shape or form but, here are some of my experiences so far.

I hate saying so far, it just means there is more to come.

It's all about patience and strategy.

You have to be patient with the meltdown.  The more you let it get to you the more they will do it.  They are smart little buggers. If you let it get to you then yeah they will shoot for the moon, go for the goal.......... then do a touchdown dance and laugh about it. 

Strategy comes into play with how to end the meltdown.  There are key questions to figuring out.

1. What is the reason for the meltdown? 
1. Is it because they want to go outside and play and you are seconds from putting dinner on the table and won't let them?  
1. Do not give in to this. It will only make coming back inside within minutes that much worse.
2. Is it because they do not want to let you leave when you drop them off at daycare?  (Sob...sob...he did not used to do this now it is a regular occurrence.)
1. I'm still working on this one, cause honestly I don't want to leave as much as he wants me to stay....but Mommas gotta work!
3. Did you take away a crayon because they felt the couch was their canvas?
1. Place child in time out and walk away.  Once the tears stop calmly explain the reason for the timeout.  They are smart little buggers.
2. My  cousin N took Permanent marker to the walls, the table, you name it he drew on it. His mother took the markers away and he says that he has no artistic ability  today because of this. 
4.  Do they want to get into the cupboard for the ump-teenth time to get a marshmallow that they lick then feeds to the dog?
1. I try not to give into this.  It is pretty funny to watch though so it is hard not to go ahead and let him have "one more".  However when the marshmallow becomes a writing utensil for the couch, it end pretty quickly.
2. My poor couch. 
2. How do you stop the meltdown?   
1. Should you stop it or let it roll?  Most of the time you should stop it.  Simply because, when a meltdown occurs in public they know that you mean business when you try to stop it.
2. Try to distract them, give them something else to do. Sometimes that works, other times you get an emphatic "no" and more meltdown ensues.
3. Pick them up and talk to them quietly, or get down to their level and talk to them.  If they don't have to look up at you and know that you are in that moment giving them your undivided attention they may be more apt to stop the meltdown and listen to you. 
1. I must say that in the big scheme of things reasoning with a young toddler is futile, but the more patience you have the quicker they will learn.
2. My Stepfather G told me one thing to remember about an almost 2 year old is that everything revolves around them and everything in their universe belongs to them.  Good to know!
3. When do you throw in the towel?
1. As in give up and walk away......when you have exhausted your efforts, or your patience is gone.  As long as there is no immediate danger to the child just walk away.
1. I have had to do this.......not my favorite parenting moment. 

So in the big scheme of things this is just a faze.....I hope. 

Until it ends the homework stinks. 

I better get an A.

You Know You're A Mom When......

1. You use your shirt to wipe your child's nose because you cannot find a tissue anywhere. 
2. The left-over peanut butter sandwich in the car seat from the morning trip to daycare......yeah you eat it.
3. You wipe off the little bit of poo on your shirt from the last diaper change with a wipe and call it good rather than changing your shirt,  creating even more laundry.
4. You never get to go to the bathroom by yourself anymore once your child is mobile.
5. You always have a helper. I love this one- so cute!
6. No matter how hard you try not to use the word "no", it is always one of the first things out of your mouth, especially when they are playing in the toilette water.
7. You witness them discovering that while it is colorful and looks delicious, a crayon is not candy.
8. Two words, "Spit Bath".
9. Love has a whole new meaning.
10. Everyday you are amazed, shocked,  and inspired by the things your child does.

Ghostly Encounters and Packing Material

My Dad is moving in with Theresa. I am very happy for the two of them.  In all honesty, I was a little thrown back when the topic came up.  It is just not something a 29 year old has to think about when it comes to her parents.  Kind of makes you giggle at the silliness of the way new love looks from the outside.

Giggles aside, we are now in the process of going through "20 years living in the same house" of stuff.

It seems like a daunting task.....certain rooms in particular.

Also a scary task.....certain rooms in particular.   Wait wait....the whole house is scary.

My sister J,  informed me Saturday morning that she saw a ghost Friday night in the middle of the night.

I had gotten up to go to the bathroom.  She said while I was up the ghost walked past the bedroom she was staying in looked over it's shoulder at her, shrugged and walked down to the room I was staying in...........moments before I walked past her room heading back to my room.  I did not see this apparition ,thank goodness, because if I had I probably would have freaked out because the ghost walked into the room where Carter was sound sleep.  (Picture me wriggling in my chair right now with the heeby geebies just thinking about it.)

I believe in ghosts, spirits with unfinished business, spirit guides,  angels and the like.  I have had my own encounters with the strange and unusual.   While I have never had an encounter at my Dad's house before, I have always thought there was something there.

