Birthdays and such

What do you do when you have 20 or so people coming to your house in a few hours for a pool party? Do you vacumm your pool? Make some food? Clean your house? No, you update your blog!

There have been so many things I wanted to post about but haven't had time.

First of all...

This little beauty is 15 today. Happy birthday munch!

Her birthday celebration included a trip to NY with our friends Pam and Rachel to see Grease and all that is New York.

The celebration continued with a mini pool party and scrumptious cakes.



Still to come: a day of pampering with her aunt and a weekend in the city with her cousin. Not a bad way to welcome in the 16th year.

Meanwhile, we celebrated Johnley's actual birthday with his friend 'Chuck'

And received the best present ever...thanks Roxanne, Riley and Griffen!


We went to a picnic given by the Holt Adoption agency for NJ families and met all kinds of wonderful people. Around here we talk about birthmoms and such once in while. Whenever someone is having a baby or pregnant or whatever, but otherwise it really doesn't come up. At the picnic, after playing with a new found friend, Sammy came up to me and asked me whose belly he was in. When I hesitated for a second, he said, "My birthmom?" and I said yes and he said, "So did my new friend!"

I'd really like to know what that conversation was like!

We played our first game of soccer

And started Sunday school. Which we love! (it was a little touch and go at first, but its all good now!)

And last but not least, this little angel turned 14 on Sept. 3rd. Happy, happy birthday, Avena!

Johnley's Birthday Party

Good times, good times.



This is Johnley. On his very first birthday (party). First thing in the am! He woke up on Sunday practically bursting. We had been doing the countdown to the birthday and he knew this was the day. He had to keep his hand over his mouth because he couldn't control his smile!


This is when he saw his new bike!

And here is a video of him opening a present from Duncan, Cole and Grady. Thanks guys!

We had a wonderful, Diego-themed party, complete with jungle vines (thanks daddy and Taishauna)! The big hit of the party was the water balloons. Poor Joe sat for over an hour filling them up, and most everybody decided to hit him. (His nieces were actually giddy over the idea!) Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures. Hopefully someone else did and I will post them when I get them.

After we blew out the candles, I went into the house to get a knife, and everyone tried to talk Johnley into biting the cake - somewhat of a tradition in our family - but he wouldn't have it.


Here is the video. Keep in mind that the person operating the camera was celebrating her 31st birthday and was slightly intoxicated!


Actually, he was a little concerned that everyone was going to eat his cake! And they did.
Especially Cara!


We went into the house to open presents and here a little bit of what that looked like.


So many people came and everyone made it a wonderful day. He was one happy, happy, little boy.

The best part of the whole day was when I put Johnley to bed. He was utterly, completely 100%, satisfied. "Mommy, that was the best party ever."