My guy turns 60!

 October 20, my guy turned 60 years old!  Oh my!    Gabrial suggested a few times that I should do something special for this birthday... 

Saturday, he and Emerson came up...under the premise of going hunting and spending #60 with his Pop...all true...

About 4 p.m., Lindsey called from Willets...so I went out and told him they were on their way up...that apparently Lindsey and Gabe had been talking and decided to both come up to spend the day with him.  I told him Susan, Donnie's mom, was with them, and that was another reason they were coming...so they could show her the redwoods. 

He was VERY surprised...and VERY excited!

 Susan has some games the boys love on her iPad... a race car game...

 My stairs were a fun place to watch toys tumble...

 

Yesterday, the birthday... I told him in the morning while they were hunting, that I had talked to Pam (who just returned from an amazing 5 week journey to Europe!), and she and Peter wanted to come by and say Happy Birthday...so I had invited them over to eat, too.!

 About 3:45, Pam and Peter...and Lynne and Bruce came over.  He was expecting that...and we were having a really nice time eating some dips, drinking a glass of vino, and just visiting...when the doorbell rang.

Brian and Andrea were there...wishing him a happy birthday.  Um??? He told me later, that he began to wonder...

The doorbell rang...it was Jake...wishing him a happy birthday...

and the doorbell kept ringing, and friends kept coming.

 Bruce and Peter

 Heath, Donnie, Ron

 Brandi, Lindsey

 Brian and Gabe

 Andrea, Hailey, Brandi, Lindsey

 Peter, Ron, Jake

 Gabe

 Emerson

 Bruce, Lynne, Susan

 Pam, Brian

 Andrea, Cheryl, Hailey, Heath, Brandi

 Lindsey, Andrea

 

Bruce, Lynne, Susan

 Ron and I

 Jake picking out tomatoes for Emerson

 William, Donnie

 William

 It was such a fun night...celebrating a milestone!  After everyone left, the boys wanted to play a bit more on the iPad...

 The guys retired to watch a little football...

 William continued to eat..

 Emerson started sporting a 'shiner'.... an injury received when he and Benjamin were running around and crashed into each other...OUCH!

 

I was trying to get a picture of William...and he is a HAM!  He was definitely playing hard-to-get!

 Papa was illustrating what animal loves carrots..

 We spent the rest of the night just enjoying hanging out.

 This morning, Lindsey and family took off about 11 or so... Gabe and I sat around drinking some coffee and talking...Emerson was playing on my iPad...

Until Brandon and James came over about 1:30.  These guys are buddies...like their dads are buddies.  They played monster trucks...and monster trucks...and monster trucks

 until Gabe insisted they HAD to get on the road!

 I wanted one more picture of Gabe and Emerson...

 Boy, I'm glad I took them...I love, love these pictures!

Up on Saturday evening and back on Monday morning/early afternoon...a quick trip, but one that sure meant a lot to their dad turning 60!

Happy Birthday, dear!

Looking over the past 10+ years.... to wish Thalia a Happy Birthday!

 

Thalia!

She's 14 years old today...

 Parents/grandparents,etc., always say how fast their kids grow...

 and it's true.  When you think of your memories...look back over old photographs...

 so many of them seem like they happened just yesterday...

 

That's what happened to me as I looked back at some of these...It doesn't seem like 10+ years have gone by...

 Thalia is one precious child...one precious young lady...one precious granddaughter...

 

I am so so proud of who she is...of her talents...of her determinations...of her faith... of her love for her family...

I also realized looking back through photos, that she hasn't really changed much at all!  She's grown up, that's for sure, but she's still the same Thalia she was when she was a little 'Rug Rat' or 'Ruggy'!

Thalia, you are so loved!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 14th Birthday!

I love you,

Mimi