Family fun

The motley crew

We just survived a family party for my brother and father and it's going to make a great memory.
Not that survived is really the right word.
It was good to get together. We renewed family bonds and we made my  90-year-old dad happy even though his actual 90th birthday is still months away.
It worked like this: My brother who lives in Iowa with his wife and daughter decided to come to Utah for his 60th birthday so it evolved into a double celebration, a 60/90 event.

Twin birthday boys

All four of us would be together and it would be fun.
It was also a bit of work trying to make it all come together.
My dad is in the Legacy Retirement Center so we decided to have one party there to eliminate dragging he and his wife out into the cold and back.
We decided to have an outdoor picnic for the children's children and their children so as to eliminate breakage and disaster. (Try to imagine 20-25 little kids running through the old people's place with cupcakes in hand).
One event depended heavily on the weather while the other meant I had to think outside the kitchen. The room we reserved is usually a room used for Bingo and church. There's no running water, refrigeration or cooking equipment. So everything we ate or used had to be brought in and up.
I started making lists two months ahead — just ask Marc — and debating the questions.
How much would be enough? How much was too much? Paper or plastic? Utensils or fingers?
For the picnic, were we looking at rain and cold wind? Sunshine and crowds?
Ultimately it all went along pretty well.

A rocket scientist breaking in

We only had two minor disasters.
The $22 worth of balloons I had cafefully ordered in crazy colors loosed themselves from the hitching post at the picnic (Marc was in charge of tying them up) and took off into the sky (the kids loved it!)
The gift my brother brought for my other brother took a hammer, a chisel and a blow torch to break open.
And, oh yes, the song we wanted to sing for my father proved to be a mighty vocal challenge...but that's another blog in itself.
Anyway, it's over now, tucked away in the memory banks, something to talk about in years to come.
No one was hurt. No fist fights broke out and everyone's back in their happy homes.
Whew!!