Anyway back to the packing.

Bright and early at 0630 Carter woke up, so I was up and so was sister J.  We figured we may as well get started.  Several texts and phone calls later Dad showed up with breakfast pizza at 0930.....uh yeah it was delicious!

I wouldn't so much say that my Dad (and Laura) is a pack rat.......but sometimes if the shoe fits you gotta wear it, if you know what I mean.  There are just some things that to make no sense to me to keep,  but make perfect sense to my Dad.  In example a coffee can full of old light switches.  Maybe he has a use for them, maybe he just like the way they look.  Who knows? 

There was a show called Clean Sweep on TLC for a while. They would come to your home and pick 2 rooms to clear out and redecorate those rooms.  During the process one of the main dudes makes three piles keep, sell, and toss in which the homeowners  must distribute the items taken from the rooms of choice.  We attempted to take the shows sorting approach with Dad's house.  I think we did OK.......but we still have a long way to go.

Carter played with the Sammy the cat......Philburt hides when there are people around.  Sam takes this playing pretty well because he loves attention.  Sammy did hide from Carter a couple times....prompting Carter to walk around going "ere ahr eww?" (Meaning "where are you?")  

Yes it fascinates me that Carter at  19 months attempts and sometimes can form sentences and use them in the correct context.  Examples include... "Ic ee eww." for "I see you" when he is looking through toy binocculars  and "der eww doo" for "There you go." when he hands you something.

Carter and sister J......this picture looks like Carter is biting J but, he is actually trying to give her a zerbet.

My Dad reads Mother Earth News.  This basket is full of old ones.

Brother I was there helping pack stuff up.  We tried to get our regular picture of him with Carter, but Carter was not into it.  Quite frankly brother I was not either.  Ha!

I am 98% sure that the small orb of light in the hallway in this photo is a ghost.  The rest of the house was dark when I took this picture.  Now I want to go back through old pictures taken in the house and see if there are any floating orbs in them. 

Or maybe not it may just creep me out.

The sorting and packing went well, with the occasional "What is this?" followed by "Nevermind I don't want to know." conversation, as the item is hastily put in a box or back into the drawer it was extracted from.   I did have some trepidation about sister J throwing out old school day memorabilia, fearing that one day when she has kids she will regret not having some of these things to show them, but she said she did not want it and I respect her decision.  She said she had no emotional attachment to it, so there was no point in keeping it. Love you sister J so I wish you to have no regrets.

Maybe there is a little bit of pack rat in me as well.  I had the same trepidations when my Mom and Gordon moved about things that I let go of.

Sister J does have a point.  When it comes down to it, it is just "stuff".  What we will take from the house is not the "20 years of living in the same house of stuff".  It is the memories we made in that house.  The laughter, the tears, the "there is a ghost standing next to me" fear.

Lone Star State of Mind

As far as family reunions go, my family seems pretty darn good at them. Any side you go to is amazing, eventful......sometimes a little unorthodox..... but hey, they are family and they have to love us right?  There are usually at least two reunions held over the 4th of July. Of course they are always on opposite ends of the country so we have to choose which one we will go to.  This year we chose to head down to Texas.

 I had never been to Texas save the airport in Dallas.  That doesn't count.  I consider airports like Switzerland......neutral territory.  You can't say you have been somewhere until you have walked down the street and smelled the city......or feedlot....or sea air....depending on where you go.  Texas is big country so this is a long post.

I was voted the "Unofficial Secretary of the Board of Trustees" for the reunion this year.  I have been working on a news letter  and decided to use some of that for my post.

Another awesome B-L family reunion has come and gone.  This years’ gathering was held at the home of D, J, and D. B. in Canyon, TX.   The festivities were held from June 30^Th to July 4^Th, though most of the people headed home on the 3^rd. Here is a little history.....

When L B passed away in 1995(?) and everyone got together to remember his life, the subject of getting together under better circumstances came up.   So the following year (1996?) the first reunion was held.  Since no one was seriously injured that first go round, they thought it would be fun to do it again...and again…and again...and so on.  So here we are in 2011 trying to get a little organized and keep the tradition alive. The following is a synopsis of the weekend.

 People began arriving in Texas on Thursday June 30^Th.  The horseshoe pits were put together and the old rivalries surfaced.   The crew stayed up late throwing shoes and enjoying each-others company…..and a few choice beverages.  My crew drove all night to get down there.  We were making good time until Dad got picked up while trying to pass someone who apparently did not know what cruise control was.  Luckily the officer was feeling generous and only gave him a warning.

