Although I think I will be grappling with myself on this subject for awhile, I want you to know how much you have helped me. Thank you.
Our weekend was busy but lots of fun. On Saturday we had a pool party, and most of the morning was spent setting up, guests came at one o'clock, everyone ate, drank, and talked for awhile. Then some of the group braved the cold temperature of the pool for a game of volleyball, I was not one of them. I hadn't prepared any food for dinner ahead of time so I cooked while everyone was in the pool. My sister Diane also opted not to go in and she very kindly helped me in the kitchen.
It was also my niece Erika's birthday (she turned twenty-three) so we had a birthday cake for her for dessert (actually two cakes, my sister-in-law bought her an ice cream cake, and Ray had picked up a bakery cake for her).
Here are a few pictures of the day:
Here's the birthday girl!
Look who's in the baby pool!
You will all be so proud of me, I did not say one word when Donald and Ray decided to play volleyball with Jayden (as the volleyball!).
Mia all ready for the pool!
Mia in the baby pool...
...with everyone else!
Donald and Susie (Ray's brother and sister).
Brian reading to Mia.
Happy Birthday, Erika!
Erika cutting her cake.
"Hey! Hey! I want a bigger piece!" (Poor Erika! There's one in every crowd! And our one is usually Uncle Donald!)
Mia on Daddy's shoulders admiring Jayden's art work.
A long line for cake.
Erika enjoying her cake(s).
I think everyone had a good time. And after everyone left Ray was great and collected everything that was outside and brought it in for me. And he had cleaned up after dinner too, so that was nice.
It was late by the time the last guests left so we slept in a little Sunday morning. It was such a beautiful day so we went to the cemetery and weeded and cleaned up the graves a little.
Then we did some food shopping and when we got home Brian was here, and we ordered pizza for lunch, then Ray and I went for a walk, we stopped at the park and sat by the water, it was beautiful and there was a cool breeze coming off the water. The park was crowded with lots of people sitting on blankets on the grass, lots of people sitting on the benches, lots of dogs, and lots of kids. It was really nice. I was sorry I didn't bring my camera, it was really pretty sitting under the bridge with the boats going by. When we got back I finished putting things away from the party and then I did a little more decoupage on a dresser I'm working on.
It was a great weekend, a nice Gift from God.
Eileen, I loved reading about your weekend and so enjoyed the photo's....can't beat family for sure....and they are all so good looking.
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of "me" I go for groceries then run through McDonalds on my way home with the care full of food....I use to do that so often.
Thank you for sharing my friend......-) Hugs
Bernie, I busted out laughing when I read your comment! And you hit the nail on the head with us, we do that all the time, come home with a load of groceries, unpack them all and put them away, and then reach for the take-out menus!
ReplyDeleteI really do not enjoy cooking (plus Ray says I am the messiest cook in the kitchen, and he's right), so I cook as little as possible! And since I had cooked the day before I wasn't cooking again.
That was a fun visit with you Eileen...do you really have pool parties every weekend?...fun for everyone in your own backyard...
ReplyDeleteI noticed the nice decoupage on a chest and some chairs...and Jayden's chicken on a nest is sweet...
I visited a blog over the weekend that had a pink toaster and coffeemaker...thought of you!
Take care and have fun in your pool!
Wanda, this is actually the first pool party for this summer because it's been too cold, and even now with the sun on it for a few days in a row the water is still cold (it's rained almost every night so that drops the temperature down, I'd like to get a heater for the pool but they are so expensive). I think that's why everyone wanted to go into the kiddie pool, Ray had filled that with pots of hot water from the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteWe do usually have pool parties every weekend though, sometimes Saturday and Sunday. They are a lot of fun!
It's funny you said that about the pink toaster because I was going to buy one and then I thought how wasteful, I have a perfectly good stainless steel toaster that works fine! So I ordered a toaster cover in pink instead.
And, yes, the chest of drawers in the back room is the one I'm working on, I do only one drawer a day!
I think the chairs you are talking about are the dining chairs, those we bought from a second hand store and they were already hand-painted like that. They are all mismatched but I like that.
Thanks for stopping by!
I loved your post with Alivia! So sweet.
Lots of catching up to do, but there was even more going on this week-end that I didn't post (I was just so anxious to get it done as it always takes me a good two hours to do a post, sometimes more).
ReplyDeleteWill be coming back later to savor this post and all of these pictures. What a pretty niece...does pretty just run all over in this family??
So nice to have lots of people over, but so tiring too!
Looks like you did a great job, Eileen.
Will also come back and comment on your 'when is enough' post.
blessings and hugs,
marcy
Hi Eileen-
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading about your weekend and seeing all the fun photos of family and friends. I also so appreciated how you and your husband found time or made time to go for a walk and just "be". I find that delightful.
