The Birthday Weekend!

What a weekend it has been! We have all had such a good time celebrating Andrew's birthday.

The celebration began yesterday afternoon with Andrew's golfing party. We had been talking about it all week and I think he really had begun to understand what was going to happen. While he was napping we finished up the preparations - decorating the house, setting up the games in the backyard and picking up his balloons. When he woke up, he was so excited to see everything ready for his party. And then his Daddy came home with all his balloons - green and white and golf ball shaped ones!

Oh, no! Rain clouds looming on the horizon. While I was finishing up a few last minute things, I prayed that the weather would hold off for just a little while so we could play some of the fun stuff in the yard. We had set up Brian's net to practice driving golf balls. We had made a semi putt-putt/semi croquet course for the kids to hit the golf balls through and into a clown at the end. A friend had also lent us their practice putting green. And of course, there's always the playset! As family and friends started arriving, we herded them to the back yard to begin playing for as long as we could. The rain didn't stay away for as long as I would have liked, but the kids are so easy to please.

Playing games

Hole in the clown!

Jacob practicing his driving!

The little golfer.

We brought the putting green and the clown inside and everybody played with that and all the other toys. We grilled hot dogs and ate. We opened presents. We sang "Happy Birthday!" and ate CAKE!

Andrew enjoying lunch.

Opening presents - hey, where's the birthday boy??

The cake.

Everyone singing to Andrew.

The big boy blows out his candles!

Mmmmmm. Cake!

Despite the rainy weather, it turned out to be a really fun party. The kids went to bed exhausted and happy!

Today, of course, is Andrew's real birthday. After everybody slept in just a tad (8:00 or 8:30), Brian went and got some donuts and kolaches from our favorite neighborhood shop. Andrew was all smiles and laughter all morning. After breakfast he opened his presents from us - a Hummer, a garbage truck, a flash light and other odds and ends.

A nifty red LED flashlight for the kid who loves flashlights.

All the kids enjoy opening presents.

Once we were all ready, we headed over to the putt-putt golf place for a round of golf. None of the kids had ever been before. Jacob really enjoyed trying to hit par on each hole. Nicole enjoyed it too. But I think her favorite part was watching the 18th hole "eat" her ball. Andrew really had a great time. Right up his alley. Thankfully, there aren't many people there on a Sunday morning at 11am. So we had the run of our course. Andrew was able to move about from hole to hole and hit as much as he wanted. I hit a few pars and that was while "wearing" Michael. Tiger Woods here I come. We played an abbreviated game and then headed home all hot and sweaty. We ate some light lunch and the erst of Andrew's cake.

The first hole.

What form! What talent!

Look Dad! It eats your ball!

Hey that hole ate my ball!!! Try and explain that to a 2 year old.

After Andrew's nap, we went to the 5:30pm youth Mass at Church. Then we came home to play in the backyard. The kids really had a good time playing all the games we couldn't really play with very long yesterday. We got out the new croquet set Gamma and Pappa gave Andrew and put bubbles in his new Bubble mower. Everybody ate ice cream cones and had really nice end to our weekend just relaxing in the backyard.

The mowing crew!

Jacob and I playing croquet. We read the rules and I think we figured out the basics. He won both times.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!