Friday July 1^st brought the early arrival of more kin and the mission to find them a bed to flop into was priority.  Once everyone was some-what rested the baking began. D, M, L, H, and I spent the day baking.  Aside from the first batch of rolls that some-one, names are not important…… D and H…..forgot to put yeast in the dough, everything turned out fabulous. To their credit, the rolls were still delicious and were all eaten by the end of lunch.

Something happens when these women get together and the flour flies.  It’s a thing of beauty. Big golden rolls, sweet monkey bread, and cinnamon rolls that almost make you cry.  These however were eaten so quickly their efforts were almost futile........... delicious, but futile.

 As the day progressed the murder marbles were dug out, the ladder golf balls were thrown, the dice were rolled, and the shoes were tossed.  Occasionally we lost a few who could not resist the temptations of the beautiful surroundings and adventured into the canyon.  They always managed to find their way back about “bean time”, led home by the grumblings in their bellies.

Saturday July 2^nd started off with a bang, somewhat literally,  as the bread dough burst out of the bowl.  More baking ensued and a breakfast of French toast was prepared.  Peter,Carter some other cousins, and I got lost going to the Amarillo Zoo.  It was OK though, it provided ample napping time for the little ones and they were ready to run around and see the animals at the zoo.   J said they were doing some renovations and updating the facilities to make the zoo a better attraction.  They still have some work ahead of them but it was a very nice zoo.   It is a perfect size for little kids.  Not so big that they get tired before they see everything.

Back at the house the festivities were in full swing.  The kitchen was brimming with bodies making salads for the big meal of the day.   Outside the sun was sweltering, but the shoes were still flying.  People were pairing off and practicing for the annual horseshoe tournament. In all, there were around 14 teams.  R made 3 wooden horseshoes for the prizes.

 There was a light rain shower in the middle of the tournament, but that did not hinder the play.  Dad and M took first place for the second year in a row, winning the highly coveted, largest wooden horseshoe, which my Dad proceeded to wear around his neck the rest of the day.   Second place went to S and L and winning third place by a coin toss were R and T.   In the evening before the steak dinner we gathered in the yard for a family picture.   We ate a wonderful steak dinner with a vast array of salads.  The festivities went on well into the night with ladder golf, marbles, and beverages.

Sunday over mugs of coffee we held our annual "Board of Trustees" meeting.  The board consists of anyone who shows up and states their ideas or opinions. Plans hashed out and meeting adjourned we all got ready for church and finished packing things up.  after church we loaded up the car and went to lunch.

There is a certain beauty to Texas. 

 If you win I believe you get a t-shirt, the glory of saying you did it, and get to skip out on the $180+ bill.  I believe Adam beat it.......if you search for video the guy next to him looks like he is not going to make it much longer without hurling.  Anyway we wanted to eat lunch there.  No there would be no 72oz steak for any of us.  The food was pretty tasty, the atmosphere was.....rustic. 

As we were getting ready to leave a young man stepped up to the challenge.  I took his picture and wished him luck.

 I checked the website and I do not think he was successful.  It is a lot of food!

Carter did an awesome job for such a long road trip.  We rolled into home about 1 am and flopped into our beds shortly after.  Carter thankfully slept the rest of the night.  It was another great reunion spent with some of the best people I know.   Thank you to everyone for coming.  Thank you also to D, J, and D for the use of your beautiful home and your gracious hospitality. 

Burnt chops and bumped noggins

The other day when I was off work, I got some pork chops out of the freezer.  Big beautiful 1/2 thick chops still on the bone.  When they were thawed, I poured BBQ sauce over them and let them stew in their juices for a while.   I was going to be playing sand volleyball that evening so I wanted things to be easy to get ready.

Peter arrived home and was put on Dad duty so that I could cook un-interupted.  The grill was started and hot, so I turned the flame down , threw the meat on, then got busy on the side dishes.   While in my peaceful cooking coma, I heard squeals of laughter coming from the bedroom. One of my favourite sounds in the world.  It took me moments to guess that they were playing the "Daddy will catch you" game.  

Basic rules of the "Daddy will catch you"  game. 
1. Daddy sits/ kneels on the floor next to the bed.
2. Carter head dives off the bed.
3. Daddy catches Carter.
4. Carter laughs, Daddy laughs...everyone is happy.

I told Peter maybe that was not such a good game to teach him.....but boys will be boys.   

Several minutes go by and I figure it's time to check the meat.  

Flames.

Bright red, orange, with yellow edges flames.

The porkchops now resemble hockey pucks and there is no way to salvage any part of them.  I trudge back in the house, defeated by the grill to see what else we have. 