Love to you
Gail
peace.....
Whew, Marcy! You had us worried!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!
And, yes, Erika is extremely nice looking as are all of Susie's kids (and Susie too!) (we dubbed her daughter Jackie 'most photogenic'!)
And I know blogging can be very time-consuming, especially if you are loading pictures! I'm up sometimes really late at night doing it.
Gail, thanks for stopping by, and thanks for your kind comments here and on my last post, I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your pool party, and I must say that you are a very good looking bunch! You all looked so happy, and fun loving, and everyone has such wonderful smiles. Nothing like family, thats for sure! ((((HUGS)))) T
Your pool party sounded really nice. People obviously had a good time. I'm sorry you got "shot down" when you brought up your subject of when is enough enough. Those kind of thoughts are like "pearls" and the Bible says don't cast your pearls before swine. Now I'm not saying your guests were swine....it probably was the timing more than anything. Blogging is a great place to put your thoughts in writing. (I also like to journal for the same reason. Often in the writing, I get insight and new direction or perspective.) Don't ignore your questions. Pray them aloud to the Father. Then give Him time to answer them. When you get HIS perspective, it would be best to adopt it as your own :) Grace and peace to you, Eileen!
ReplyDeleteHi, Teresa, we do all have lots of fun when we get together. We laugh so much all the time, and Donald especially keeps everyone in stitches! I think we're all just so comfortable with each other, sometimes that's bad though, because when we're with 'outsiders' we tend to form a 'clique' within ourselves!
ReplyDeleteBut I do enjoy my family and Ray's and I love spending time with them.
Rebecca, I don't take offense at any snide remarks my family makes, I'm used to them, and I 'give' as good as I 'get'!
ReplyDeleteMost of them are just not the type to share their innermost feelings and they have no desire for me to share mine either!
Actually, Donald, the snidest one of all, he's the one who we probably have the most deep conversations with, he's really a very sweet guy under his gruff exterior. And he's very devoted to his faith and to God.
I think I must portray myself as not so nice with my family because they wanted to know if everyone in the blog world thought I was a creep! I said NO! They all think I'm nice!
And they said that's because you all don't know the real me!
But I said it's just the opposite, THIS IS ME!!
It really is funny, because I don't think that other than a very few people, I most likely wouldn't have these conversations with my family. (For fear that they would be telling me to get over myself!).
So it's nice to have this place and these friends to share this part of myself with.
And I am grateful for all your input, and I feel that I have developed a deeper relationship with God these past few months.
And I don't think it's horrible to question ourselves or our motives. And I'm glad I found blogging!
Eileen, your niece is BEAUTIFUL!!! She looks like a movie star ;) I would love for you to give us all a little tutorial lesson on how you do the decoupage..what you sent me and Sam..it was beautiful. I would also LOVE to see some pics of the park and the view of the bridge and the boats..It looks like you had a wonderful, happy weekend!! You have a beautiful family and an awfully sweet husband to help with the cleanup afterwards...Have a wonderful monday!
ReplyDeleteLove, Jerelene
Love, love, love the pictures you posted and the comments on the pool party. They reminded me of the good times I experienced when I was younger, still married and raising my now grown up 4 children. We had many family parties with friends and neighbours that left me with a lot of good memories. I treasure them and look forward to making new happy memories every day.
ReplyDeleteLooking back, I remember that on some occasions I took time to reflect and be thankful for the day I was experiencing. There were probably more times when I took it all for granted and thought I would always be in that happy place. So, if you can take another piece of advice, which is given in a loving spirt:
Make a conscious effort to appreciate the times of your life, whether happy or not. Those times go into the weaving of the Fabric of Life which becomes the Garment of your Spirit. Even the 'mistakes' are important as they give the cloth a unique pattern that is only yours. That Garment of Spirit will keep you warm and protected even through the worst of times. It will be a treasure to wear all through your life.
Peace and Blessings, Marlene.
Eileen, Happy Birthday (belatedly) to your gorgeous niece! There certainly are some beautiful women in your family and handsome men, too. Jayden and Mia come by their good looks through all of you!
ReplyDeleteGetting ready to go cook some supper.
Love to you...
XO,
Sheila :-)
Hi Eileen, I'm Becky and I came over from Sheila's blog! Looks like you had a great time. Such fun family fellowship is definitely a gift!! :o)
ReplyDeleteI, too grapple with what enough is, and I think it is very healthy to do so. We live very comfortably, but I hold everything with an open hand, and am becoming more and more aware of need versus want. I am so glad to meet you, and look forward to getting to know you better!
Blessings,
Becky
Thank you, Sheila, for your kind compliments and for your Birthday Wishes to Erika! I appreciate that and your visit here!
ReplyDelete