A Birthday post - a week or more late....

So - With the end of school, and a visit from family from afar, and a birthday, and baseball, and soccer and the start of summer activities - I'm just a little behind. But...here are a few pix from the cookout, walk-a-bout, bonfire ending in pool party that M1 had for her 14th birthday.

Things started with cooking out hot dogs over a bonfire.





Then - the girls who were here all had fun looking at what one another had brought as their gift. I must admit that gift giving and getting is so fun at this age as the girls pick out their own presents to give. So much better than when I run to the store and scurry down the toy row looking for that one thing every other mom won't have already purchased! Such original gifts and thought put into them!!!



Then, the relatively manageable group of girls left the house to meet up with more kids at the infamous art walk. With a strict time of return, they all came back with more kids in tow. This was supposed to be s'more hour. (at least that's what my very organized and schedule oriented self thought).





Things were moving along smoothly until one of our dear family friends (an adult have you) might have said something along the lines of "hey - who wants to jump in the pool?" Well - what teenager wouldn't jump at this invite fully dressed on a cool night in a 62 degree pool!?!?!?!?!?!?











Sorry - I know these pix are a little dark - but it was dark out. And I can't say I was expecting to be taking pool pix!

So - after finding every clean towel in our house to dry the fully dressed teenagers of many - things did finally quiet down a bit and the kids all landed back around the bonfire to warm up.


I so wish I had taken a picture of the bodies sprawled across the living room the next morning. Or photographed the mountain of pancakes and sausage and bacon and smokies these ravenous teenagers ate for breakfast. But alas, I think I was too in shock at the bodies that filled the floors, couches and chairs and my thinking muddled by the mounds of food to be prepared.

Without a doubt, I think they all had fun and hope it was a birthday party to remember for our dear daughter!