Camping Celebration

I'll blame it on the long ride home from the beach.

 

 

A rather restful vacation had revived my spirits, given me increased energy.

 

So I planned a party.

 

So far, birthdays have been family affairs, cake and ice cream with grandparents and cousins.

 

But, what if we invited a few friends this time?

It still was pretty small, two other families with their kids.

 

But it was a really fun celebration.

Somehow in the planning I failed to think about having a nursing baby to deal with, too.

The other moms were eager to hold her.

 

And I couldn't have done it without Doug who took charge of the wild kiddos.

Together we manned games and handed out prizes,

 



amidst lots of laughs and many cries of "Bingo!"

 

Stephen requested a compass cake which was easy enough

and to accommodate all the various food restrictions, we had separate campfire cupcakes, too.

I always enjoyed the birthday celebrations my own mother planned for me as a child,

and it was such a pleasure to plan a soiree for someone who gets so much pleasure

out of the big and little things of life

and appreciates the value of being with family and friends.

 

Happy Birthday, Stephen!