As I enter I hear the soft, hiccoughing cry of a little boy.   The basic rules of the game were not followed.  Instead, it went something like this.  

1. Carter takes a little break.
2. Daddy decides to put some clothes away. 
3.Carter head dives off the bed. 
4. Daddy does not catch Carter.....Daddy is nowhere near Carter. 
5. Carter hits the floor and does a sumersault. 
6.Carter cries, Daddy scopps Carter up off the floor......no one is happy.  
7. Carter gives Daddy the evil eye for the next 20 minutes.

You will notice the additional steps in what happened and the deviation from the original steps of the game.


Carter is fine.  Daddy will recover.  We ate sandwiches.

30 Years

A little blurry  picture of their wedding photo. 

My Uncle G and Aunt K celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary  by having the family out to their house for a delicious prime rib dinner and party.  We ate, then took some family pictures, followed by a renewal of vows.

The couple getting ready to say grace.

The "bride" enjoying dinner.

Little cousin A she is 2 months younger than Carter.

Little cousin A and Carter...there was a lot of  pleading to both of them to get this picture. 

Jenn and Ian

Jenn, April and Ian.   See Ian does smile!

Carter was a busy kid that night.  I'm not sure  who the phone belongs to. 

Uncle Ian and Carter

Jenn and Theresa

During the family pictures Carter decided to be the most unruly kid while we were getting organized. So that meant that we ended up on a chair in the front row of the pictures.  Organizing 28 people for a family picture with 4 of them under the age of 5 can be quite a challenge.  Not to mention that we took these pictures in a pasture on a hill with grass up to our hips and a number of bugs about.  So every now and then one of the girls would say something to the effect of " Eewww.... get it off of me!" or "Oh! Look at that big spider" or "Why didn't I wear tennis shoes instead of sandals."    By the time we were organized, Carter was finished with the being outside and sitting still business.  S the photographer had to work hard to get his attention. 


General rule of taking family pictures with small children:  Let the photographer get the child's attention. You as the adult need to only ready yourself and look pretty. Don't check out what the kid is doing it only makes it take longer, leading to the said child having a complete meltdown because they are being forced to sit still.


Incidentally S if the same photographer who took Uncle G and Aunt K's wedding photos. He is also the same photographer who took, or attempted to take,  Aunt S's wedding photos.  It turned out that the camera had broken, so all the pictures turned out blurry. This is a fact that S has never quite lived down in our family.  Every one kept asking him if there was film in the camera, because that is what my Grandpa had asked him every time he saw him after the fiasco with Aunt S's wedding pics.   He is also the same photographer who took my senior pictures.


Anyway....... back at the house they did a renewal of vows. A lovely ceremony with a candle symbolizing the grandma's and a plaque symbolizing the grandpa's.  Babies crying or running around through the whole thing...... because, again we were trying to make them sit still with the whole big wide world to explore right in front of them. 

The Bride and Groom.....Aunt K's brother J led the ceremony.  

Uncle G and Aunt K with their 3 boys. 

We had to pause during the ring exchange because Uncle G had to go inside and get his ring.  He is a rancher/farmer so wearing a wedding ring poses some hazard.   


 My cousin C's fiance A and I kept checking out the sky because it kept getting darker and darker.

 She would whisper "That cloud looks unfriendly"


 I would reply  "Yes,  very vicious looking."


 At the end of the ceremony everyone started toasting the couple.   Uncle G toasted (he cried a lot and had to stop a few times.)  Aunt K quoting a George Straight song "I may not love you for the rest of your life but I will love you for the rest of mine." To which Aunt K  choked out a "Whoa!" and there was not a dry eye in the place.

Just as the toasts  were finishing and we were gearing up for some cake. A wall cloud  came rolling over us.  Followed by a vicious wind and a few sprinkles of rain.  Everyone watched as the clouds swirled, then someone said, "Everyone inside!" and we jumped  into action getting chairs pulled inside the shed,  the awnings on the campers rolled up, and the grandma's and babies into the house. There was a downpour of rain  and hail and they told us to head for the basement.   About the time we got the Grandma's, the babies, and a couple of the dogs down to the basement they said it was safe to come back out.

One of the beautiful things about thunderstorms in the valley is that you can see them rolling in and you know about how far they are from you by the number of  fields between you and the rain.  It is just gorgeous and awe inspiring watching them come in.  How could something so beautiful be so vicious?

It was still raining a little, but it did not stop us from having a good time..... and eating some yummy cake. Happy anniversary to a great couple!

Congrats on 30 amazing years!